Palram - Canopia Bella 8' x 16' Polycarbonate Aluminum Greenhouse, Silver | Outdoor Hobby Walk-In Kit, Twin-Wall UV Protection, Durable Aluminum Frame, Lockable Door, Roof Vents, Galvanized Steel Base

I have had this greenhouse for a couple of years now and it is is still going strong.It has had ZERO structural issues.I use it to start vegetable plants for the spring and to grow orchids year round.I live on the Gulf Coast of Texas so, occasionally, wind is an issue here.This greenhouse has withstood 60 mph winds and much higher gusts.Due to its quonset hut shape it resists the wind very well.That design also simplifies its construction.One of the biggest complaints posted has been the doors.Those negative posts are justified.Fortunately, there is an easy fix that would have only cost the manufacturer a couple of dollars.Get two pieces of 1" x 36" aluminum bar from your local building materials store.Install them as cross braces as shown in the attached photo.Problem solved.Don't freak out about the discoloration of the panels.That is Kool-Ray shade paint.As for the operation of this greenhouse, cooling is a bigger issue than heating here in Texas.I cool it with a small Dayton swamp cooler using the positive pressure method.As a result It has very few insects; most are controlled with yellow sticky cards.As for heating, I use an iPower Greenhouse heater.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0869JKCF2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1It is totally waterproof and works great unless the temps get into the 30's.I then use a 10,000 BTU blue flame heater.I am about to buy a 4 foot extension for this house because I am certain that it will last for many more years.If I had to do it all over again I would buy the same house, just the bigger version.

The 8x16 Canopia Bella is a nice relatively sturdy structure with misleading English assembly instructions. (1) Secure the frame to the foundation before assembly of the walls. My book said to secure the frame at the end which was a terrible idea. The panels overlap the screw holes in the base so you have to take both ends of the greenhouse completely apart to drive lag screws down if you already built the walls. (2) don't connect the extension pieces of the ridge to eachothet or the 8 foot ridge piece until you are at the very end. The upper ridge piece that caps the ridge at the end cannot sit flush or be secured if the extension splice bolts are already in place. Assemble the top and bottom components of the ridge extensions at the same time and you will be able to slide the bolt heads from the lower ridge piece into the lower rail of the top ridge piece and it will sit perfectly flush and solidly attached.

Directions are out of order, which doubles the work. You put a section together only to undo it to complete the next step. The panels are cut incorrectly and don't fit well. Gaps at the top. I used spray foam to caulk and it seems to keep the rain and cold air out. I would't buy again or recommend. Today, we are experiencing 21+ mph winds with 35 mph gusts and she's standing firm. We did bolt it down to a frame that's attached to my deck; and used addn'l screws to hold the panels in place. Update: she held up to the recent East cost snow storm of 11.5 inches.

Received someone else’s order. Contacted Palram, who confirmed their was a shipping issue. Instead of taking ownership of the problem and driving it to resolution, they stated that I would have to resolve it. If Palram refuses to take responsibility for ensuring my order arrives, how can I trust them with any other customer service related to the product itself. I expect more professionalism from a company.

well, it was shipped well. the instructions, especially when putting multiple parts together, are not that good. I read the instructions well before getting the unit, and still made errors. Getting it square was VERY difficult and it still doesn't fit properly. there are 2 lower panels that don't touch the frame and have openings. The top leaks water when it rains. one of the windows had already broke apart in a small wind/rain storm. The windows are very poorly designed and the frames very weak.The unit gets very hot in direct sun- we've measured over 118 degrees - that's with all 4 windows open (we have the 8' x 20' unit) and the door open. So, we will be attaching shade cloth to protect the contents. I think for the price, it should be better quality. Not impressed with this unit.

Greenhouse has been up for about 1 month now. Last night we had flood and tornado warnings and crazy thunderstorms (Michigan summer) and the house stood strong through it all. Extra water on the floor from some leaking around the windows, but no damage at all! We built a deck to put the greenhouse on and we’re extra careful to have everything squared up throughout the entire process. Very happy with the product!! Will update again after some snowfall this winter.FOLLOW UP: I have now had this greenhouse for several months and recently we had a nasty storm with tornados and 80-90 mph winds. Didn’t even phase the structure. Held up perfectly. Build on a very solid, square foundation- it’s been a very reliable greenhouse.2 year follow up: Greenhouse is still standing through all the storms (rain, snow, high winds, and even ice!) and helps me grow AMAZING pepper plants all summer long! Very happy with this purchase.

The overall structure is good. As long as you follow the directions one step at a time it wasn’t that difficult to build. It took my husband and I one day to put it together. Only bad thing is we can’t get the doors to close tight. We followed the instructions and went back and redid it a few times but the design is not made correctly for the door to be able to close and lock. My husband had to cut a part of the handle off in order for it not to hit the metal when trying to latch/lock it.

The manufacturer suggested two days to build, but it only took one day. The unit is very sturdy. Because the instructions are all pictographs, it is important to layout all parts by the parts list.