Corrugated Fibreglass Roof Panels? - Growing in Greenhouses - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

BakedBeans · 04-20-2007, 04:37 PM

Hello all,

I'm thinking about converting a small barn for use as a greenhouse. Right now it's built with galvanized/metal corrugated roofing panels and my first thought was instead of installing lights, just replace the roof. I've been trying to research fibreglass panels to replace the metal, but I'm unsure of the light-transmitting properties. I have seen figures of 50% light transmission through white panels, but 70+% transmission through clear. Security is definitely a concern. What can you see through from the air and what can you not?

Also, how do you insulate the building around the corrugated channels? I'll have to go look at the construction of the present structure more when I can get out there again, but I wanted to see if anyone had done anything like this.

Also, this will be built in the south, where half of our year is in the 80's 90's and 100's. Our lowest temps are in the 20's but that's only for a brief period of time usually. It never snows or frosts much. I'm in Zone 8b.

I think our building is 30-feet by 30-feet by 25 feet or something like that. It's not huge, but not small either.

Does anyone have any tips? We are going to try for a full Aquaponic setup. This is out in the country, and my buddy wants to raise fish for food. I've been researching Aqua for a long time now.

Thanks!

BB

trybud · 04-20-2007, 07:22 PM

make sure your roof is southern-exposure oriented and you'll be good to go with either the clear or the white.I have used clear with no problems of being able to see in and ive used clear with 15%-20% shade cloth over it. it looked like a tar roof when we went over my place in a hot air ballon (i was in napa at the time)

LORD BENIS · 04-21-2007, 03:45 AM

Polycarbonate roofing would be awesome on a place like that! Not sure if it's the same as the fiberglass you're talking about. They sell little wavey/corragted wooden fittings that just slide in to weather seal it. You can pick everything you'd need at Home Depot. I'd pick up a few cans of white paint and give the walls a nice coating while you're at it. I've always wanted to do something like this. I don't think you could see much from the air, especially with a light shade cloth on top. As for heat issues, you may want to leave a few corner panels unsecured so you can prop them up a little and let heat escape during those scorchers. BTW, any pics?

Keep us posted man, sounds like a really cool set up.

04-21-2007, 09:51 PM

Sounds like you are planning on doing the same as me? These are a few pics of how my first grow in my metal shed with corrugated fiberglass turned out.

If your GH is in direct sunn all day you will have no problems growing some monsters in it.

GCG

LaShY · 05-20-2007, 05:28 PM

howdosligt ge i there garlic city gro? looks like its all metal!?

BakedBeans · 05-20-2007, 07:32 PM

Glad to see the bump. I'm still in the planning phases but my work has been going slowly. It is really hard to find light-penetration information on panels. I don't want to use a clear panel, but I might have to in order to insure adequate lighting. I was thinking of devising a shade cloth underneath the panels. If it could be hung properly, I could replace it with a 100% shade cloth for 12/12 and force flowering early in the summer. I'm in the south, so I should be able to pull off 3 crops a year, but I'm wondering if I could stagger growth to achieve better.

I dunno yet.

I went looking at Home Depot and they didn't have anything interesting. I'll check out Lowes later on. I like the Tuftex site, but the information is incomplete. There are links to Ondura, but that is more for commercial roofing.

Here is the tuftex site:

https://www.tuftexpanel.com/

Watchout, the Ondura link breaks Firefox. :-P

bb

Hindu Killer · 05-20-2007, 08:38 PM

Kick ass grow Bro!!! I read in a old grow book about useing a shade cloth. And makeing it look like tar paper. From the air it looks like a solid roof, but the cloth allows light in.

jaykush · 05-20-2007, 10:10 PM

do you want this to look less like a greenhouse as possible. i would get clear panels and cover the roof then on top of the panels get shade cloth a low percentage like 30%. you could even go with clear plastic covered with shade cloth like so https://www.gothicarchgreenhouses.com/aluminet2.jpg this lets more than enough light in if you get the right shade cloth and the sun is on the right path. and dont get too thin of plastic, its gotta be semi thick the shade cloth with protect it a lot.

i agree with tom too grow in there once to see how it performs and what needs to be fixed before bringing in the big guns.

BakedBeans · 05-21-2007, 05:24 AM

Yeah, I will definitely be going with a soil grow the first time around. I have to pop seeds and that will make it easier. I like organics but will probably stick with a soilless coco/perlite mix and liquid tea or PBP.

I don't know how this will all shape up. I'm welcome to any ideas you guys may have. I'll try and get a Visio or Autocad drawing done at some point. Anyone have suggestions for modeling software?

bb

05-21-2007, 08:53 AM

to deal with short and long days, think about setting up a retractable blackout cloth/tarp/sheet on wires that you can slide over the plants. then just have maybe one low wattage cfl per plant or whatever ends up being enough to make sure each plant gets full light coverage. the cfls can be used to extend the days to keep the plants from switching to veg and the blackout tarp is used to legthen days whenever the cfls are on (to keep light from shooting out the roof and glowing) and to shorten days keeping the plants covered but the cfls off.

