[slingshot2000]

While I was away for a few days a friend was watering my tomatoes. He sent me a text to say he could get his hands on a large number of lighting covers from a place he was working in at the time. These measure 28" x 42", and have nice sturdy galvanised steel frames with a 3/4"flange on each short side that would make it very easy to attach them to a timber frame work. Each frame contains 2 pieces of glass, both of which can slide.
I said for him to go ahead and get me as many as were available, which he did.

However, when returned, I find that rather then being clear, the glass is all opaque. Will this be suitable for growing crops under, or have I now got a load of rubbish to dispose of ??

Thanks in advance
Jon

[mumofstig]

I'm sure it will be fine.

I don't think the amount of light getting through is limited, it is refracted - like lining the greenhouse with bubblewrap, or using twinwall polycarb.

[slingshot2000]

Great, thanks for the quick response, as he has just sent me a text asking if I would like some more.

I will add a couple of photographs of the frames later, and some of the finished construction when it is finished.

Thanks again
Jon

[slingshot2000]

Ok, some of the "old guys" on our site have seen these panes and are of the opinion that they will be no good what so ever!

Has anyone else got an opinion before I start designing a frame and buying some timber ?

[New shoot]

Why not set up an impromptu cold frame with one of these panes propped up on something and try a few plants under it.  It will prove the case one way or another.

The old boys can be a font of all knowledge, but they are sometimes a teeny bit set in their ways    I've had them sucking their teeth before now and then been successful with whatever it was I was trying 

[JayG]

It depends on what you mean by 'opaque' - textured or obscure glass should be OK, as Mumofstig has indicated, but anything providing less light transmission than that would probably not be.

Do you know what the panels were previously being used for? Hard to think of what application truly opaque window panels would have had.