I personally wouldn't trust polycarbonate with the kind of snow load I imagine upstate ny gets -- even if your framing is strong enough it seems the panels themselves would collapse. Haven't tested or even looked it up...but worth checking out. I'd suggest you build with a good slope so your snow slides off, and don't spray insulation under your deck...cuz of runoff. I'd also suggest that you not build this on top of your deck unless you're willing to build it to the same standards you would for an extension to your home....which is a much different undertaking than even building a heated greenhouse to shelter a fairly elaborate aquaponics set up. It seems to my (amateur, layman, lives in California and hasn't seen snow in years...) mind that you'd be much better off building this where you can have total sun exposure and you get some thermal help from the ground. Either way...I've become a huge believer in using chain link fence top rail post to build my GHs with -- stronger than wood, and you don't have to make it a hoop house even though that's what you'll see online -- and you won't have to worry about it blocking your light. Good luck...I'm hella jealous...I badly want to get into aquaponics.

Stephanie, you got a good thread going. And let me put in my 20 cents. Having been a pet owner for all of my life, and now having lived in the city for the last 20 yrs I have seen how careless people can be with pets. Sometimes to train an animal one has to use measures that might seem extreme to others. The soft BB's worked and it was his pet that he was training. I doubt he is that bad of a shot that he would miss a rump. And, it worked with little harm to the dog. And the neighbors garden is the winner. I have put rags soaked in a vinegar solution in areas that I want to protect from the countless stray cats that wander thru my yard/garden. We have indoor cats and two of them spend time outdoors on a leash. They are happy to lounge in the sun and watch me work. Or they explore in my jungle of plants/rocks/and garden junk. My illiterate neighbors (they are such, believe me, and from the number of 'guests' either they are very popular or do some kind of selling business. To keep their younguns happy they got them a kitten for Christmas a year and a half ago. Once the kitten got old enough to fight back against the mauling, it was soon let outdoors for longer and longer periods. Now, it is a pest. But they probably don't care. Last year I was friendly towards it and felt sorry for it and even set out food for it (and still do). But it has become an unwelcome guest and will even come up and fight with my leashed neutered cats. So, now I keep a spray bottle with a 10% vinegar solution. The first time I got it wet and even a bit the second time. Now, all I have to do is hold the bottle and it turns tail. Same thing happened with training one of my indoor cats from bad behavior. All I do now is make a 'swish' sound holding my hand out and it knows to stop doing something. There are rules that they must follow. Now in the garden where I don't want that neighbors cat at night (and to all the other countless feral cats around) I place a small piece of rag soaked in that vinegar solution from the bottle. I have noticed that they avoid this area. I can't stop this cat or the others from 'cruising' my yard but I seem to have been able to prevent them from lingering in the front or in newly planted areas. The back I don't care about. And in the alley is where I put some food occassionally. (My elderly neighbor has been doing this for years, especially in the winter). I have noticed a lack of birds this year. And my favorite cat got out a torn screen once and spent 3 days 'lost'. He came back the third morning while I was out (late eve's and early a.m.) searching the neighborhood. I never knew there were that many B&W cats (Tuxedos I guess) around this area. My guess is that many started from the playful kitten that soon got let out or outright abandoned. They bred and there is enough abandoned sheds, garages,etc for them to breed more litters. Probably keeps the mice and rat population in check but they also kill birds and other mammals. Such is city life for them and me. Flinging the liter over the fence makes about as much sense as me flinging the occassional beer can back over. It don't work so now I add them to the recycle bin but I still fling the bottle back. The worst offenders moved a year ago so this hasn't been much of a problem since. And, I found that giving tomatoes to the top dog (The big Mamma) kinda keeps the peace. She's ok but her kids are rather feral themselves. BTW, the ones that moved left their beloved pet kitten (then a cat), behind to fend for itself. It disappeared a few weeks after they abandoned it. I don't know why, perhaps it lost a fight? Animal control don't patrol for feral cats. There are too many. What progess have you made? If you are still flinging the poop over the fence, I would add that if you would add it to some clay cat litter and place it (perhaps in the dead of night) in one location near your property line, the cat might start to believe that this is where it is supposed to go. Then just keep dropping the poop there, no need for more litter. It might just get the hint that probably escapes the humans.

Have you contacted the condo association and complained? I'd say cats using the roof as a litter box is a bit of a problem, since the exterior of the dwelling is the condo assoc.'s responsibility, as far as I know. The SCAT is a good idea but they've already made a number of visits from the sounds of it and how exactly are you going to get up on the roof to apply that stuff? I'd be calling the condo association and making them clean it up. I would be very adamant they clean it up as a matter of fact. Just my 02 though, I don't know how far you'll actually get with it. As far as divulging it, well, I'm not sure. You could try the buying and selling forum for real estate here with that question. I know there are several agents over there as well as a few others that are very knowledgable. Good luck with it.

A friend of mine just pointed out that the track system I am envisioning for the removable panels should probably go around the outside of the frame otherwise I wont have a way slide them in. He also pointed out that I might be able to create a u channel out of a piece of the corrugated polycarbonate I am hoping to use on the roof. Hoping more and more ideas from others will lead me to best solution for these sliding panels I want to have enclosing the entire enclosure and the ones I would also like to have on the roof for the covering to provide shade.