Originally Posted By: spuds
Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout
Interesting idea.

I used translucent coroplast for the sides and roof of a greenhouse. It's pretty durable -- held up to high winds, light hail, northern cold and summer heat. Ten years later, the stuff is a bit brittle but still intact.

Would you do it again or use better material? Thinking light pass thru.


It's hard to say. My old greenhouse had double-paned windows (scrounged) on the entire sun-facing side. Translucent Coroplast was used for the simple roof, back and sides. It lets in some light but also reflects some light around so (in theory) the plants don't get quite so "leggy."

Light transmission is a trade-off. On the one hand, double-wall polycarbonate is far superior for light transmission. On the other hand, most polycarbonate greenhouses require shade cloth and power ventilation in the hottest months. As for transmission of needed light wavelengths, I really don't know enough to comment.

I would use Coroplast again for micro-greenhouses/row covers around plants, where maintaining night-time temperatures and humidity is the real key to ongoing productivity.

The nice thing about Coroplast is that you can experiment without breaking the bank.

My 5c (no pennies in Canada any more).