Probably Really Dumb Greenhouse Question

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DMurray407 Buffalo, MN(Zone 4a) Mar 10, 2008

I have wanted a greenhouse for as long as I can remember. I live in MN so the aspect of heating is rather daunting-especially with the price of oil going up as it is. My question is this: if I manage to find an affordable heating system, how do I get the door open to go in without losing all the heat? When it's -10 here, I would think that opening the door for even a minute or two could drastically lower the temp in a small greenhouse. I guess you could have a little entryway, but would that be enough to keep the heat in on really cold days?
Another question comes to mind, my yard is very shady-the only places where a greenhouse could go are on the north or northwest side of the house where there is very little sun-would it even be possible to have a greenhouse under these circumstances?
Thanks-
Deb

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stressbaby Fulton, MO Mar 11, 2008

The amount of heat lost from opening the door is nothing compared to the heat you will lose throught the glazing. If you are concerned, build a little airlock. I've thought about getting a little 6x8 HFGH for just that purpose. But really, don't worry about it.

The siting is a bigger problem. We would have to know particulars of the layout, but generally, the north side is the least acceptable for a GH.

SB

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StonoRiver Johns Island, SC Mar 15, 2008

I agree with stressbaby. I timed my entry to the greenhouse this morning just out of curiousity. The door was only open for 3 seconds, and never fully opened. Just enough to let my fat arse through. The doors won't be your problem, Dmurray, the glazing will. And the sunlight. In order to cut your nightime heating costs, you'll need to capture as much heat as possible during the day in the biomass within the GH. Without a lot of direct sunlight, you may have to run your heater during the day, just to keep it above freezing ($cary thought!). If you're a billionaire, that may not be a problem. But if you're just a lowly millionaire, it will break you within 5 yrs! You need to find a way to use the sun to your advantage...

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