Help with lean-to greenhouse purchase

[Ray]

WW - that’ll be a good growing room, but before you get to making ways for light to get through the roof, consider some white LED plant lights. That would make the room more livable in the dead of winter and provide supplemental lighting for the plants besides.

[Dollythehun]

That was what we asked for. We were told we didn't have enough pitch.

[Akhenaten]

Wow, antique house !!! In our city, every such house has the status of state historical significance.
Awesome! Luxurious room! And even with sewerage! Add LED lamps at least 150 watts and it will be amazing. For hot days, add a mobile floor air conditioner.
My sincere congratulations!

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

That was what we asked for. We were told we didn't have enough pitch.

Our house in PA was built with a large deck off the kitchen. Someone converted it into a crappy screened-in porch with a fiberglass panel roof that was blisteringly hot in the summer. I made it into a real room, putting a shingled roof with three 48" x 18" skylights, with ceiling fans in between. That roof sloped about 1.5" per foot, which is "too little for skylights", but there are skylights made specifically for shallow-grade roofs.

As long as the curb is tall enough, and it is flashed properly, skylights are not an issue.

[piping plover]

Not to highjack OPs thread with skylight talk, but I always held as an option to add one of these large skylights to an existing sunroom if the cost benefit analysis was more attractive than a full build lean to ghs or solarium. I know there would be product expense, install, crane versus a newly built ghs kit, with foundation and other installation. Never priced these large skylights but am curious. Pics below.

[WaterWitchin]

Originally Posted by Ray

WW - that’ll be a good growing room, but before you get to making ways for light to get through the roof, consider some white LED plant lights. That would make the room more livable in the dead of winter and provide supplemental lighting for the plants besides.

Yep, Ray, the panel in roof is mostly just a whim. I don't think I really want one. It's a fairly open room to begin with, and all windows from almost ceiling to about 20" from floor. I'm pretty sure in my climate I'm actually better off with the roof. Will save me shade cloth for six months out of the year, and better insulation the other six months.

I already have plenty of LED lights... I used to grow in the BatCave, so have a plethora of them. Figured before I hung more than one for the sitting area I'd see how many I actually need to haul up there.

---------- Post added at 02:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:21 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

That was what we asked for. We were told we didn't have enough pitch.

Yeah, your roof is pretty much flat, isn't it? Very little, if much of any, slope. Makes a difference.

---------- Post added at 02:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:22 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Akhenaten

Wow, antique house !!! In our city, every such house has the status of state historical significance.
Awesome! Luxurious room! And even with sewerage! Add LED lamps at least 150 watts and it will be amazing. For hot days, add a mobile floor air conditioner.
My sincere congratulations!

Awe thanks Akhenaten! Yes, antique just like me.

This house isn't special enough to be on the historical register. Nor would I want it to be, as once it's designated as such, you have the government meddling in your business every time you do a project, improvement, etc.

I probably won't be doing AC in it. I want to open all the windows in summer and get the free humidity. In summer I'll close the door and act like I'm outside. Minus bugs. Pretty excited about getting all the humidity in summer without having to schlep plants outside, AND even more stoked about the damned grasshoppers not munching on leaves!

---------- Post added at 02:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:28 PM ----------

Originally Posted by piping plover

Not to highjack OPs thread with skylight talk, but I always held as an option to add one of these large skylights to an existing sunroom if the cost benefit analysis was more attractive than a full build lean to ghs or solarium. I know there would be product expense, install, crane versus a newly built ghs kit, with foundation and other installation. Never priced these large skylights but am curious. Pics below.

That's not a hijack, and I wouldn't care if it was. I'm probably one of the worst ones on OB when it comes to off topic, but I try. I do try.

Pretty sure that would be more expensive for that type of skylight than you want to pay. And having recently shopped greenhouses, etc, I'd roll with just the sunroom you already have. Much less expense, which allows you to buy more orchids.

And I think RI is pretty close to same growing zone as I am. Will save you a ton of heating dollars to not have a glass roof... that you will need to put sunshade on in summer.

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by Ray

Our house in PA was built with a large deck off the kitchen. Someone converted it into a crappy screened-in porch with a fiberglass panel roof that was blisteringly hot in the summer. I made it into a real room, putting a shingled roof with three 48" x 18" skylights, with ceiling fans in between. That roof sloped about 1.5" per foot, which is "too little for skylights", but there are skylights made specifically for shallow-grade roofs.

As long as the curb is tall enough, and it is flashed properly, skylights are not an issue.

The contractor was young, and not our first choice. But we needed to have the work done. He was either afraid or not skilled enough. And if you've ever had roofers installing a rubber roof you know that you just want them to go away, so I didn't argue. It doesn't leak.

[WaterWitchin]

Good point Dolly. I found not one contractor who actually bothered to talk to me, who I felt confident and willing to let them start putting holes into outside wall of my house. That was another part of the problem.

[estación seca]

My roof has less than 12 degrees of pitch. I have 4 skylights. One was here in 1986 and the others were installed in 1987. I check them each spring and repaint with elastomeric rubber coating every 2 years.

[Ray]

Paint the interior walls bright white - flat or eggshell, not glossy - and it’ll scatter the light beautifully.