Aluminet

Thanks, Ed. That's good to know. May I borrow your bullet? Oh. Wait. Normal maximum temp, here, for this date is 63°F. Record of 78°F was set in 1918.

 

That is so not right.

 

That's Dale.

Ed, I want to say, I like the look of your new website.

 

"That is so not right."

Yabbut it gets really cold, too. Average low for late December-early January is 41°F.

 

I don't use it, but have a friend that does and she loves it. Both of my g.h's came with shadecloth but when they wear out I'll go this route.

 

I'm resurrecting this thread, because I'd like to know if you folks who use aluminet are still happy with it. I've been considering installing it on the roof of my 24x36 shadehouse, mostly because of the supposed temp reduction property. I called my local greenhouse supply company to get a price quote, and was basically told that aluminet is crap, that it will fall apart in 2 years and that I'll get a max of 5° temp reduction. When I said that I've talked with many people around the country who use this product with great success, I was told that South Florida is a whole different world in terms of climate. Well, that's true to some degree, but a lot of you folks experience summertime temps in the high 90s like we do. What kind of temp reductions are you getting in the extreme heat of the summer?

I have to replace the 6mil poly covering on my roof, so I was going to install the aluminet at the same time; plastic first, aluminet directly on top. My roof is 24x36', with a 10 foot high ceiling on the west side, dropping to about 8' on the east side. I emailed the folks at Cloudtops, and they said this setup would work. And now my local guy has gone and burst my bubble. I'd be inclined to say he doesn't know what he's talking about, but in this largely agricultural area of south florida, this company has established themselves as the standout pros.

One other thing: I installed an evaporative mist system 2 weeks ago, and it is effective in bringing down my temps by about 8 degrees; from 100° to 91-92°. It's on a thermostat, and runs pretty much all day from noon til 5ish. My hope is that aluminet would bring temps down even further, to maybe mid-high 80s and not just give my mist system a break. In other words, if aluminet simply reduces the load on my mist system so that it doesn't run as often, and temps are still maintained in the 90s like I'm getting now, it won't be worth the money.

Thoughts?

 

"Thoughts?"

I think it would be easier to move to the Oregon Coast. You're welcome.

 

I can't handle your late December/early January lows, Dale. But thanks for the suggestion!

 

I think he doesn't know what he's talking about. Saying it's going to degrade in 2 years simply can't be true. I know several people who have had it and used it for much longer than that and have never complained.

 

"I can't handle your late December/early January lows, Dale."

Oh, please. I remember last winter. Down there it was raining frozen iguanas and it was like spring here. Presently 67.5°F.

 

Perhaps the vendor is saying that as a free-standing shade material (i.e. stapled to a frame with no support), it only lasts a couple/few years. If it has an underlying support structure (i.e. the 6mil plastic), I see no reason why it wouldn't last for years. I use it on my GH, and it looks as good today as the day I first installed it. Exposure to the elements in Colorado is usually a death sentence for a lot of products; our summer sun is absurdly intense.

 

Thanks, folks. I'd already decided that I won't buy it from him, if I decide it's a go.

What about my concern about using it in conjuction with my mist system? Can I expect a further temp reduction?

Dale, you're right. We did have frozen iguanas falling from the trees last winter, and I did more than my fair share of crying about the cold temps. But a summer high of 68° would be a nice place to visit, but I break out my sweaters if temps fall below 75. ;-)

 

My gut reaction is that if it's already 100f in the shade with >90% RH, the misting system dropping it into the 90s is probably about as good as it's going to get. You might get a few more degrees, but it won't be as dramatic as with the misters.

 

That's what I'm thinking, Jon. But I want Ed, or others who employ both methods of cooling, to report on their experience.