Acrylite (Plexiglas) ALLTOP vs polycarbonate

Hi,

Going through my options for a East-West oriented asymmetrical greenhouse. Let's not talk price, since it's not going to be a big greenhouse and I'm willing to pay for the right solution.
I really like Acrylite Alltop 16mm because of it's U-value and high light and UV-transmission. But I'm worried about it not having diffusion. The PC has diffusion, is less prone to breaking and much easier to work with.
The main negative factors are for Acrylite, me worrying about hotspots (please somebody tell me there is no need to worry) and for PC, that it doesn't allow UV-transmission.

Light transmission values are in the 90s for Acrylite and in the 70s for PC. Would light diffusion with an LT in the 70s generate more light that direct light in the 90s?
And again... Will I have hotspots?

I hope someone has had experiences with Acrylite Alltop and can give me some feedback.

Hi John;  Just to confuse you more...   Look up Solexx. Not the rigid panels but the roll.
I can't recommend it enough!   Absolutely wonderful to work with and other than some discoloring it is still great in its tenth year.
Search around and you'll find they will ship the roll stuff free.

thomas rubino wrote:Hi John;  Just to confuse you more...   Look up Solexx. Not the rigid panels but the roll.
I can't recommend it enough!   Absolutely wonderful to work with and other than some discoloring it is still great in its tenth year.
Search around and you'll find they will ship the roll stuff free.

Hi Javadoc,

Thanks, I have already used Solexx and was mostly happy with it, but I just have much better results with higher LT. Stuff on a roll would surely make my life easier, but it just doesn't hold up compared to panels.

No input on those products, but forums are notorious for not answering your question, and giving something else entirely, so here is my contribution.  Consider tempered glass.  Strong, great light transmission, and (although I know you said it isn't relevant), free.  Most any glass company will give you tempered glass that was not used because it costs them more to send it back than they get for it.  Tempered glass can't be cut, so if a piece was the wrong size or the customer didn't take it, it's no good to the company.  I have a dozen or more sheets that are at least 4 feet wide and 8 feet long waiting for a greenhouse build.  Just another avenue to consider.

Trace Oswald wrote:No input on those products, but forums are notorious for not answering your question, and giving something else entirely, so here is my contribution.  Consider tempered glass.  Strong, great light transmission, and (although I know you said it isn't relevant), free.  Most any glass company will give you tempered glass that was not used because it costs them more to send it back than they get for it.  Tempered glass can't be cut, so if a piece was the wrong size or the customer didn't take it, it's no good to the company.  I have a dozen or more sheets that are at least 4 feet wide and 8 feet long waiting for a greenhouse build.  Just another avenue to consider.

:D Thanks for the "something else entirely" contribution. Yes, I looked into tempered glass, but it is a bitch to work with and requires a higher construction cost, because of it's weight. And I would be paranoid to use on a ceiling... Could have somewhat of a guillotine effect... especially when ISIS starts training suicide birds.

John Steadfast wrote:

Trace Oswald wrote:No input on those products, but forums are notorious for not answering your question, and giving something else entirely, so here is my contribution.  Consider tempered glass.  Strong, great light transmission, and (although I know you said it isn't relevant), free.  Most any glass company will give you tempered glass that was not used because it costs them more to send it back than they get for it.  Tempered glass can't be cut, so if a piece was the wrong size or the customer didn't take it, it's no good to the company.  I have a dozen or more sheets that are at least 4 feet wide and 8 feet long waiting for a greenhouse build.  Just another avenue to consider.

:D Thanks for the "something else entirely" contribution. Yes, I looked into tempered glass, but it is a bitch to work with and requires a higher construction cost, because of it's weight. And I would be paranoid to use on a ceiling... Could have somewhat of a guillotine effect... especially when ISIS starts training suicide birds.

You have a point about that.  I have 20 sheets of twinwall poly that I got on a big Menard's sale, so I may use the glass for the south walls, and twinwall for the south side roof.  That will help with the weight issue as well as getting a little more insulation into the ceiling.