Solex greenhouse material

[WynterRye]

Solex is a waste of energy and time. 2 layer poly is the only way to go. I like AT over berry, or klerks but which ever you use always get the thermo with anti-condensate and Solar Ice. Saves 20 to 30 % on heating and cools in the summer. Also you get better light diffusion ( NO shadows). I use 8mm double wall on my gutter connect houses on the sides and end walls.

 

[WAkuntry]

Agreed solex barely lasts me 6 months....

 

[chickenman]

????
My solex is awesome, have had it for 5 years results are outstanding..

 

[Seamaiden]

And you're at quite some altitude, too, yes? Where UV radiation and weather extremes are more... extreme.

 

[chickenman]

And you're at quite some altitude, too, yes? Where UV radiation and weather extremes are more... extreme.

The wind here blows like crazy at 6200 ft, dry hot.
Fans quit once temp got up to 150, before I saw no problem...
Get as hot as 125 full circulation, air moving inside and sucking out kicks ass....
Still like new after all those years..

 

[Seamaiden]

Yeah, you're not the first person who uses Solex I know who swears by it, so these two posts are a bit confusing. Considering the winds we got a couple of weeks ago, I'm much less inclined to go for anything that can be blown off and around.

 

[chickenman]

They actually saw this thread here and PM ed me asking me to do a report on growing pot with solex..
They said no compensation but would you???
No thanks, I grow more veggies than pot.....
Why should I???

 

[Seamaiden]

To share and spread knowledge, perhaps? <shrug> I dunno, small compensation seems fair for the advertising.

 

[kolah]

I think it's a good product..just can't see paying thousands of dollars for it. I paid 100 bucks for 6ml greenhouse plastic and that covered my 10x12 greenhouse inside and out. It's still in great shape after 5 years of Colorado winds, hail, snow, sun and cold. And whether it be solexx, double paned glass or plastic their insulation properties are poor. None of them will hold in heat during cold weather.

If I had the money my first choice would be double-paned tempered glass over solexx...hands down. And I'd bet it would still be cheaper than buying solexx.

 

[fishwhistle]

This stuff looks pretty interesting,
B. SOLAROO

F®Greenhouse Coverings- is a new woven poly greenhouse covering material that we prefer to regular poly. This material, developed in Israel, is a state-of-the-art material that traps heat in winter, utilizing Infrared, Ultraviolet blocking agents and also an Anti-condensate. This material diffuses light so it is much better for the plants within it. Since it blocks infrared light, insects inside of the greenhouse / hightunnel are blind! It is guaranteed for at least 5 years and has held-up longer than that in our uses. This option costs $ .30 (cents) square ft.

One of the things that makes solexx so good is its ability to diffuse light well and this stuff is strong and diffuse also,maybe stronger than solexx.I actually found this stuff through a link that @SunGrown put up and its a good one so ill copy it to this thread too,
No way would i try to walk on solexx like that and this appears to be MUCH cheaper.

 

[Coir]

I put Solexx up on my endwalls a year and a half ago. For 20 something year prior to that, the endwalls were just single layer poly. While the Solexx is a much stronger material which I appreciate, there are some definite considerations to take into effect. First, it expands and contracts like crazy making it virtually impossible to seal completely. With poly, while it might have slight expansion/contraction, the wire lock keeps it sealed tightly all around the perimeter so no openings for pests or varmints(mice, frogs, snakes, lizards to name a few that have gotten in since I put the Solexx up!) The cost is considerably higher than poly. While it lasts much longer and is not damaged by high winds and flying debris, you can replace poly many times over for less money. Solexx is considerably darker than clear poly. I see a big difference in transmitted light on my South endwall. Don't really care on the North side but I keep my lettuce and basil starts on a table at the South end and they definitely grow slower now with the Solexx up than they did with clear poly.
I have built over an acre of commercial greenhouse space in SW Washington over the last 25 years and I can absolutely tell you that I would never use Solexx as a cover. I can deal with problems it causes on the endwalls but there is no way in hell you would ever get the seams to stay together as a main cover. I can only imagine all the leaks as well as bug problems it would create. While I would love to find a longer lasting, more durable cover than poly, it still provides the best ROI and suitability in this part of the country.