04-20-2007, 04:37 PM	#1
BakedBeans Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 158	Corrugated Fibreglass Roof Panels? Hello all, I'm thinking about converting a small barn for use as a greenhouse. Right now it's built with galvanized/metal corrugated roofing panels and my first thought was instead of installing lights, just replace the roof. I've been trying to research fibreglass panels to replace the metal, but I'm unsure of the light-transmitting properties. I have seen figures of 50% light transmission through white panels, but 70+% transmission through clear. Security is definitely a concern. What can you see through from the air and what can you not? Also, how do you insulate the building around the corrugated channels? I'll have to go look at the construction of the present structure more when I can get out there again, but I wanted to see if anyone had done anything like this. Also, this will be built in the south, where half of our year is in the 80's 90's and 100's. Our lowest temps are in the 20's but that's only for a brief period of time usually. It never snows or frosts much. I'm in Zone 8b. I think our building is 30-feet by 30-feet by 25 feet or something like that. It's not huge, but not small either. Does anyone have any tips? We are going to try for a full Aquaponic setup. This is out in the country, and my buddy wants to raise fish for food. I've been researching Aqua for a long time now. Thanks! BB
	Quote

04-20-2007, 07:22 PM	#2
trybud Undocumented US Border Patrol Agent Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 665	make sure your roof is southern-exposure oriented and you'll be good to go with either the clear or the white.I have used clear with no problems of being able to see in and ive used clear with 15%-20% shade cloth over it. it looked like a tar roof when we went over my place in a hot air ballon (i was in napa at the time)
	Quote

04-21-2007, 03:45 AM	#3
LORD BENIS Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 382	Polycarbonate roofing would be awesome on a place like that! Not sure if it's the same as the fiberglass you're talking about. They sell little wavey/corragted wooden fittings that just slide in to weather seal it. You can pick everything you'd need at Home Depot. I'd pick up a few cans of white paint and give the walls a nice coating while you're at it. I've always wanted to do something like this. I don't think you could see much from the air, especially with a light shade cloth on top. As for heat issues, you may want to leave a few corner panels unsecured so you can prop them up a little and let heat escape during those scorchers. BTW, any pics? Keep us posted man, sounds like a really cool set up. __________________ The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena. Whose face is marred by dust, sweat, and blood;who strive valiantly and know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spend themselves in a worthy cause. Who at the best, know the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if they fail, fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt - Last edited by LORD BENIS; 04-21-2007 at 03:51 AM..
	Quote

04-21-2007, 09:51 PM	#4
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	Sounds like you are planning on doing the same as me? These are a few pics of how my first grow in my metal shed with corrugated fiberglass turned out. If your GH is in direct sunn all day you will have no problems growing some monsters in it. GCG
	Quote

05-20-2007, 05:28 PM	#5
LaShY New Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Australia Posts: 17	howdosligt ge i there garlic city gro? looks like its all metal!?
	Quote

05-20-2007, 07:32 PM	#6
BakedBeans Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 158	Glad to see the bump. I'm still in the planning phases but my work has been going slowly. It is really hard to find light-penetration information on panels. I don't want to use a clear panel, but I might have to in order to insure adequate lighting. I was thinking of devising a shade cloth underneath the panels. If it could be hung properly, I could replace it with a 100% shade cloth for 12/12 and force flowering early in the summer. I'm in the south, so I should be able to pull off 3 crops a year, but I'm wondering if I could stagger growth to achieve better. I dunno yet. I went looking at Home Depot and they didn't have anything interesting. I'll check out Lowes later on. I like the Tuftex site, but the information is incomplete. There are links to Ondura, but that is more for commercial roofing. Here is the tuftex site: https://www.tuftexpanel.com/ Watchout, the Ondura link breaks Firefox. :-P bb
	Quote

05-20-2007, 08:38 PM	#7
Hindu Killer Banned Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,925	Kick ass grow Bro!!! I read in a old grow book about useing a shade cloth. And makeing it look like tar paper. From the air it looks like a solid roof, but the cloth allows light in.
	Quote

05-20-2007, 10:10 PM	#8
jaykush dirty black hands Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: the old growth forest Posts: 4,990	do you want this to look less like a greenhouse as possible. i would get clear panels and cover the roof then on top of the panels get shade cloth a low percentage like 30%. you could even go with clear plastic covered with shade cloth like so https://www.gothicarchgreenhouses.com/aluminet2.jpg this lets more than enough light in if you get the right shade cloth and the sun is on the right path. and dont get too thin of plastic, its gotta be semi thick the shade cloth with protect it a lot. i agree with tom too grow in there once to see how it performs and what needs to be fixed before bringing in the big guns. __________________ “Everything is written in the book of nature. This book is always open.” sepp holzer
	Quote

05-21-2007, 05:24 AM	#9
BakedBeans Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 158	Yeah, I will definitely be going with a soil grow the first time around. I have to pop seeds and that will make it easier. I like organics but will probably stick with a soilless coco/perlite mix and liquid tea or PBP. I don't know how this will all shape up. I'm welcome to any ideas you guys may have. I'll try and get a Visio or Autocad drawing done at some point. Anyone have suggestions for modeling software? bb Last edited by BakedBeans; 08-13-2007 at 07:13 AM..
	Quote

05-21-2007, 08:53 AM	#10
Guest Guest Posts: n/a	to deal with short and long days, think about setting up a retractable blackout cloth/tarp/sheet on wires that you can slide over the plants. then just have maybe one low wattage cfl per plant or whatever ends up being enough to make sure each plant gets full light coverage. the cfls can be used to extend the days to keep the plants from switching to veg and the blackout tarp is used to legthen days whenever the cfls are on (to keep light from shooting out the roof and glowing) and to shorten days keeping the plants covered but the cfls off.
	Quote