A greenhouse is a special light construction that allows you to grow various plants regardless of the weather, by creating the conditions necessary for their growth. The greenhouse is larger than the greenhouse. Even winter is not a hindrance for growing vegetables. In the greenhouse you can arrange a winter garden or a greenhouse, where exotic flowers and decorative greenery will grow with success.
Building a greenhouse may seem like an overly complicated process. However, having studied the peculiarities of its construction and functioning, you can safely proceed to construction. Many greenhouses, which stand on the dacha, erected by the hands of their owners. Greenhouse do it yourself saves a lot of money.
Greenhouse construction
The greenhouse device includes a few parts. Its basis is the frame, the strength of which determines the stability of the entire structure. At the heart of most greenhouses is a frame made of wood, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or metal.
Types of greenhouses
Wood greenhouse
The advantage of the wooden frame is its ease of installation. However, the tree is unstable to all external influences, it must be periodically processed. The main advantage of the wooden frame is its environmental friendliness.
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Wooden greenhouse
Metal greenhouses
Greenhouses from a metalprofile differ in the increased durability, they are capable to serve very long. Durability allows such a frame to reliably resist snow, wind and hail. Galvanized steel is the most common material for greenhouses. It is enough to protect such a profile from corrosion, and it is ready for long-term operation. There is a view that iron has a bad effect on plant growth, but this is nothing more than a prejudice.
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Metal greenhouse
Polycarbonate greenhouse
Frames made of plastic, most often polycarbonate or polyvinyl chloride, are durable and safe. The reliability of the design is provided by the thickness of the profile. The construction of PVC greenhouses ensures tightness, which contributes to the creation of such a system, the parameters of which (humidity, temperature) are easily controlled. Plastic frames are somewhat more expensive. They can successfully arrange a winter garden and a greenhouse, where you can relax against the backdrop of greenery.
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Polycarbonate greenhouse
Before you start self-construction, you must select the most suitable material.
Greenhouse Coating
Reliability of plant protection from the external environment depends on the quality of the greenhouse coating. Currently, manufacturers and sellers of building materials offer a lot of coating options, the main of which can be considered the following: glass, various film coatings, PVC products.
Greenhouse glass
The quality of a greenhouse covered with glass depends on its strength. It is best to use triplex, tempered or unbreakable glass. The latter option is able to withstand all adverse weather conditions. The glass coating does not interfere with the penetration of useful infrared rays, however, ultraviolet radiation falls along with it.
Greenhouse film
Film coatings for greenhouses are the most modern. The technology of their manufacture guarantees durability and service life for a long time, which is calculated for years. You can name the main types of such films.
- The light-converting film transforms ultraviolet rays into infrared rays, which intensify the growth of plants and increase their yield.
- Reinforced film has a high strength, protects against frost. Today, this species is in steady demand.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating
PVC products, monolithic, translucent acrylic plastic and especially cellular polycarbonate, are actively used in the construction of the greenhouse coating. Cellular plates for a long time retain their transparency, resistance to adverse weather conditions. It is also important that they simply look beautiful, giving the conservatory an extra charm.
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Polycarbonate for greenhouses
How to choose a place for the greenhouse
Proper placement of the greenhouse depends on several factors.
- The proximity to the electrical distribution board facilitates the connection of electricity, which is necessary to power additional appliances and light the greenhouse, especially in winter.
- In the case of a decision to use the greenhouse throughout the year, it is better to orient it in the east-west direction in order to provide all plantations with more favorable conditions.
- The relief of the site also matters, it is desirable that it be even. Greenhouse is not recommended to put in a lowland, where an excess of moisture. You should not start building close to the trees that take most of the world.
- The ideal option for the soil is its suitability for those crops that are supposed to be planted in the greenhouse. In any case, places where clay is predominant should be avoided.
Types of greenhouses
Before the start of independent construction, it is necessary to make a schematic drawing of the future greenhouse, or at least get an overview of how it will look. The materials and technologies available today make it possible to realize the most ambitious plans.
Designs with one or two slopes, options using the arched or hip type are very popular. Any design can be collapsible or stationary. If the greenhouse is not used throughout the year, it can be disassembled for the winter. Constantly used greenhouses is better to build non-separable.
Operating conditions affect the choice of foundation for the future greenhouse.
The foundation for the greenhouse
Temporary collapsible greenhouse is a fairly lightweight construction, therefore, it does not require a very solid and durable foundation. You can even confine plastic bottles. The stationary structure, of course, should be put on a solid foundation that guarantees the stability of the structure for a long time.
How to make a foundation for a greenhouse
The best option seems to be the choice in favor of a strip foundation, which is deepened below the point to which the ground freezes (up to 80 centimeters). The bottom of the prepared trench is filled with gravel.
The foundation is reinforced with reinforcement, reinforced with mesh, which is poured with concrete. When using glass coating in a greenhouse, the base must be of particularly high quality, otherwise all glazing will inevitably crack.
Greenhouse installation
In order to simplify the construction, you can use the already finished construction of the greenhouse, which can only be put on the foundation. Steel greenhouses are preferably mounted by means of nut and bolted joints, as the welds produced during welding are vulnerable to rust.
Greenhouse installation из поликарбоната требует не забывать о том, что данный пластик подвержен воздействию температуры, при повышении которой он расширяется, при понижении – сокращается. При сборке необходимо применять герметик и замазку из силикона. Между листами пластика обязательно оставляется зазор в несколько миллиметров.
For ventilation of greenhouses in their designs make different in size and design of the window, which should be provided in advance.
Modern systems are equipped with various systems, and the simplest of them provides automatic watering. And yet, despite the apparent complexity of the device, such additional equipment can also be installed independently.
The advantages of polygonal greenhouses
Polygonal designs usually represent an octahedron. We list their main advantages.
- A polygonal greenhouse with its faces is always open to the light, because any of its “broken” surfaces necessarily turns to the sun's rays.
- Polygonal greenhouses are very beautiful. They look great winter garden, and as a result of the construction gives the entire site a new aesthetic appearance.
- These designs are fairly stable, they are not afraid of the wind, and even a small hail.
There is one problem with polygonal greenhouses - this is glass. Details of such a greenhouse can be very diverse in shape, so glazing will have to be made to order. The second disadvantage is the uneven heating of the air. However, the problem of heating and circulation is solved with the help of modern technological systems.
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Polycarbonate greenhouse своими руками
In the video, the construction of a wooden greenhouse on its own
