Solar Room – Done Cheap

by Crazy Joe
M.D. Creekmore wrote an article on his trailer last week. Space is limited for him. He had great solutions and pics to prove what he has accomplished. I offered him a solution for more space and the added bonus of free heat in the colder months. We have done this to a number of houses, trailers and sheds over the years.

My friend rented and moved into the upstairs of a 3 bedroom duplex. The front porch was 10 foot deep and 30 feet wide and faced south to south west. It had no screens or windows – only railings as required by law. It had 4×4 posts spaced every 8 feet all the way around with a 5 foot opening at the top of the stairs leading onto the porch.

After ” GETTING PERMISSION FROM THE LANDLORD ” he started making GREENHOUSE PLASTIC covered panels to fill in those basically 4′ X 8′ spaces. Greenhouse plastic has ultraviolet inhibitors which keeps the plastic from becoming brittle and breaking. It will then last much longer than the clear stuff you would buy at the big box stores.

Buying the clear plastic will save you money in the short run. To just cover the posts with one large sheet all the way around (from the inside of the porch) did not allow for any openings BUT this can be an option for you – and its easier, cheaper and a lot less labor intensive.

After MEASURING THE INSIDE DIMENSIONS of the openings he cut 2X4 s for the frame. The frames were screwed together and 3 inch flat right angle braces were screwed on at each corner angle for added support. With the 1st frame on the ground the 10 foot roll of GREENHOUSE PLASTIC was stapled to one 8 foot side then stretched over the frame.

Having 2 friends helping insured no buckling or ripples in the plastic – nice and tight. He used firring strips on the face of all four sides. The plastic was then stretched tight on the other side and stapled. Cut and trim. On to the next panel. The firring strip / plastic side went to the outside of the porch. This allows deck screws to be used on the inside of the frame inside of the porch when screwing into the 4 x 4 posts – he did not screw them right up to the head but left a little out.

If memory serves 3 per side (about 2 feet spaced) and 1 at the top and bottom centered. The 5′ by 8′ door opening took a bit more measuring and framing and a 2″ x 4 ” plastic covered door was made. These went up about October 1st and remained until May 1st. He got 5 years out of these panels. In the spring they went under the down stairs porch. This was a duplex on a resort island so neatness was more than important. The amount of solar heat was amazing.

Two windows were on the porch – one to the living room and one to the dining/ kitchen area. Except at night these remained open most of the time all winter long. A basic window box fan sucked in the heat. Parties could now accommodate 15 more people and the kegs stayed on the porch so as not to drip on the carpet inside. When he moved out so did the panels and they were fitted to the next porch.

If a porch does not exist building a basic frame and putting on a roof is not that hard especially if only 8 feet deep by 15 or so feet long. Tons of web sites out there for building a frame. The added space and FREE HEAT will return some if not all the money spent building it in no time at all.

For us SCROUNGERS getting 2″ X 4 ” s and nails or screws lessens the cost to build. For those out in the more rural areas getting a permit to build a solar porch may not be needed. For those in suburbia – I would check first.

Building on the south side of a garage should not require a permit. This makes that unheated garage (with a window) much more comfortable to work in during the cold months. What? No window in your garage? We made 4 panels for a friend that covered the door area. Now his garage was a more southern exposure. With the garage door up and the panels in place it took no time at all to warm up in there.