Own greenhouse makes it possible to grow various tropical fruits and plants, as well as enjoy fresh vegetables and herbs regardless of the season. On your personal plot you can build a greenhouse of any configuration. What this type of structure will be built of depends on the conditions and personal requests of the owner. Recently, however, synthetic materials have appeared on the construction market that have excellent technical characteristics and excellent quality. Among them, one can note a polycarbonate sheet, which has a light weight, high strength, and considerable resistance to temperature extremes and other loads. At the same time, knowing how to build a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, you can save a lot and get a wonderful structure.
Greenhouse Design
As you know, greenhouse structures consist of two main parts - frame base and cover. In addition to the polycarbonate sheet, a special film and glass are used as the coating material. The shape of the greenhouse is set by the base, which is designed in various modifications - tent, arched, single-pitch, gable and others.
At the same time, considering the question of how to build a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, you need to take into account that frame bases are also distinguished depending on the raw materials used:
- Wooden frame - this design serves well, but requires additional care and treatment with a special composition to protect against damage by insects and moisture.
- The galvanized profile is an excellent base material, characterized by light weight and quick installation. It also has a low cost.
- PVC structures - such frames are expensive, but their quality and service life justify the cost.
Installation work
Installation of a greenhouse consists of several stages:
- Choosing a place where the greenhouse will be located. At the same time, it is better to erect a greenhouse on a flat surface and not in a valley to avoid water accumulation.
- The order of the greenhouse. One of the important points in understanding how to build a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands is the knowledge of how to properly position the structure. So, if you plan to use the premises all year round, it is better to direct the longitudinal walls to the north and south, then more sunlight will come to the plants. It is also necessary to lead in advance to the construction of the power grid.
- Foundation. For the greenhouse, which will be constantly used, it is better to lay the concrete base of the tape type. At the same time, at the bottom of the foundation ditch, it is first necessary to lay out a layer of crushed stone, and then a mesh to strengthen stiffness. The lower level of the ditch should be located 0.8 m below the freezing point of the soil.
- Mounting the basics. This type of work will vary depending on the type of frame selected. In the case of using a polycarbonate coating, the galvanized profile base is the best option.
- Running greenhouse cover.
Greenhouse polycarbonate coating
To know how to build a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, the following information will be useful:
- With temperature fluctuations, polycarbonate tends to expand and contract. To avoid deformation and destruction of the material, this must be taken into account during installation. To do this, when performing sheet fastening, holes must be made in advance using an electric drill, so that the fasteners pass freely. You also need to leave a space under the fasteners and grease the mounting location with a special grease, such as lithol, to prevent sticking.
- Thinking about how to build a polycarbonate greenhouse, it is important to consider that sheets of this material are fastened together with special profile elements. At the same time, to begin with, one half of the profile is fixed on the frame using screws or bolts, and then, laying the sheets, fix the second half with little effort. Mounting is due to built-in locks in these elements.
- The places of fastening with the base must be treated with sealant or sealed with tape.
- For any type of greenhouse, it is important to provide good ventilation. This can be achieved by designing vents or special holes in the structure.
Having your own greenhouse is very convenient and profitable, and building a greenhouse with your own hands is possible, knowing the basics of work and some important points. At the same time, you can build a room that meets the conditions of the region of construction, and get excellent harvests.