With the advent of spring, many farmers and owners of private plots begin to think about building a greenhouse. Previously, glazing was used to shelter them, but today it has been replaced by a more modern and convenient material - polycarbonate. It is transparent, more wear-resistant and economical. In addition, summer residents are pleased with a large assortment of these products. It is important for them to know how to choose polycarbonate for greenhouses in order to make a building that will last for more than one year.
What is polycarbonate?
Polycarbonate consists of several thin plates. There may be two or three.
The plates are placed parallel to each other and fastened with thin bridges, which are stiffeners. This makes polycarbonate a very durable coating. This product has different weights. The load bearing capacity of the material will be higher if the sheet is heavy. If polycarbonate is too light in weight, then it will be unstable to the loads of snow and wind. Due to the fact that such material is plastic and light, it can beuse in the creation of any buildings. The advantage of polycarbonate is its incombustibility. In a fire, it melts, but does not emit harmful substances. Despite the fact that this material has high rigidity, it bends well. Due to this quality, it is used in arched structures, as well as in the construction of translucent domes. There are also polycarbonate models that have enhanced UV protection, which makes the use of polycarbonate more extensive.
What sizes of polycarbonate sheets are better to use for covering greenhouses?
Mostly polycarbonate has standard sizes. They can be 12x2, 1 m or
same 6.0x2.1 m. You can use any of them to cover the greenhouse, but it’s easier to find a product with dimensions of 6.0x2.1 m. In any case, polycarbonate is easily cut and unnecessary length is removed. The main role here will be played by the thickness of the sheet. It can be from 4 mm to 32 mm. Before choosing polycarbonate for greenhouses, you should think about the price-quality ratio. It is not necessary to purchase too thick sheets here. It will be enough to take 4 mm products. If desired, you can choose 6 mm sheets, but in this case the design will cost much more.
What should I pay attention to when choosing polycarbonate for a greenhouse?
Despite the fact that in appearance all polycarbonate sheets are the same, they have
significant differences. Their range is quite wide and varied. When choosing polycarbonate for a greenhouse, you should pay attention to its strength and transparency. It depends on how long the service life of the product will be. It is very important to look at the quality of the surface protective layer. If it is uneven or completely absent, the material will not last more than three years. After some time, the polycarbonate will become cloudy and become brittle. Therefore, it is very important to know how to choose polycarbonate for greenhouses. If you want the product to last 10 years or more, then you should choose high-quality production. Chinese goods in this case are not so attractive. It is better to purchase products from a large company that gives a guarantee on their products. When choosing polycarbonate, you should pay attention to its packaging. The sheets must be packed on both sides in a special transport film. The side of the polycarbonate that has UV protection must have a printed colored film pasted.
What do you need to consider to make a good greenhouse?
Before you start designing a greenhouse, you need everything carefully
think and plan. In this case, it is necessary to take into account various factors that can affect the design. First of all, you need to consider the dimensions of the greenhouse. The dimensions of the polycarbonate sheets should be taken into account here. In this case, the width will be very important. Before you make a polycarbonate greenhouse, you need to think about what it should be comfortable to work in. The best option is to make two longitudinal beds and a small passagebetween them. The width of the greenhouse will depend on these dimensions. Of course, you can make a large structure with a large number of beds, if the site and financial possibilities allow. If you need to save money and there is not much money for building a greenhouse, then it is not necessary to make all its sides from polycarbonate. It is possible that one of them will be wooden or made from any other material that is at hand.
Building a greenhouse - laying the foundation
Before you start installing a polycarbonate greenhouse, you need to lay a foundation under it. In order for the structure to stand for a long time and reliably, it is better to use a traditional tape structure. It is not necessary to do a deep screed. Of course, this will take a large amount of time and labor, but subsequently the greenhouse will stand for many years without requiring repair. In the event that it is not worth the task of making a durable structure, you can do without a foundation at all. Sometimes people make greenhouses for several years, and then they tear it down or install it somewhere else.
The next step is choosing the shape of the greenhouse
After the foundation is prepared, you can think about the future form
greenhouses. Many private owners build structures in the form of an arch or a house on their plots. With the use of polycarbonate, the first option becomes much more preferable. This is primarily due to the fact that it is much easier to cover the roof with several large sheets in the form of an arch. Using this method, you can make more profitable and beautifulpolycarbonate greenhouses. Photos, price and ease of use of finished products confirm this. Such greenhouses will be more airtight, because it will not be necessary to make many seams, as is the case with a gable roof. In addition to arched structures, you can make a greenhouse with a straight roof with a slope on one side. This option is also quite acceptable.
Which material to use for the frame?
Before choosing polycarbonate for greenhouses, you should also consider which one
material will be used as a frame. Previously, a tree acted in its role. It is still quite popular, but many prefer to choose a more reliable and durable metal. If you choose a tree, it will be much easier to work with it. In addition, this material is environmentally friendly. However, the tree needs to be looked after. So that it does not rot, you will have to paint the entire frame several times a year, because the greenhouse has high humidity, which has a bad effect on the tree. The use of metal in this regard will be more beneficial. It is enough to treat it with an anti-corrosion coating, and it will not require frequent painting. Here you can use a metal profile or pipes. The first material will be cheaper, and the second more durable. If the structure is arched, then it makes sense to use metal arcs as a frame. It will be more convenient and faster.
Tips for building a quality greenhouse
In order for the greenhouse to be of high quality and convenient to use, it is necessary
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follow a few simple tips. So, you should choose only the best polycarbonate for greenhouses. Deciding to save money and choose Chinese low-quality products, you can significantly lose money later. If polycarbonate sheets do not have UV protection, they will quickly lose their quality. When designing a greenhouse, its ventilation should be well thought out, otherwise there will be no benefit from it, and besides, all kinds of pests can appear because of this. It is not necessary to drill the arcs of the frame to fix the polycarbonate. It is better to use special brackets for this, which will prevent corrosion.
How to process a polycarbonate greenhouse?
When making a reliable greenhouse for many years, its processing should also be considered. One should take into account such a moment as the presence of various microorganisms in the soil. They can be quite harmful, while settling not only on the soil cover, but also on the walls of the greenhouse. That is why they should be disinfected periodically. To do this, it is enough to wash the greenhouse with soapy water inside and out. This should be done with the advent of spring. You can also use bleach. She needs to spray everything inside the greenhouse. To get rid of all pests, they also use a sulfur bomb, the smoke of which kills all microbes.
