If you have your own home or cottage, you need to ennoble the adjacent plot of land. Depending on the size of the land allotment, in addition to the gazebo, pool and playground, greenhouses are made of glass and aluminum. Their purpose is to grow vegetables and herbs on the site.
Greenhouses, hotbeds and conservatories
Such structures can be made with your own hands using special kits or on an individual project. If greenhouses and greenhouses are intended for growing early vegetable products or seedlings, then winter gardens are created for a comfortable rest or cultivation of exotic plants all year round. Thanks to the innovations of designers, modern buildings impress with their originality, elegance, sophistication of architectural forms and a variety of configurations. Greenhouses and greenhouses can be made of film. Their main difference in size. During work, a person is inside the greenhouse, and caring for greenhouse plantings is more time-consuming.
For the construction of such buildings, plastic, cellular polycarbonate or glass is more often used. The classic designs of glass and aluminum profile are quite comfortable and reliable.
Types of Greenhouses
Buildings can be detached or attached to the wall of the house. The first walls are straight or inclined inward, and the roof is single-pitched, gable or two-level. For small garden plots it is more expedient to make wall constructions. Both small and large greenhouses are sometimes constructed using tubular frames made of steel or alloys and a film coating. They are cheaper than glass, but inconvenient to use. Each species has its advantages.
Spacious greenhouses allow you to work indoors. They are a strong and reliable frame, closed with sheets of glass. One or more walls can be sewn up with boards or laid out of brick to a certain level, taking into account the necessary lighting. Greenhouses glazed to the level of the soil can be covered with wooden shields for thermal insulation. The margin of safety is different and depends on the existing climatic conditions, for example, the strength and direction of the wind.
Other options
For the rational organization of large-scale cultivation of crops, tent-type glass and aluminum greenhouses are used, moving along rails. They are installed over planted plants of early ripening, for example lettuce. After a certain phase of development, the greenhouse is moved to the other end of the site and seedlings of other crops are planted. Salad for further growth and maturation remains in the open ground. Structures can be round, multi-level with various slopes, block hexagonal.
Supporting structures are made of steel, duralumin profile or wood. Duralumin supports are light and durable, they can be given any shape. Condensation is easily collected on the metal frame due to good thermal conductivity, which often leads to corrosion. A wooden frame requires pre-treatment with an antiseptic and periodic painting. Such recommendations apply to all greenhouses.
Shapes and sizes
There are no boundaries to the variety of shapes and sizes of greenhouses. Nevertheless, for convenience when working, the recommended minimum sizes are:
- height to the eaves - 1.6 m;
- up to the ridge - 2.4 m;
- aperture - 1.8x0.6 m.
Round and polygonal designs have more usable area and are not so prone to overheating under the scorching sun. The frame can be made of an alloy of metal with aluminum, a profile pipe with a corrosion-resistant coating, and also of an aluminum profile with a polymer coating. The indoor environment is aggressive - humidity and high temperature. Therefore, the best option for the frame is an aluminum profile. Dimensions and prices depend on the type and purpose of the kit. For example, there is a lightweight design, reinforced, cottage, under glass, film or cellular polycarbonate. The area of individual greenhouses can vary from 12 to 26 m 2 .
Greenhouse cover
The thickness of the coating material is selected according to the frame structure. It depends on the size, the angle of the roof and other parameters. Depending on the complexity of the design, the installation of greenhouses is a rather lengthy process. The material for the cover can be ordinary transparent or tinted glass. Installed double-glazed windows, proper ventilation and heating will allow you to grow vegetables in the cold season. Cellular polycarbonate has some advantages over glass. Currently, it is more commonly used.
The installation of greenhouses, in addition to covering, will require doors, windows and transoms for ventilation, as well as some items for internal arrangement - partitions, fixtures for plants, drawers, etc. Doors, like windows, can be sliding, hinged, folding. Remote control possible.
Glass selection
As a coating, mainly sheet window glass is at least 4 mm thick. Its strength should be about 7 kg / m 2 . The most common sizes of sheets for the construction of small structures are 50x45 cm. Glass for greenhouses should not have a defect - uneven surface and air bubbles. Regular glass transmits up to 90% of the light. Excessive ultraviolet rays in summer can cause burns to plants. You can cover the inner surface of the glass with colored varnish. But translucent and tinted windows reduce the amount of light during a short day. Therefore, it is recommended to slightly obscure the greenhouse in hot weather.
When choosing the installation location and the angle of the roof, you need to take into account the change in the position of the sun during the day and time of the year. The roof is closed from the bottom up with an overlap of 6 mm. Glass is strengthened with putty, mastic or a special sealant for heat conservation. Some glass and aluminum greenhouses have frameless bindings. The coating is inserted into special grooves (spros) and does not require putty.
Advantages and disadvantages
The most significant argument in favor of glass is its high light transmission. The material is relatively inexpensive and has thermal insulation properties. Glass life is long. Broken sections are easily replaced, and used material can be used. It is easy to wash, over time, positive qualities are not lost. Buildings with pitched roofs are not afraid of snowdrifts.
Greenhouses made of glass and aluminum should be installed on a brick or concrete foundation (monolithic strip or block) at least 80 cm deep. The biggest drawback is the huge weight of the coating material. Therefore, a solid and high-quality frame is needed. The most reliable is a structure with vertical walls and a gable roof. Unreinforced, without a special coating, the glass is quite fragile, it can easily break from shock, heavy wind or hail. Thoughtful construction and proper use of the greenhouse will allow you to grow a good harvest.