permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

neshura wrote:

> > A new thread perhaps: attached greenhouses or sunspaces.
> > Anyone explored options for design and materials?
>
>
> I'm not at all handy with tools but I've always wanted a sunroom. I
> was looking at http://www.sunporch.com a while back but I don't
> currently own a house to put one on.
>
> Custom-built sunrooms seem to be a lot more expensive.

Sean Albiston wrote:
>>         Hint: clear flat polycarbonate sheets 1/8-3/16".
> Can you elaborate?  There's a large porch on the south side of the
> small farmhouse I recently bought.  Currently it's poorly designed
> and sealed, but still heats up very nicely when the sun is out.
> It'll be next summer before I can think about rebuilding it, but I'm
> collecting information and ideas on it now.  I'd like to open it up
> more and screen the whole thing, and have glass or plexi or whatever
> panels to close it in during the winter.

Attached is best or retrofit a sunny room, add skylight if possible.

Materials are:

nontoxic pressure treated lumber
cedar planks for trim and facing
clear polycarbonate sheets for glazing screwed to walls or frames with the appropriate self-tapping hex-head screws with 
neoprene washers (for weather seal; be sure to apply silicone caulk between glazing and wood.
seal all wood joints with 50 year silicone caulk (try to eliminate all air 
infiltration)
metal roofing
2 pound Heatlok 217 foam insulation (R7 per inch) and Cavitymate or Foamular 
rigid insulation panels
as needed - foam in walls and in roof (between rafters and in contact with 
metal roofing) -
rigid panels in cavity walls.
Concrete floor, insulated with Foamular underneath and around perimeter

Design:

Walls can consist of polycarbonate-glazed 4X8' panels, between double studs 
and under headers, hinged
so they can be opened for ventilation and cooling (they can open like a door 
or, mounted horizontally,
be lifted up and propped open like a window).

Frame structure with nontoxic pressure treated lumber. Fill non-glazed 
cavities with foam insulation.
Panel these sections in side and out with painted, galvanized steel roofing 
(no rust, no maintenance;
if use white roofing  on inside available light will be reflected for 
increased illumination inside.

Install a floor drain and a door to the outside (or use one of the glazed 
panels.

Option for floor and foundation walls:
pour concrete slab
lay perimeter concrete block wall
glue 4-8" rigid foam panels to the inside of this wall
lay a second, interior, block wall against the insulation board
on the floor glue 4" of rigid foam panels (or spray Heatlok 217) to the concrete between rows of Hebel or Aercon AAC 
insulating block (this supports a second concrete slab that will be poured over the insulation). With this you will have 
a thermally isolated, heat absorbing masonry floor within a perimeter of insulated masonry walls. Install anchor bolts 
in top exterior wall course - bolt NTPT lumber plates to tops of walls and frame up walls, then roof; install glazing,
roofing and wall panelling and you're done. Don't forget the floor drain and a cold water line for irrigation and 
cleaning floor.

There are many other options utilizing polycarbonate, NTPT lumber, concrete and concrete block, AAC block, rigid foam 
panels and metal roofing, painted exterior plywood and cedar lumber for trim. I am ccurrently building three attached 
sunspaces to be used as greenhouses using all the above materials and construction methods. 30" walls, R50 in roof, R40 
in walls, R30 in floors.  Low heating and cooling costs. Backup heat from woodstove. A lot of glazing (Low E double pane 
glass) and a lot of thermal mass; long roof overhang for summer heat blocking.

LL
--
Lawrence F. London, Jr.
Venaura Farm
lfl@intrex.net
info@market-farming.com
IM: lawrence.london@pandion.be & lfl@amber.org.uk
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