Greenhouse: What makes a Greenhouse a 4 season greenhouse?, 1 by WNYwillieB

WNYwillieB wrote:
I think I lucked out with my GH. Lean-to type design on cement slab and foundation. Small pic of construction phase showing design. Note partial window opening of 2nd floor to center right, and no side walls at all. Mulberry tree to the left (west side) barely noted growing just above roof line is now well grown in.

I have not had much trouble heating or cooling it, mostly because it is connected directly to the house at the gutter line of the 2nd floor. Faces true south and almost half shaded by the mature Mulberry tree on the west side. Floor footprint is 32 foot x 10 foot 2 inches. 320 Sq. Ft. I chose Mulberry, as it grows fast and loves to be hacked. Having too large a tree next to glass in a windstorm is not fun. Plus, the birds and I get a few weeks of treats around the 4th of July.

Roof is exactly 45º in pitch which is an important angle in trapping the heat in winter and reflecting it well in summer. The (2) upstairs rooms have large unobstructed openings in the wall (10-foot by 4-foot, with draw curtains) down to the GH. French doors open into the GH on the 1st. Circulate the GH air with a couple cheap box fans.

I want to invest in some aluminum mesh to cover the east 1/2 the roof for two months in the summer to relieve the a/c, which gets quite a work out on occasion. The Mulberry shades most of it from the west. Here, a/c is more to cut the humidity than used to cool. Usually don't use it much.

Each side of the GH does have a powerful exhaust fan in the top peak. Buffalo has fairly mild winters and I have not had the heating bills be at all excessive, as on the sunny days (yes, Buffalo has sunny days in winter) the house is sometimes 95º-100ºF (outside can be 20ºF or lower) and I actually have to open windows in the house. Needless to say, the furnace sometimes does not come on all day until after the sun goes down.

Creating Thermal Mass is another important key for the winter. Water (or rock) is the best for that. You can save a lot on night heating if you can get the sun to day heat your thermal mass. I am planning on adding stone siding to the south side of the house which is exposed to the inside the GH.

I still haven't made up my mind whether or not I want to close off the GH from the house. I love that crisp, fragrant smell throughout the house after the morning watering of the GH, esp. in the middle of winter. And the house air seems so clean (maybe that is just me in my mind, though) but people comment on the air quality. A lot of oxygen, perhaps.

I hope that wasn't too winded. :-)