[Greenbuilding] Temporary Sunspace ?

Kathy Cochran kathys_old_house at goldrush.com
Sun Oct 14 20:47:54 CDT 2012


Hello Lynelle and list!

This really has got me started wondering if I should do this to my pergola
over the deck (20 feet on the south wall, 17 feet deep.)  The only thing is
covering up the pergola roof.  What suggestions could anyone offer about how
to cover the roof while still retaining enough light to raise (and protect
from frost) my blood orange and lemon trees, that so far are doing so
beautifully there!????

I am certain this would have incredible benefits for warmth in the winter,
as well as to provide a great place for keeping fire wood dry. 

Actually I just remembered that I have a bunch of 8 foot tall glass and wood
French doors that I was never able to use down in the shed.  Maybe, just
maybe, I have just found a use for them  !  They could all be opened in the
summer!!!  And a ceiling fan (now in the barn) could be installed!  This is
getting fun again! 

-----Original Message-----
From: Greenbuilding [mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org]
On Behalf Of Lynelle Hamilton
Sent: Monday, October 08, 2012 7:44 PM
To: Green Building
Cc: LarenCorie
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Temporary Sunspace ?

Thank you, Laren!

The worry about the permanent install is the desire to avoid overheating in
the summer.  I could construct a solid roof, but don't want to lose more
light.  That said, a permanent install has the distinct advantages you
noted.


On 08/10/2012 4:48 PM, LarenCorie wrote:
> From: Lynelle Hamilton <lynelle at kos.net>
>
>> Has anyone had experience with a removable "sunspace"? 
>
> Hi Lynelle;
>
>  I wrote an article about them (called "Instant Sunspaces"
> IIRC) using the example of a Michigan Great Lakes climate, very 
> similar to your own, in ESSN in early 2005. The article is available 
> (free) at the link in my signature, below.
>
>> I have a 7 x 14 foot sliding door on the south wall of the house.  
>> The overhangs are such that I get no direct sun in summer, but do get 
>> a considerable amount in winter.
>>  I use the door in the winter, as it's the shortest path to the 
>> woodpile and I am lazy. I am on Lake Ontario, near Kingston. My 
>> location means that I don't get a huge number of sun days in the 
>> winter, and the single slider (itself triple-glazed glass) means that 
>> there is no airlock when I load wood, let the dog out, etc.
>>
>> I am thinking of constructing a sunspace that would only be installed 
>> in October/removed in April.  I am thinking that this would allow the 
>> collection of warm air, even in winter, helping to warm the house and 
>> offer a buffer for the cold.
>
>> Overall size is about 14 x 10 feet.
>
> It should also greatly increase you effective collector area.
> While your sliding door might have 75sqft of triple glazing, The 
> sunspace might have 130+sqft in single glazing, which would transmit a 
> lot more light. What you need to be careful about is that your instant 
> sunspace is sealed well, and that you also keep the sunlight and 
> warmth from being absorbed by mass in the sunspace, and also down into 
> the ground, which would prevent it from ever getting into the house.
> Carpeting, rolled out over the slab, and even over brick veneer, can 
> go a long way to accomplish this.
>
> Here are  a couple of pictures of a crude temporary polyethylene 
> sunspace that I built to only be in place for a few months, one 
> Winter, while I was remodeling a house.
>
> < http://web.axilar.net/LarenCorie/TempSunspace2.htm >
>
> < http://web.axilar.net/LarenCorie/ssi1.jpg > Notice the carpeting, to 
> shade the uninsulated slab.
> The uninsulated flexduct brings warm sunspace air down, into the house 
> through an old small milk chute so that it could heat the locked 
> house.
>> The south is my view of the water, so for the heat and the view, I 
>> don't want to have a structure out there in the summer.
>
>   If you wish to maintain your Winter view, you will need to avoid 
> polyethylene, and multiwall or corrugated polycarbonate glazings. 
> There is a very clear, light weight material, available from Warp 
> Bros.
>
>> I'm wanting something that would have, at most a 18" kneewall on the 
>> perimeter, with the rest removable.
>
> I recommend having the whole South wall as glazing, and removable.
>
> However, you might be better off, simply building this new wall with 
> more sliding glass doors, that you could look through to the lake. 
> Then depending on the conditions, open or close inside or outside 
> doors, to optimize performance.  That avoids having to mess with twice 
> annual sunspace building or tearing down, and storage projects. And it 
> might also provide you with expanded Summer nighttime living space, 
> for dining, sleeping, parties, etc.
>
>> From: "Kathy Cochran" <kathys_old_house at goldrush.com>
>
>> if you did this you would be able to grow winter veggies in pots that 
>> would get warmth thru the glass!
>
>
> Hi Kathy;
>
>  Yes.  But it will depend on multiple factors. The pots might be moved 
> indoors at night, or have insulating covers. In Fall and Spring, 
> nighttime temperatures might not be too cold for plants. And, of 
> course, it will also depend on the kind of plants.
> Since the house will be receiving heat from the sunspace, and also 
> sheltering the sunspace on its North side, it can also give some heat 
> back to the sunspace at night, for plants. However, heating a sunspace 
> drastically reduces the net heat gained that it can supply to the 
> house.
> -Laren Corie-
> Natural Solar Building Design and
> Solar Heating/Natural Cooling/Energy
> Efficiency Consultation Since 1975
> www.ThermalAttic.com  (many new
> photos and pages, coming soon)
>
> Read my Solar house design articles in:
> -Energy Self-Sufficiency Newsletter-
> www.essnmag.com
>
> Home base-LittleHouses YahooGroup
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LittleHouses/
>
> Founder-WoodGas - Power from wood
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WoodGas
>
> Founder-RefrigeratorAlternatives YahooGroup 
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RefrigeratorAlternatives
>
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