 

[chickenman]

I put Solexx up on my endwalls a year and a half ago. For 20 something year prior to that, the endwalls were just single layer poly. While the Solexx is a much stronger material which I appreciate, there are some definite considerations to take into effect. First, it expands and contracts like crazy making it virtually impossible to seal completely. With poly, while it might have slight expansion/contraction, the wire lock keeps it sealed tightly all around the perimeter so no openings for pests or varmints(mice, frogs, snakes, lizards to name a few that have gotten in since I put the Solexx up!) The cost is considerably higher than poly. While it lasts much longer and is not damaged by high winds and flying debris, you can replace poly many times over for less money. Solexx is considerably darker than clear poly. I see a big difference in transmitted light on my South endwall. Don't really care on the North side but I keep my lettuce and basil starts on a table at the South end and they definitely grow slower now with the Solexx up than they did with clear poly.
I have built over an acre of commercial greenhouse space in SW Washington over the last 25 years and I can absolutely tell you that I would never use Solexx as a cover. I can deal with problems it causes on the endwalls but there is no way in hell you would ever get the seams to stay together as a main cover. I can only imagine all the leaks as well as bug problems it would create. While I would love to find a longer lasting, more durable cover than poly, it still provides the best ROI and suitability in this part of the country.

If installed properly you will not have leaks. We overlapped, lengthwise from top to bottom roofing water tight screwed into wood, if leaking was instilled wrong. sealed ends no bugs in material, never experienced any expansions, Sure you goy Sloex????

 

[chickenman]

Check it out yall...
https://www.thcfarmer.com/community/threads/cms-greenhouse-action.64007/

 

[Coir]

I don't have water leaks as it's overlapped to prevent that. What leaks is air from the gaps it creates when it expands in the heat. With those gaps being large enough to let in any type of insect and even rodents. It's screwed down at half the recommended distance(twice as many screws as called for) and it still buckles. The material expands and contracts like any other plastic does when exposed to heat and cold. The ends are sealed as well but that doesn't do anything for keeping pests out of the greenhouse itself. It simply keeps them from getting in between the top and bottom of the material. And yes, I'm sure of what material I used and that it was "installed properly". This wasn't my first go around putting up sidewalls or entire greenhouse structures for that matter.

 

[chickenman]

I don't have water leaks as it's overlapped to prevent that. What leaks is air from the gaps it creates when it expands in the heat. With those gaps being large enough to let in any type of insect and even rodents. It's screwed down at half the recommended distance(twice as many screws as called for) and it still buckles. The material expands and contracts like any other plastic does when exposed to heat and cold. The ends are sealed as well but that doesn't do anything for keeping pests out of the greenhouse itself. It simply keeps them from getting in between the top and bottom of the material. And yes, I'm sure of what material I used and that it was "installed properly". This wasn't my first go around putting up sidewalls or entire greenhouse structures for that matter.[/quote

Wow strange I have never had any expansion.....

 

[Coir]

How big is your greenhouse and does it receive full Summer sun on the solexx?

 

[chickenman]

15 by 40, 6800 feet elevation. Full on summer high hot dry windy as fuck desert
If you look at pics, we screwed into the 1 by 4s lengthwise overlapping around 4 inches, rolls were 5 feet wide I think, so maybe longer run on that wood has prevented any gaps, Not knoxking your install, sorry, just trying to figure out why you got gaps, hope you can figure it out cause it has really served us well....time now for coffee and pax vape.....would be nice to see it work for you as well as it works for us....

 

[Coir]

15 by 40, 6800 feet elevation. Full on summer high hot dry windy as fuck desert
If you look at pics, we screwed into the 1 by 4s lengthwise overlapping around 4 inches, rolls were 5 feet wide I think, so maybe longer run on that wood has prevented any gaps, Not knoxking your install, sorry, just trying to figure out why you got gaps, hope you can figure it out cause it has really served us well....time now for coffee and pax vape.....would be nice to see it work for you as well as it works for us....

Mine is a lot wider and that may be the problem. It's screwed into treated 2x4's and 2x6's as well as the steel greenhouse frame. I will get some images of it showing the problems in the next week and post them. It looked perfect at the time I installed it but that was during the Winter. First hot days and it buckled. It shrinks back during the cold but the problem is that when it expands, it breaks the silicone seals at the overlaps.

 

[chickenman]

3.5 mil or 5 mil??? ours is 5mil

 

[Coir]

I have the 3.5mil since it's only on the endwalls. That might explain the problem I have with it though.