I am going to buy my first greenhouse. Is poly the only viable option? I really prefer to stay away from plastic when possible, but what I have seen so far is that glass is frightfully expensive. I could build something beautiful with old windows that I found in the barn, but i suspect that it would not do well at retaining heat. Also, is Multi shelter solutions the only supplier in the area? Thank you for any ideas you might have.
Hi Rob!
Plastic is the covering that’s in the “affordable” range of solutions. Glass, like you say, is prohibitively expensive and is inefficient at keeping the heat in. I know how you feel about plastic, but if it’s any consolation they will last you quite a few years in the sun if you’re careful with them, which helps offsets the plastic waste.
You may want to look at buying glass from an old glass greenhouse. There are many of them that are sitting unused in the old tobacco areas (along the North shore of lake Erie for example, in and around Simcoe).
As for suppliers, there are many more in the area. I got mine from Irrigation Plus last spring, but there are others. It’s good to call around and compare prices as it can vary wildly. Not sure where you live, but close-ish to London are:
DeCloet Greenhouses
Multishelter Solutions
Irrigation Plus
Excalibur Plastics (good prices if memory serves)
Thanks for your help! I hope you have a good season!
Rob