17 September 2021

clear panels

I re-skinned my tiny greenhouse. I was too late in rewrapping it in plastic sheeting- the temperature extremes had degraded it and was starting to shred. Realized my folly in using this for so many years- when it gets to the point of shredding, I can't gather all the tiny bits, and am probably adding microplastics to my own yard. Don't want that. 

This time, I took the trouble of finding some plastic panels- thin plexiglass or acrylic. Some I got that were scrap people gave away, some from taking apart picture frames I got at the thrift store for cheap. (Ugly pictures, or they had no picture at all). Pieces were all good size but none large enough to cover an entire side, so I layered them with an inch or two overlapping, bottom to top, to shed the rain.
Greenhouse looks much better now. Some of the plastic panels I'd put on the front this past December had discolored- I replaced those, too. None had broken or come loose, just yellowed some. So I think skinning it in panels will last longer each time than the plastic sheeting- in fact the roll of it I have in storage is aged enough I'm just going to toss what's left. 
I was really hoping to find an old storm door with a plexiglass pane to use- as it might cover one whole side of my greenhouse in a single piece. I've seen them before up for giveaway, but none now when I actually needed it. No matter, getting a handful of empty frames to remove the glazing, was still cheaper than buying new acrylic sheets at the hardware store. (I've looked before.)

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