seeking pearls on shadecloth design for gh

[jmforan]

I confess I'm a cart-before-the-horse breed and true to my nature, installed a gh with the misplaced faith that my enormous oak would provide adequate shade. Not!!! So Half of my plants are going under my bench to protect them from the avg. 4-5000 foot candles that So. California provides 6 hr/day in Dec. I need 1/4 of the bench area shaded to grow Phals, Miltonia hybrids and eventually Paphs. Can someone with handy skills suggest an indoor frame design for applying shadecloth? Your shade -making wisdom is my enlightenment!

[Ray]

Technically, it's better to have shade cloth outside of the GH rather than inside, but there are many ways you might "skin that cat" inside.

• A simple frame made with pressurized 2x2's or PVC pipe, with Aluminet over it (the Aluminet won't build up the heat in the greenhouse as rapidly).
• Some sort of lath structure above the bench
• Hang a bunch of high-light plants above that bench.

[BikerDoc5968]

I go along with Ray's 1st idea. But the redwood of your GH is sooooo beautiful and you've spent so much time and effort to make it look so appealling, and you live in CA, I'd try and find a source for 1" x 2" redwood and make frames that would inset between the rafters covered with your shadecloth. Then simply drill holes (4) top and bottom of each "unit and pass a long dowel or rod through each....this would maintain the beauty you have. The big box stores all sell 3/16" aluminium rod in 3' lengths.

[jmforan]

Great ideas. I had considered a 1x2 frame with aluminet stapled to the frame. I don't follow the dowel placement though-how it would attach (in 3-D) vs just applying shadecloth to a rectangular frame. Thanks for your input.

[BikerDoc5968]

I guess if you are placing it up perminently, you could just staple it to the existing framework. Then there is no need for strecher frames tp mount the shadecloth. If you were to build frames just slightly smaller than the inside length/width of your current GH frames and staple the shadecloth to the outside of the built frames, then you could insert these into the roof panels and they should fit snug enough to stay in place. The drill small holes through the 2 frames and the rafter and insert a aluminium rod through the hole. Place holes on the long sides of the frame/rafter at the top sides and lower eve side. This way should you want to remove them no problem and you maintain the beauty of the GH. If you make frames, I'd use butt joints because they will be stronger and they are alot easier to measure and assemble. Another point when attaching the shadeclothj, is to turn under about 1/2" around the sides so when you staple it will have less chance of pulling out. Essentially you are creating a "scren" to place over a window, which brings another thought to mind and that is purchasing aluminium screen and spline material and just screw this to the rafters??????

[Aceetobe]

I choose option #3
Hang a bunch of high-light plants above that bench.

Gives you a good excuse to buy a bunch of vandas.