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  #21  
Old 02/14/13, 02:55 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Quebec, Canada
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Blinds are useless unless they are on the outside of the window.. the ONLY way to keep the interior cool is to stop the sun hitting the glass/plastic.. this is why in the old days greenhouses always got painted on the exterior with a whitewash or covered with tarp/screening.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ronbre View Post
my sister thought this way and attached a huge open sunroom to their house..it can get very uncomfortable in the summer even here in Michigan and even with tons of ventilation and blinds
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  #22  
Old 02/14/13, 03:01 PM
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I don't know. Interior blinds kept my south facing sunroom cool with the windows open.
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  #23  
Old 02/14/13, 03:06 PM
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Location: Quebec, Canada
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You're lucky then because i have lived in a couple of old houses that became cookers by high noon, windows open or not. I was desperate when i tried burlap on the exterior of the windows and now i do it every summer and the house feels like i have A/C
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  #24  
Old 02/14/13, 03:18 PM
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The difference might have been that the sunroom was DIY. All of the windows opened. It was really easy to control the amount of sunlight and heat. I am so doing that in my next place.
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  #25  
Old 02/14/13, 03:50 PM
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Oregon
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It has been 10+ years since I have been through Cheyenne Wyoming, but if you ever get the chance, vist the solar conservatory at the Botanical Gardens.
http://www.botanic.org/discover/the-...y-and-offices/

Their passive solar design makes for a great greenhouse on the south side and offices, library, kitchen and other areas on the North side.

It would be a great place to live
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  #26  
Old 02/14/13, 08:13 PM
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Middle of nowhere along the Rim, Arizona
Posts: 3,101
My grandparents had a house with a large attached greenhouse. The greenhouse was cooled with very large evap cooler pads on one wall and a couple exhaust fans on the other wall. On dry summer days, the air from the greenhouse was directed into their house via an enclosed porch. The air from the greenhouse cooled everything down into the 70's. (In Arizona, with daytime temps outside in the 110F range +/- five degrees.)

On humid days, when evap cooling wasn't efficient enough to keep the house cool, they turned on the AC and directed the air from the greenhouse into a side yard -- which had the biggest, healthiest, brightest bouganvillea I've ever seen before or since. I think that bush really liked the cool humid air that was regularly directed its way.
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  #27  
Old 11/12/13, 01:24 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: NWT Canada
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I have been thinking about a similar idea but to rather build a small cabin inside a geodesic greenhouse and use a high quality outdoor shade cloth to control over heating for the few hot months since we live in northern Canada. I agree that having an extra sheltered area between us and the great outdoor would be very nice. Here is an interesting project of a family building a cob house inside a geodesic greenhouse.

http://inthralld.com/2012/10/norwegi...ome-residence/

digging
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  #28  
Old 11/12/13, 02:34 PM
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: W. Oregon
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My leanto greenhouse is attached to my shop. You enter through the shop. The roof and south wall are all rigid plastic panels. The end panels are mostly window, they slide up to open. I have 2 large maple trees that shade in the hot part of the summer but lose their leaves in winter. I also use shade cloth over the roof in the summer. I can grow all summer in it, even lettuce, beets and swiss chard. It helps heat the shop in cooler clear weather. The end wall of the shop/greenhouse is cement block so it builds and holds heat.

Our off grid cabin has an air lock entry with a huge southern window and a block wall that the sun hits in the winter. Summer sun is too high in the sky so it doesn't get hot in there. We grow a lot of plants in an inside window box.

I do not think I would want to live IN a greenhouse but a south leanto on a house would be nice. Close off when it gets too hot or cold....James
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  #29  
Old 11/12/13, 03:28 PM
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: IN
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Farmer Willy View Post
Oh, and you should not throw rocks.
I felt that one coming like an earth tremor. Good work.

I enjoy visiting indoor and outdoor botanical gardens. If you could regulate the temp and humidity all seasons, it would be neat, even if only one large room. And then...to open up to the stars...(falling over backwards)
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  #30  
Old 11/12/13, 06:02 PM
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: W. Oregon
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Living in a greenhouse would probably give you pneumonia with the big changes in temps and humidity if you were in there 24/7/365....James
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  #31  
Old 11/13/13, 08:10 AM
Brenda Groth
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 7,817
it wouldn't behealthy, but adding a room to the house with a greenhouse would be great, i've always wanted it to also house a swimming pool
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  #32  
Old 11/14/13, 11:19 AM
aka avdpas77
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: central Missouri
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ronbre View Post
my sister thought this way and attached a huge open sunroom to their house..it can get very uncomfortable in the summer even here in Michigan and even with tons of ventilation and blinds
Is it on the south side of the house? If it is there should be no direct sunshine comming in.... in the summer months. In the summer the sun arc should be on the north side of the house. In the winter the sun arc is on the south side (of a US house) and it is only then that the sunlight should be directly shining into the windows. Indirect sunlight shouldn't be a problem. Putting a sun porch on any side but the south side wont work.
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