I'm planning ahead for covering the solarium for the winter. The film I'm looking at is formal greenhouse covering film. It's 6 mil thick, five layers, tear resistant and contains IR, UV and anti-condensation additives. Supposed to last up to 4 years. (If I install it so that wind and dogs don't destroy it.) It's sold in custom widths and lengths. A tentative calculation is that 1000 sq ft would cost $120 plus shipping. Their shipping isn't outrageous. So, that seems doable this year.
The more difficult and expensive part remains dog-proofing the lower sections where the dogs will have access. They're too stupid to understand that tearing the whole thing apart means they will get really cold.
One problem is sharp edges on the wood and angles at the top. Decided on an inexpensive solution to that by getting foam sheet insulation and attaching that to the wood before putting the film on. That will cushion the wood, can be attached with construction adhesive and then 1x2's to anchor the film. Then it may actually last for 4 years!
Then going to install (at some point) an improvised heat pump system. Just large black PVC piping with large holes cut in it at one end. Suspend that from the higher ceiling of the solarium. Attach a downward pipe or hose, a small fan at the bottom to blow air back at the bottom. Sunlight will heat the air, which rises. The air gets more heated inside the black pipe and the heated air gets blown out. Then this continues in a cycle throughout the day. By evening, it should be hot in the solarium. At night, the solarium insulates against conductive heat loss. I can add a thermocouple to the fan circuit at some point, so it runs automatically when temperatures reach a certain point, then shuts down when temperatures drop.
That would keep the house, the dogs, the plants and the pipes all nice and warm. Long as it works and doesn't get destroyed.
The more difficult and expensive part remains dog-proofing the lower sections where the dogs will have access. They're too stupid to understand that tearing the whole thing apart means they will get really cold.
One problem is sharp edges on the wood and angles at the top. Decided on an inexpensive solution to that by getting foam sheet insulation and attaching that to the wood before putting the film on. That will cushion the wood, can be attached with construction adhesive and then 1x2's to anchor the film. Then it may actually last for 4 years!
Then going to install (at some point) an improvised heat pump system. Just large black PVC piping with large holes cut in it at one end. Suspend that from the higher ceiling of the solarium. Attach a downward pipe or hose, a small fan at the bottom to blow air back at the bottom. Sunlight will heat the air, which rises. The air gets more heated inside the black pipe and the heated air gets blown out. Then this continues in a cycle throughout the day. By evening, it should be hot in the solarium. At night, the solarium insulates against conductive heat loss. I can add a thermocouple to the fan circuit at some point, so it runs automatically when temperatures reach a certain point, then shuts down when temperatures drop.
That would keep the house, the dogs, the plants and the pipes all nice and warm. Long as it works and doesn't get destroyed.
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