If you have your own house or cottage, it becomes necessary to ennoble the adjacent plot of land. Depending on the size of the land plot, in addition to the gazebo, pool and playground, glass and aluminum greenhouses are built. Their purpose is to grow vegetables and herbs on the plot.
Greenhouses, greenhouses and winter gardens
Such structures can be made by hand using special kits or on an individual project. If hotbeds and greenhouses are designed for growing early vegetable products or seedlings, then winter gardens are created for comfortable rest or cultivation of exotic plants all year round. Thanks to the innovations of designers, modern buildings impress with their originality, elegance, sophistication of architectural forms and a variety of configurations. Greenhouses and greenhouses can be made of film. Their main difference is in size. During work, a person is inside the greenhouse, and the care of greenhouse plantings is more laborious.
For the construction of such buildings, plastic, cellularpolycarbonate or glass. Classic designs made of glass and aluminum profile are quite comfortable and reliable.
Types of greenhouses
Buildings can be free-standing or attached to the wall of the house. The former have walls that are straight or inclined inward, and the roof is single-pitched, double-pitched or two-level. For small garden plots, it is more expedient to make wall buildings. Both small and large greenhouses are sometimes built with steel or alloy tubular frames and film coating. They are cheaper than glass, but inconvenient to use. Each species has its own advantages.
Spacious greenhouses allow you to work indoors. They are a strong and reliable frame, covered with sheets of glass. One or more walls can be covered with boards or bricked up to a certain level, taking into account the necessary illumination. Greenhouses glazed to ground level can be covered with wooden shields for thermal insulation. Their margin of safety is different and depends on the existing climatic conditions, such as the strength and direction of the wind.
Other options
For the rational organization of large-scale cultivation of crops, tent-type greenhouses made of glass and aluminum are used, moving along rails. They are installed over planted plants of early ripening, such as lettuce. After a certain phase of development, the greenhouse is moved to the other end of the site and seedlings of other crops are planted. Lettuce for further growth and maturation remains openground. Structures can be round, multi-level with different slopes, block hexagonal.
Support structures are made of steel, dural profile or wood. Dural supports are light and durable, they can be given any shape. Condensation easily collects on the metal frame due to good thermal conductivity, which often leads to corrosion. The wooden frame requires pre-treatment with an antiseptic and periodic painting. These guidelines apply to all greenhouses.
Shapes and sizes
There are no limits to the variety of shapes and sizes of greenhouses. However, for ease of use, the recommended minimum dimensions are:
- height to eaves - 1.6 m;
- to the ridge - 2.4 m;
- opening - 1, 8x0, 6 m.
Round and polygonal designs have more usable area and are less prone to overheating under the scorching sun. The frame can be made of an alloy of metal with aluminum, a profile pipe with an anti-corrosion coating, as well as an aluminum profile with a polymer coating. Indoors aggressive environment - humidity and high temperature. Therefore, the best option for the frame is an aluminum profile. Sizes and prices depend on the type and purpose of the kit. For example, there is a lightweight design, reinforced, country, under glass, film or cellular polycarbonate. The area of individual greenhouses can vary from 12 to 26 m2.
Greenhouse cover
The thickness of the coating material is selected according to the structure of the frame. It depends on the dimensions, the angle of the roof and other parameters. Depending on the complexity of the design, the installation of greenhouses is a rather lengthy process. The material for covering can be ordinary transparent or tinted glass. Installed double-glazed windows, proper ventilation and heating will allow you to grow vegetables in the cold season. Cellular polycarbonate has some advantages over glass. It is now more commonly used.
The installation of greenhouses, in addition to covering, will require doors, windows and transoms for ventilation, as well as some items for interior design - partitions, plant fixtures, drawers, etc. Doors, like windows, can be sliding, swing, folding. Remote control possible.
Choose glass
The coating is mainly sheet window glass with a thickness of at least 4 mm. Its strength should be about 7 kg/m2. The most common sheet sizes for the construction of small structures are 50x45 cm. Glass for greenhouses should not have defects - an uneven surface and air bubbles. Ordinary glass transmits up to 90% of light. Excess ultraviolet rays in the summer can lead to plant burns. You can cover the inner surface of the glass with colored varnish. But translucent and tinted glass reduces the amount of light during the short day. Therefore, it is recommended to shade the greenhouse somewhat in hot weather.
When choosing the installation site and the angle of the roof, you need to take into account the change in the position of the sun during the day and season. The roof is closed from the bottom up with an overlap of 6 mm. Glass is strengthened with putty, mastic or a special sealant for heat saving. Some greenhouses made of glass and aluminum have frames without bindings. The coating is inserted into special grooves (shpros) and does not require putty.
Advantages and disadvantages
The most powerful argument in favor of glass is its high light transmission. The material is relatively inexpensive and has thermal insulation properties. Glass has a long service life. Broken sections are easily replaced, and used material can be used. It is easy to wash, over time, positive qualities are not lost. Buildings with pitched roofs are not afraid of snowdrifts.
Glass and aluminum greenhouses must be installed on a brick or concrete foundation (monolithic tape or block) at least 80 cm deep. The biggest drawback is the huge weight of the coating material. Therefore, a strong and high-quality frame is needed. The most reliable is a building with vertical walls and a gable roof. Unreinforced, without a special coating, glass is quite fragile, it can easily break from impact, heavy wind or hail. Thoughtful construction and proper use of the greenhouse will allow you to grow a good crop.
