ACRYLITE® At Como Park Greenhouses
OH HAIL YES!
Paul Knuth may be the only person in the greenhouse business to see a damaging hailstorm as a remarkable stroke of good luck.
Fifteen years ago when his 15,000-square-foot production greenhouse space suffered severe hail damage; the Horticultural Supervisor at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park in St. Paul, Minnesota was more than ready for a change. The polycarbonate glazing that had been installed only 11 years prior had already yellowed and lost a lot of its light transmission capabilities. When it was time to choose a new glazing to replace what had been damaged in the hailstorm, Paul saw ACRYLITE® acrylic as the obvious choice.
“ACRYLITE® acrylic presented us with an option that was going to last for decades without yellowing, that could also stand up to Minnesota hailstorms and offer fantastic light transmission. It really made our decision pretty easy and we couldn’t be happier with the results,” says Paul.
Light, bright and just right for strong, sturdy plant growth The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park grows an incredibly diverse range of plants, including the largest public Bonsai collection in the upper Midwest, an award-winning neo-tropical orchid collection and a rainforest farm featuring crops such as cocoa, avocado, banana, papaya and coffee. The production greenhouse space, which is glazed with 16 mm ACRYLITE® Resist multi-skin sheet, offers these sensitive plants a wonderful space to start their journey toward graduation to the Conservatory’s public gardens.
According to Paul, ACRYLITE® acrylic's light transmission qualities make a noticeable impact on the health of his plants, “We’ve noticed differences in our plants that are grown under ACRYLITE® acrylic compared to those grown under glass. They tend to be more compact and sturdy, which is important, because with too much stretch they just don’t want to stand up. We also see a difference in terms of vibrancy of color, and I think that’s directly related to the fact that with ACRYLITE® acrylic they’re benefitting from 86% light transmission.”
In addition to high light transmission, ACRYLITE®’s multi-walled rib geometry diffuses the light in the greenhouse, creating a uniformity of light and preventing hot and cold spots and severe shadowing.
FOR DECADES OF TROUBLE-FREE OPERATION
Having seen the damage caused hail, durability was a key factor in determining a replacement for the greenhouse’s polycarbonate glazing. Over the last 15 years, ACRYLITE® acrylic has stood up to Minnesota’s hailstorms time and again. According to Paul, “We’ve seen golf ball-sized hail come down, and there has been absolutely no damage.” ACRYLITE® acrylic's best-in-class hail protection warranties provide additional peace of mind.
As well as being durable, Paul reports that ACRYLITE® acrylic has made the production greenhouse incredibly easy to maintain, “ACRYLITE® acrylic is maintenance free. We don’t have to wash it or spray it and the inside is dry, so it doesn’t get dirty. We haven’t touched it in 15 years! With glass you tend to get condensation so you have to wash the inside to prevent algae and dirt, that just isn’t required with ACRYLITE® acrylic.”
ACRYLITE® acrylic's No-Drip anti-condensate technology creates a water-dispersing layer that allows condensation to flow off as a continuous self-cleaning film. In addition to eliminating the need for cleaning, it also ensures the highest possible light transmission and eliminates uncontrolled dripping that can result in crop damage and disease.
AN INVESTMENT FOR DECADES TO COME
Nine years after the initial section of ACRYLITE® acrylic glazing was installed, Paul was ready to replace the balance of the production greenhouse’s weathered polycarbonate. The choice was clear. Paul chose ACRYLITE® acrylic and it’s a choice he’d make again and again, “ACRYLITE® acrylic is the only glazing product I would recommend. The company has been around for years and the life span of this product is equally impressive. It doesn’t get better than a 30-year warranty against yellowing. That’s an amazing lifespan – not even your roof at home lasts that long.”
Speaking of impressive lifespans, this year the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park celebrates its 100th anniversary. ACRYLITE® acrylic is proud to be helping this one-of-a-kind facility continue to fulfill its mission of inspiring the public to value the presence of living things in their lives.
This information and all further technical advice is based on our present knowledge and experience. However, it implies no liability or other legal responsibility on our part, including with regard to existing third party intellectual property rights, especially patent rights. In particular, no warranty, whether expressed or implied, or guarantee of product properties in the legal sense is intended or implied. We reserve the right to make any changes according to technical progress or further developments. The customer is not released from the obligation to conduct careful inspection and testing of incoming goods. Performance of the product described herein should be verified by testing, which should be carried out only by qualified experts in the sole responsibility of a customer. Reference to trade names used by other companies is neither a recommendation, nor does it imply that similar products should be used.
Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Fabricator: Albert J. Lauer Inc.
This information and all further technical advice is based on our present knowledge and experience. However, it implies no liability or other legal responsibility on our part, including with regard to existing third party intellectual property rights, especially patent rights. In particular, no warranty, whether expressed or implied, or guarantee of product properties in the legal sense is intended or implied. We reserve the right to make any changes according to technical progress or further developments. The customer is not released from the obligation to conduct careful inspection and testing of incoming goods. Performance of the product described herein should be verified by testing, which should be carried out only by qualified experts in the sole responsibility of a customer. Reference to trade names used by other companies is neither a recommendation, nor does it imply that similar products should be used.
