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Greenhouses & Garden Structures

GH Paint color, sheen and metal trim selection ?

18 years ago

I have finally finished the framing for our new GH and have applied two coats oil based primer - your basic stark flat white.

The final color scheme calls for the stuccoed block knee wall to be painted your classic deep emerald green and the upper wood framing to be a "bone white" (and slightly tan off-white color....door will be a brick red/purple.) The frame paint color will be high quality oil based with a medium gloss.

OK here are the questions.

Sundance materials suggest that using "flat" paint on sides that "face" the twin wall will "reduce noise" when panels expand. (Sounds odd to me!) What is this business about "flat paint" on the edges facing the twin wall? I mean, do those of you who have wood frame GH and twin wall coverings have GHs that moan or sing in the heat and cold?

I'd certaily prefer to complete the painting of the framework with the same final color; not use more coats of the flat primer for those surfaces. Ideas? Thoughts?

Also, Sundance sells extruded aluminum cap material to join twin wall edges AND corner angle (for the roof ends and wall corners in both "stark white" and "bronze".

I'm not at a decision point about which color works best from the appearance point of view but does anyone have thoughts about whether the darker color "bronze" trim is going to cause problems with "excessive" heat absorbption?

As always, thanks for your help!

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Comments (3)

cactusfreak
18 years ago
I can understand how the oil based paint will cause sqeaking and other noises. The oil paint tends to stay a little sticky esp. when hot. It's like rubbing two pieces of rubber together.
Remember hearing of windows sticking? It wasn't so much they were painted closed. It the paint sticking too itself.
I enclosed my courtyard with Lexan panels and a vinyl strip. I chaulked inside and out on one panel and it cracked because it couldn't expand. The other panels I just chaulked on one side and they are ok.
ohiojay
18 years ago
If you don't mind, I would like to hear a little more about the greenhouse itself. How big? Where you got your plans? Why doing wood versus setting up a kit using aluminum? Just curious since I'm in the planning stages. Thanks!
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clavero
Original Author
18 years ago
Ohiojay,

The GH is 9x14. The "plans" were cobbled together in my head from input from a bunch of pix of GHs that I've seen AND developed to fit the look of the house. We live on a small lot (50x150) with a 1920's house (orginally a hip roof cottage) that has been slowly upgraded with addition and small deck. Most of which has been kept to the small cottage\house look. (V Rustic wood siding, simple crown molding on the exterior windows, etc)

Both my wife and I never even considered an aluminum kit - can't see how it would fit the look of the house. In addition the site was not the best choice possible vis a vis sun exposure, though the only reasonable site to put it at all. We wanted a tall knee wall...actually almost a half wall- both for the look and the reality that a tool shed on its south side reduced the sun below "table level" during the worst of the winter sun angle. We never planned to plant in the ground, but start annuals and hold orchids over the winter on tables and hung from the rafters so the tall half wal fit the bill

I'm not about to recommend my approach, ie. wood over aluminum - (pesonally I just don't like the aluminum GH look) Nor do I suggest "making it up as you go without plans". It's just evolved this way.

At some point soon, once I make myslef sit down at the computer with the progress photos I've taken, I'll get some out so you can see what we have so far.

Last weekend we laid the used brick floor. Now it's time to paint, get the electical details installed, order twin wall and metal trim and close it up.

As its going it will take until the first frost to accomlish it. Its a part of a larger "back yard" plan and I have to keep the bigger project moving along as well.

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