I've wondered the same thing, they are sort of neat looking. Like any plastic product, I wonder if they get discolored or if the plastic gets hazed looking when it gets weathered.

Anyways, I've always dreamed of having a small greenhouse, just to use in early spring and then in late fall, since heating year-round would probably be ridiculously expensive.

Glen

My neighbor has a very expensive polycarbonate greenhouse and over the last 4 or more years it hasnt yellowed or discoloured at all. When we tore down the old greenhouse and put up a new one this last fall we used polycarbonate for the roof. We used some windows that were given us for the walls and did the gables with poly too. We didnt want to reorder the poly for the gables so used the tinted poly they had in stock. I am not worried about the tinted poly because the direction my greenhouse faces. If I didnt have the room for a large green house I would jump at the chance to have one of the GHs from Canadian tire. I'm sure an area heater in the spring or fall is all a person would need to keep it warm in there...savona

If it's the one for $899 you're talking about, I've saw one set up at CT and thought they were pretty flimsy looking. I didn't think it was worth that amount of money.

I have a GH made out of twinwall polycarbonate - that stuff that looks like plastic cardboard - and a wooden frame. I lined the inside with 2 ml poly to increase the heat retention in spring when I heat it with a 1500 w space heater. The 2 ml plastic helped quite a bit, otherwise the heat escaped.

FYI, there are some nice hobby greenhouses at costco.ca (yes, I'm a big fan of costco products - I think they're usually very well made and you get good value for your money). One is currently $180 off, the other is $539, and their prices include shipping. If I didn't already have a greenhouse, I'd be interested in either of these.

Here is a link that might be useful: greenhouse

On the farm I had a Halls greenhouse, definitely a good sturdy building. I'm thinking of again purchasing another one and the price isn't bad, though I have yet to find out about shipping costs.

Terry

Here is a link that might be useful: Greenhouses

At just under $1000 the polycarbonate greenhouses are worth it I think.

When we moved to our acreage there was an existing greenhouse with an attached potting shed. The potting shed has a trap door and steps to go into the basement of the shed...that is where I store all the empty assorted trays, pots and planters.

When you step from the potting shed into the greenhouse you go down a little set of stairs..3 steps, so actually the greenhouse is about 3' into the ground. This means that the tables in the greenhouse are at about ground level. The original glass was broken in quite a few places so, we decided to redo the greenhouse about 5 years ago.

With the cost of the new lumber for the frame and the lexan (polycarbonate) material we were able to buy here in a lumber store in our town, we figure it cost about $1000 (no labour costs cause we did it ourselves).

I do not use it in the winter for the same reason that Glen mentioned...too expensive. But, I will just put a little space heater on in the spring (as Savonna mentioned) and it will be warm enough in there for starting my cannas and other plants. My DH also placed water pipes on the tables, covered them with sand and we can run warm antifreeze thru them to get bottom heat on the shelves in the greenhouse.

I am very happy with the lexan. The mature trees in various locations around the greenhouse means that the greenhouse does not get 100% sun each day and yet the plants do well in there.

It can get down to about -8C at night before the temps in the greenhouse get down close to freezing. So, with a little heater on, just for night, plants can survive in there for quite a while in the fall if I am not ready to bring them into the house yet.

Which reminds me, when the weather is no longer at -42C but up to about -10C I need to get in there and organize the pots/soil/etc so that it is ready for spring once again.

Brenda

Brenda, That setup looks ideal to me!
That's exactly how I would want to use a greenhouse if I could have one.
I feel I would have a much more sane approach to readying plants for the return indoors in the fall.
And of course, getting them safely outdoors earlier in the spring also.

Just a note here, For 23 years I used a homemade greenhouse that my Hubby built.It was covered with double layer of heavy plastic and it worked great. Two years ago he built me a new greenhouse and we covered it with fiberglass. I've had a real problem with it as it takes much longer in the morning to warm up and it cools rapidly in the evening.This year if I have the energy, I'm going to go back to the plastic covered one. They are nearly side by side so receive the same amount of sun, etc.I've been using the old one to store extra pots and trays.I think the fiberglass is the same as the polycarb others are talking about.

'I think the fiberglass is the same as the polycarb others are talking about.'

Posie, I know that we did not use fiberglass. There is a world of difference between fiberglass and polycarbonate. Mine does not cool rapidly in the evenings like your fiberglass covered greenhouse does, in fact it retains heat very very well.

Lexan corregated sheets are what we used because they are clear just like glass but without the heavy weight, high cost and chance of breaking and getting glass in the landscaping beds next to the greenhouse.

For a little info and comparison between Lexan and other products out there (like fiberglass) here is a quote from...

http://www.greenhouse-coverings.usgr.com/polycarbonate.html

This Polycarbonate covering offers the design flexibility, easy installation and economy you get from fiberglass without premature surface deterioration or loss of light transmission. With service life years longer. than polyethylene or fiberglass, and more economical than glass, LEXAN Corrugated sheet fills an important cost/performance niche in rigid coverings.

Check These Outstanding Features.
1. Up to 90% light transmission by ASTM standards.
2. Toughness - 20 times the impact strength of fiberglass. Greater than 40 times the impact strength of glass and acrylic.
3. Integral UV resistance.
4. Light weight.
5. Formability.
6. Condensate control.
7. Available in polished and matte clear, as well as tints.

'impact resistance superior to glass, fiberglass and acrylic. A LEXAN Corrugated sheet.O33 in (.8mm) thick can withstand over 240 in-lbs of impact. Compare this to tempered glass, fiberglass or structured acrylic.'

Brenda

Thanks ValleyGirl, I'll give that site a look.

I am wondering if anyone knows the name of a greenhouse sold about 5 - 6 years ago by Canadian Tire that had dark grey smoked polycarbonate panels around the bottom course of panels. I need to find out to see if I can order replacement panels.

When selecting cover material for my greenhouse, I found this article helpful.

http://www.greenhousecatalog.com/greenhouse-light