It really looks like a greenhouse now that the plastic covering is on. We used a special 6 mil greenhouse plastic that’s UV treated to resist sun damage. It’s supposed to last 4-6 years.
It’s not a fun task to maneuver a sheet of plastic this size (32′ x 60′-plus) over 10 ft. tall arches without snagging and ripping it — and then attach it firmly, evenly, stretched tight — and hopefully all before the wind kicks up. The top portion is one solid sheet. It attaches to a 2×6 board that’s bolted to the arches. Another 2 x 6 is clamped to the metal framing at ground level, and the plastic to enclose the sides is stretched between these two boards. Eventually we plan to add ventilation panels along the sides which can be opened and closed as needed. For now, I’m just happy to have it enclosed. We still need to cover some small sections of the ends, located beside and below the windows. After that…soil prep, laying out the beds and paths, planting, etc.
I’ve thought about having a greenhouse like that someday, but I realized how much work it is, and since I’m a basically lazy person, well . . .