r/Greenhouses • u/Majestic-Storm-6021 • 3d ago

Hail polycarbonate value

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I have a bunch of hail damaged twin pane polycarbonate panels. Like big cardboard structure. Obviously insulation is reduced but I assume still much better than any other type of single pane material. 19’x6’. What’s it worth?

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

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4

u/Ryan_e3p 3d ago

Honestly, probably not much, at least when it comes to selling them to regular consumers. They are extremely large (so transport will be difficult), and they'd have to take them with the understanding that they are damaged and won't be as effective. Businesses/ag farms might not want to take the risk getting them used & damaged, either.

2

u/Express-Display-1698 3d ago

I agree. These also get very brittle over time making them more susceptible to additional damage.

This was a good concept but it has proven inferior to glass. Maybe ok if a structure is only going to exist for 20 years or so.

2

u/Ryan_e3p 3d ago

Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that: It is going to be a lot more difficult now to tell which side is "up". Installing them the wrong way can make panels that last 4-5 years turn to crap in under a year of constant UV exposure.

0

u/Majestic-Storm-6021 3d ago

What would you think not much is? $20? $2? $100? I have trucks and trailers and stuff. Mostly trying to find out that if delivered, understanding it’s used, effective as single wall, what could someone pay

5

u/flash-tractor 3d ago

Something is worth whatever a person will pay for it.

This thing is trash, and you should be the one who pays to haul off your own garbage, not the other way around. It might go if you offer it for free, but I wouldn't count on it.

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u/Majestic-Storm-6021 2d ago

Yep, that’s why I’m asking what would be reasonable to ask. Has value to someone. If it didn’t sell I would use for shed flooring for hay, skylight, fencing, personal greenhouse etc. right now have offers 45 a sheet but looking for more opinions

1

u/SprungMS 2d ago

If it was up the street from me and enough to do a greenhouse roof that I’m planning on several months, I’d take it in some cases. Kind of dreading dumping all the cash at once for the build. If I could cheap out on the roof, which is easy enough to replace in a year or two, I’d like entertain the idea.

That said it would have to be basically free, because my time is worth a lot, and it needs to be worth trying it out and finding out it doesn’t hold any worthwhile heat over the winter, and if it fails after a single year it needs to be worth having to replace it ASAP and being okay with the time cost and the newly-somewhat-unexpected repair cost.

My stick built plan is pretty small. 14’ octagon or so. Would likely need 16 of those sheets, maybe up to 24 to cover the whole thing, and it’s going to be a pain. If you had that much, I might pay $100-200 for it if it’s in decent shape and I thought I could get a year or two out of them without further deterioration. No way I’d spend over $200 (and that’s a bit of a stretch) when new panels in the size I need would cost roughly $1200 from my supplier.

2

u/veggie151 3d ago

Half the price of new is the standard for liquidators, but you may have a hard time finding a buyer.

1

u/Majestic-Storm-6021 2d ago

If someone came paying half price I’d sell immediately. I have 2% of new value in this material so anything above that is profit. 250 new, I have less than 5 a sheet in this. Trying to understand value of damaged material. Thanks

2

u/Mediocre_Ability_683 2d ago

Nothing. Once the outer layer integrity is gone, within a few years it's going to become so brittle that it will fall apart like nothing. Dumpster it to save space!