25.02.2024 Not again!

 ~o~

 Sunday 25th 36F/2C. Similar to yesterday. Southerly breeze with bright clouds in the east. Up at 5.45 after lying in bed tormenting myself with memories of my late wife.

 7.45 I heard a bang last night.  Looking around indoors suggested nothing had fallen. So I thought it must be thunder. It was pouring with rain at the time. This morning I find my new greenhouse pane is lying against the outside of the greenhouse. It must have been pulled out by a squally shower. I was intending to bolt it to the greenhouse frame to avoid such problems. Alas too late!

 The polycarbonate is very unlikely to be broken. I will have to attend to it now. Perhaps it slipped down because there was no support from below? I used a large overlap with the lower pane and intended to bolt through to the frame on either side. I used as many spring wire, glass retaining clips as would fit but it obviously wasn't enough. 

 I could cut the lower panel shorter to use greenhouse S clips. These are shaped like a square S. To support the next pane above when smaller panes are used. They also maintain the location of both panes via the double hooked form. The overlap of the sheets allows the rain to run down the upper pane without penetration behind the lower. Some slight air leakage due to the material thickness of the S clips is likely. 

 The upper plastic sheet looks unharmed. The lower one remained in place. All the spring wire glazing clips are lying nearby on the ground. Everything is freezing cold to the touch and covered in dew. I will now have to cut the lower sheet shorter to use the S-clips. Keeping the factory  No doubt a full length toughened glass sheet is available at considerable cost from the manufacturers. Halls is now under the Juliana umbrella. I could buy a sheet of polycarbonate big enough to cover the whole pane area in one piece. Polycarbonate allows me to drill and bolt the sheet in place. Glass does not. Plastic is more prone to dewing and scratching. machined edge at the top will help to minimise the visibility of the joint.

 8.30 I am going for a short walk to be rid of my lower back pain.

 9.00 And back again. Lots of small birds moving along the slashed hedges. I could tell I hadn't walked along the road lately. There were branches everywhere. Blown onto the road by the recent gales. I have always kicked them back onto the verge as I toddled along. Skylarks were singing overhead under the dark and rumpled overcast. Some turquoise sky but only low down and off to the north. My hands were cold even in my GripGrab gloves. Both, previously empty houses have cars or vans parked outside. 

 There is problem with editing. The images won't drag and drop. They disrupt the text.

 10.30 38F/4C. It is raining lightly. Just to make life more difficult working outside. I deliberately made the first cut at an angle. To cope with the slope on the bottom of the top pane. Inverting the bottom pane might improve matters. 

 I have neglected the stove this morning. Until now. It has just dropped below 60F/15.5C in the room. 

 I cut the top edge of the lower sheet square and it now fits. The joint is fairly invisible.

18.30 I have just dragged a wheely bin to the end of the heavily be-puddled drive. There were lights on in the two, previously empty homes. It is the weekend and getting late. So less likely to be building workers. Who tend to have clearly marked vehicles. Lights are rather more indicative of residence. Than random parked vehicles in the daytime. 

 Dinner will be traditional fish fingers, chips and peas.

 

  ~o~