Guide for selection of polycarbonate greenhouses , types , features and tips

Many gardeners consider one of the most necessary items in the greenhouse area.This is especially true for areas with long winters.Greenhouse need for early harvests, growing seedlings, rapid plant growth and protect them from adverse weather conditions in early spring or autumn.

Toeplitz one chooses to your liking: someone builds it from the wooden bars and covers with plastic wrap, someone uses glass or window frames, as described here.But most have appreciated advantages of modern material - polycarbonate.Because it has long been produced various types of greenhouses, which differ in size, shape, material characteristics, prices.How to understand this diversity and choose the optimal design for your needs?To do this, you need to learn more about the types of greenhouses and their characteristics.

Features polycarbonate as the material for covering greenhouses

Polycarbonate - a solid transparent two-layer polymeric material having a number of advantages over other options covering greenhouses - glass and film:

• high strength (polycarbonate stronger than glass 200 timesand acrylic and PVC plastics - 8 times);
• durability (guarantee period of products is usually 10-12 years);
• lightness (this material lighter than glass 16 times the thickness of the acrylic - 3 times);
• high light transmission (86% transparency);
• low thermal conductivity;
• good heat and fire resistance (can withstand temperatures from + 120 ° to -50 °);
• chemical resistance;
• resistance to weather and atmospheric phenomena;
• protection from UV rays;
• security coverage;
• excellent structural opportunities.

When the device of polycarbonate greenhouses need to comply with certain conditions:

• if the sheet to fix the inside protective layer against UV coating will last only 2-3 years, since adhering to the inner surface of the moisture will destroy the coating;
• polycarbonate has a honeycomb structure, hollow inside, so it is necessary to bend during installation to produce in a direction perpendicular to the internal channels;This is done in order to gets inside the water does not accumulate, and dripping down;the ends of the polycarbonate is typically sealed with special sealing strips and end profiles.

If you do not fulfill these conditions, the appearance of polycarbonate can quickly deteriorate and its life will be reduced.

greenhouses

Types The most common types of greenhouses with polycarbonate cover and are arched tent (gable, "house").All other species are variants on the basis of these two.

Arched greenhouse are low cost, less consumption of polycarbonate.Their sleek, rounded shape, with no sharp corners, facilitates assembly, reduces heat loss, gives good resistance against wind.But due to the extreme low height beds such greenhouses are best suited for low crops.

Tent greenhouse can be used for any plants, and therefore they are different maximum functionality.They may have non-standard sizes and designs can be constructed independently.The walls have straight corners roof slopes can be 25-30 °.But for those of greenhouses, a more solid frame, as it increases the snow load.Besides, such a structure is a greenhouse over polycarbonate, and therefore it will have a higher value.

Features carcass

traditionally used several kinds of materials, among which the most popular rectangular steel pipe and galvanized steel profile for manufacturing a skeleton of a greenhouse.

steel for the frame tube is usually taken with a cross section of 30 × 30 mm, it can be galvanized or coated with paint.This frame is very durable, can withstand heavy loads in winter.But painted skeletons are not the best choice because of the high humidity in the greenhouse, and the condensate flowing in paint can soon collapse and appear rust, especially in the field of contact with polycarbonate frame.This, of course, does not add to the aesthetics and durability of the greenhouse.Frame made of galvanized pipe does not rust for decades, but very heavy and expensive.

Tips for Choosing greenhouses

choosing a greenhouse made of polycarbonate, note some tips:

• polycarbonate thickness should be not less than 4 mm.Ask about the seller directly.Any material of smaller thickness, 3.8 mm or even 3.5 mm, poor quality, it will serve you for long.
• sure to ask whether the applied protective layer against ultraviolet radiation is present.No additives raw!This coating is destroyed after 2-3 years.
• If the seller tells you that the greenhouse is of excellent quality, although it is cheap, it is not necessary to believe.Good quality is expensive.And you will lose more when you have to buy a new greenhouse to replace the destroyed after a year or two.