Due to the fact that under the glass dome you can "preserve" the real summer, you can enjoy the greenery of trees and the fragrance of flowers all year round. The winter garden, which you can install yourself, looks very attractive. It can become a real resting place for the owners and an object that emphasizes their status.
In practice, this is an engineering solution that provides for compliance with the rules of pre-project preparation, design and construction. In addition, the construction of a winter garden will not be the final stage of the owners' efforts in relation to such an oasis, which will need constant care. The principle of its device is complex and simple at the same time. Everything will depend on what design you choose, what material the frame will be based on, and also what kind of glazing you prefer. However, many other factors should not be ruled out.
The difference between a winter garden and a greenhouse
The winter garden, which you can design yourself, is different from a greenhouse or conservatory. In the first case, we are talking about a space that is located between the natural environment and a residential building. But the greenhouse is a simplified version of the greenhouse. It is based on growing plants in specially created conditions.
Usually, greenhouses are located in the garden or on the roof, but in any case, this is a separate structure. In the winter garden, plants are also reliably protected from freezing. Here you can choose the ideal microclimate for growing cultivated plants with a complex character. As for the greenhouse, it is designed for certain varieties, such as palm trees or oranges.
Choosing a seat
The winter garden, the projects of which you can consider in the article, is best located in the east, because the structure will not overheat. By placing the garden in the west, you can ensure that the heat accumulated during the day is retained. But in the summer, such an advantage can be called doubtful.
Construction of a winter garden should not be carried out on the south side of the house, because there the plants will overheat, which will increase the cost of watering and ventilation. Gardens on the northern sides of the buildings accumulate heat rather poorly and quickly release it. If no other place could be found, then heating should be more carefully taken care of.
Design Features
Before you start making a winter garden, you should consider its design, which can be freestanding or adjacent to the house. If the garden is made in the form of a rectangular extension, then this option will become universal. Therefore, it is the most popular. The roof structure will be lean-to.
You can arrange the building by attaching it to the corner of the outside of the house. Another option is the design with a combined roof. It will be a two-slope four-beam. If we are talking about the inner corner of the house, then you can also place a garden there, then the design will be called a quarter-polygon. Sometimes a rectangular extension is complemented by a shed roof and an extended part in the roof area.
Material selection: polycarbonate
Building a garden is not always an expensive and time-consuming process. To reduce the cost of the building, polycarbonate can be used. Its weight is 20 times less than glass and 30 times less than metal. The requirements for the most modern greenhouses will be met thanks to the 88% transparency of the material. It bends easily, so it can be shaped into any shape.
The canvases do not crack and are resistant to corrosion. They have good bearing capacity, and they can be fixed on metal supports. The design of the winter garden when using polycarbonate does not have to have a foundation, since the construction will turn out to be quite easy. One of the main disadvantages of this approachlow thermal efficiency. A lot of money will be spent on heating in the winter, because polycarbonate transmits heat well.
If there is no need to constantly heat the room, then in winter when growing coniferous trees, you can maintain a temperature of +5 °C. When attaching polycarbonate, you can use a metal support, which is used as a crate. An ordinary corner with shelves equal to 20 x 25 mm is also suitable for this.
Using Plexiglas
The use of plexiglass allows you to build a winter garden in the shortest possible time. The material will only need to be cut, holes made and installed on the bolts. The foundation may be the most shallow. This is especially true if the room will have a height of no more than 2.5 m. Otherwise, the ground may subside.
The thermal efficiency of plexiglass is 85%, which is a lot. The only downside is the structure is soiled. Plexiglas loses its transparency over time, which is why many summer residents refuse it when it comes to roofing materials for winter gardens. Plexiglas is cheap, which can be called an additional advantage.
The best material for the garden is double-glazed windows
Glazing of the winter garden is best done with double-glazed windows, despite the fact that this option may seem quite expensive to many. As practice shows, in the end it is possible to get big savings, since the funds will not be spent on heating. The design willkeep warm for 2 days after turning off the heating. Heating can be arranged with a 400 W heater, which will be enough to maintain a suitable temperature. In 4 years, at the same time, you will be able to return the money spent on the construction of the structure.
However, it should be borne in mind that double-glazed windows have a rather impressive weight. This will require a solid foundation, deepened by 50 cm. Its width should be 12 cm or more. The plinth is reinforced, as a result you will get a heat-efficient strong building, the light transmission capacity of which reaches 90%.
Selecting a heating system
Before building a winter garden, at the design stage, it is necessary to choose a heating system. It is important to take into account the size of the building, the type of plants and the frequency of operation of the garden. Electric heaters are convenient because you can change their location, because needs can change. The amount of heat such devices can change. The units are fairly easy to install. However, they are expensive and dry the air.
Before building a winter garden, also pay attention to air conditioners that do not dry out the air and allow you to adjust the temperature. However, such devices are expensive and consume a lot of electricity. The advantages of water heating are:
- low cost of heat;
- ability to maintain a constant temperature;
- no temperature differences between adjoining rooms and garden.
In this case, you can use the building as a place to relax or a dining room. But for the installation of a water heating system, you will need to crash into the main circuit using a special tool for this. The construction of a winter garden may involve the installation of stove heating. Fuel is cheap for him, in addition, the stove can create a certain flavor. But the temperature during the operation of such units is distributed unevenly, the equipment will require constant attention. In addition, it is quite a fire hazard.
Another option is air heating. You can equip it without spending too much money. But when installing such a heating scheme, additional garden insulation is required. You will have to purchase air duct and heaters. The system will take up a lot of space, it will dry out the air and will definitely spoil the look of the garden.
Permit to build a roof garden
Coordination of the construction of a winter garden on the roof will be an indispensable condition if you decide to implement such a project. When it comes to an apartment building, first you need to get the consent of 75% of the residents. Without this, the relevant authorities will not give permission for completion. You don't have to deal with creating a project on your own. Specialists should be hired.
It is also important to decide whether you will do the construction yourself or hire a contractor. The Town Planning Code of the Russian Federation defines the rules for construction. Before starting work, you mustthe right to own or use a designated area. This can be done by concluding a contract of sale, exchange or donation.
To assign the territory, you must contact the local government. To obtain a permit, you must visit the administration of the district in which the land is included. In this case, you will need to provide an application from the developer, as well as a document for the land plot. You will also need a plan diagram, where the construction site is indicated.
Conclusion
On the single portal of state and municipal services, you can use the electronic form. The procedure involves attaching a scanned copy of the document. If the issue is considered positively, a building permit is issued for a period of 10 years.
