Meet the new Chicken George!!!!!!!

[Hilary B]

I've got quite a bit of ventilation ie cracked and broken panes, two roof panes of glass slid down four inches etc etc. So much so that I don't want to open either of the roof lights.
The rain comes in through these ventilation flaws in my rickety old wood framed greenhouse, which makes the atmosphere even damper.
The chook coop is on the end of the greenhouse and it's nice and warm and dry though!

Sounds like your ventilation is in the wrong place<g> That is the snag with a greenhouse in winter; while the fresh air is getting in, the rain may get in as well, and defeat the object of the exercise!
Any possibility of rigging a 'fly sheet' that keeps the rain off the damaged roof, without obstructing what ventilation there is?
I know I go on a bit about ventilation, but being married to a Chartered Surveyor, it's one of the things I know a bit about, and we see so many homes that are inadequately ventilated, and with clear evidence of condensation (in the case of houses, this is largely because when people have spent money heating the house, they resent letting the heat escape through ventilators and windows). The spores of the mould that forms when condensation is serious can cause problems (they are a quite common asthma trigger).

[Snadger]

Sounds like your ventilation is in the wrong place<g> That is the snag with a greenhouse in winter; while the fresh air is getting in, the rain may get in as well, and defeat the object of the exercise!
Any possibility of rigging a 'fly sheet' that keeps the rain off the damaged roof, without obstructing what ventilation there is?
I know I go on a bit about ventilation, but being married to a Chartered Surveyor, it's one of the things I know a bit about, and we see so many homes that are inadequately ventilated, and with clear evidence of condensation (in the case of houses, this is largely because when people have spent money heating the house, they resent letting the heat escape through ventilators and windows). The spores of the mould that forms when condensation is serious can cause problems (they are a quite common asthma trigger).

The simple answer I suppose would be to fix up the ramshackle greenhouse. Thats not going to happen though as I was going to knock it down next year.

Plan B could be either stretching polythene over the outside, but winter gales would do for it methinks. Plan C could be to affix polythene on the inside like a tent with a single wire/rope draped along the apex and polythene draped over it and pegged at the eaves. That would allow water to run down the inside and trickle down the vertical section. Would still give condensation but maybe not as bad!

[dexterdoglancashire]

I'd need a wide angle lens!

Here's a question for you though Bernie? I just wondered if like me, you'd noticed the condensation on the greenhouse glass since moving the chooks in? They ain't very big little critters but they sure steam the glass up!

I'll see what I can do on the photo front at a later date once 'the flock' are in their final quarters.

Its 'Grey Fergie' restoration day tomorrow (Sunday) so I will only be at the allotment briefly!

Hope your tractor day went well Snadger. Actually, I had a good look at the compensation in the greenhouse today whilst doing my major clean up. To be fair it wasnt that bad, but will note everyones comments about ventilation. Thanks everyone.