Shade cloth to reduce heat

[YvonneHall]

I am looking for a shade cloth that will reduce heat as well as provide shade. My greenhouse is 12 by 18 with south & east exposure. We have built a horizonal frame work above the greenhouse to keep the shade cloth from laying on the roof since it is poly gal and were told it would blister. I also have interior shade cloth year round to reduce light. Last summer it was very hot inside the house and even with the exhaut fans and misting system, it was 90- 100 degrees much of the time. I had a 50% black cloth that hung over to cover properly. My phals were not happy. I need sometihing to reflect the heat and about the same amount of light. Can anyone help?

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[Ray]

Aluminet.

Colored shade cloths work by a combination of reflecting and absorbing the sun's rays to varying degrees. The greater the degree of absorption, the more of the energy is converted to heat.

Aluminet is an aluminized Mylar product that reflects far more than it absorbs, so the temperatures will stay a lot cooler.

Gothic Arch Greenhouse has some of the best pricing out there.
Aluminet Shade Cloth | Greenhouse Shade Cloth Curtain | Garden Supplies | Nursery Shade Cloths

[Discus]

+1 to what Ray said about Aluminet, it's definitely the stuff to go for.

Not sure how far your shadecloth framework is away from the rest of the structure; should be at least about a foot to allow adequate air circulation/convection of the hot air layer above the greenhouse plastic.

[Ray]

I bought Aluminet last summer, as I had to cut down the 100-foot tall tree that had been my shade provider (it was killed by lightning). I was in a bit of a rush, so just laid it right on top the the polycarbonate greenhouse covering, and it worked great.

[YvonneHall]

Thanks for the info. I am looking at Aluminet also. What % did you get?

[Ray]

I am about 30 miles directly north of Philadelphia, so opted for 30%.

If you are farther south, or at a higher elevation, you may need a higher degree of shading. If the light level was good at 50% last year - and that's what you should be focusing on, and not considering extra shade to lower the temperature - then going from the black- to the Aluminet cloth should be a benefit.