Almost every gardener, even a layman, has a greenhouse on the plot. Here he can grow seedlings or full-fledged vegetable crops. However, in the cold season, this structure is useless. Therefore, many business executives, especially those who grow products for sale, are thinking about how to build a greenhouse for winter cultivation.
Construction stages
The presented structure can be erected with your own hands, while the work is not difficult. Before you build a greenhouse for winter cultivation, you should understand the sequence of work:
1. Design. At this stage, you must determine the location of the structure on the site, the features of the organization of lighting and heating, as well as the size of the structure, the shape of the roof. In addition, here you also need to draw the placement of beds inside the greenhouse.
2. The selection of necessary materials.
3. Foundation laying. Before you build a greenhouse for winter cultivation, you need to build a strong and stable foundation. The fact is that this design is constant and will be subjected to repeated exposure to negative external factors.
4. Arrangement of heating.
5. The construction of the frame.
6. Roof construction, cladding.
7. Lighting and irrigation equipment.
8. Delivery of soil.
How to choose the right location on the site?
Before you build a greenhouse for winter cultivation, you need to find a suitable place for it. It is best to build the structure on a small hill. Here the snow melts the fastest, the air warms up faster. Perhaps in this case you do not have to pour extra soil on the beds.
Note that the long sides of the greenhouse should be oriented from west to east. This arrangement makes it possible to provide optimal lighting facilities.
What materials will be needed to work?
Before you build a greenhouse for the winter cultivation of cucumbers or other vegetables, you need to figure out what material you will be facing the main structure. So, for the construction of the frame can be:
• Wooden beams. They are strong enough, easy to handle. However, they are not very resistant to temperature extremes and evaporation. Bars require additional treatment with antiseptic and fire fighting substances. The durability of this design depends on the quality of the tree and its care.
• Metal profiles or corners. This material is strong and durable. However, it will also have to be protected from corrosion.
• Pipes. They are considered the most popular material for arranging the frame.
Before you build a greenhouse for the winter cultivation of cucumbers, it is also advisable to figure out what you will use to frame the casing:
• Polyethylene film. This is the cheapest material, but it is not very durable. Under the influence of sunlight, wind and precipitation, it quickly loses its properties. In addition, the film will not provide the necessary thermal insulation properties. If you still decide to use polyethylene, then you will have to buy double material, the service life of which is at least 8 years.
• Glass. It provides good illumination of plants, protects them from the vagaries of nature. In order to ensure maximum efficiency of this material, it is necessary to produce double glazing, and this will significantly complicate the design. In addition, you must buy a very durable and high-quality glass, but it can not be cheap.
• Cellular polycarbonate. This product is the most popular at the moment, as it has a lot of advantages.
The advantages of cellular polycarbonate
Do-it-yourself winter greenhouse (you can develop projects yourself or find it in an ready-made form) is built quickly enough. Recently, cellular polycarbonate has been increasingly used for carcassing of the frame. It has the following advantages:
1. Good appearance.
2. High impact strength.
3. Easy installation and maintenance.
4. Light weight.
5. Good ability to transmit and scatter light.
6. Excellent sound and heat insulation qualities.
7. Ease of processing (even when cold, it cuts and bends well)
8. Resistance to negative external factors, UV rays.
9. The ability to withstand heavy loads.
10. A wide range of permitted temperatures: from -55 to +120 degrees.
11. Relatively low cost.
Product Varieties
Design and installation of a winter greenhouse can be done with your own hands. Before this, you need to decide what type of structure you want to build:
• In-depth. In this case, you will have to dig a deep enough foundation pit.
• High.
• Wall (it allows to save a place on a site).
• With foil walls. This option allows you to retain heat as much as possible inside the greenhouse.
The choice of design depends on the characteristics of your site, as well as personal preferences.
Features of the construction of the foundation
If you want to grow seedlings all year round, you can build winter greenhouses with your own hands. How to build a winter greenhouse you will learn later. The first stage of construction is the filling of the foundation. It can be timber, brick, stone and tape. The latter option is used most often. To build such a foundation, you need to perform the following actions:
1. First you need to mark the site and dig a trench. Its width is 30 cm, and the depth is 70-80 cm.
2. A sand cushion 20 cm thick is laid at the bottom. It should be very well tamped.
3. Next, the roofing material is laid, which will provide waterproofing of the foundation.
4. Collection of formwork. Naturally, the foundation should be reinforced with reinforcement. To do this, lay 2 rows of rods along the trench and connect them with cross members.
After the solution has hardened, it is fashionable to insulate the foundation. For this, foam can be used. Next, you should proceed to the construction of the frame. As you can see, a winter greenhouse with your own hands (a review of the best technologies will help you choose the right project) is done without any problems. You just need to stock up on the necessary tools and materials.
Frame Erection Procedure
If you want to get a crop several times a year, you can construct winter greenhouses with your own hands. How to build a winter greenhouse made of metal and polycarbonate, you will learn further.
Most often, corners, special profiles or pipes are used to equip the frame. Naturally, you can use wooden blocks, but they are not so durable. In order to build a metal structure, it is necessary to carry out such actions:
• Assemble the bottom of the structure directly on the foundation. It can have a square or rectangular shape depending on the project. The foundation can be fixed to the foundation using long bolts or anchors.
• Installation of uprights. They can also be screwed, however, it is better to use a welding machine (if you use corners or pipes). Racks are mounted in each corner of the base.
• Assembling a copy of the bottom structure. This is done on earth. Then the product is mounted on uprights.
• Arrangement of racks for the roof.
A wooden frame is made in the same way. To fix the racks in this case, self-tapping screws are used.
Sheathing
Before you build a winter greenhouse with your own hands, it is necessary to determine the skin material. Now the best is cellular polycarbonate. Attach it is not difficult.
First you need to measure the required sheet length. Next, attach the fragment with one side to the uprights and align it. It requires the use of a building level. Next, screw a screw into one of the corners. Now another alignment is made, after which the sheet is fixed completely.
After covering, all joints should be sealed from the inside of the room. This will prevent the access of cold air into the structure.
Heating selection
In the cold season, you need a heated greenhouse. You will now learn how to make a heated winter greenhouse. So, there are several heating options:
1. Biological. It works by generating heat during rotting of plant waste. That is, this method allows you to make beds warm from the inside. To equip such heating in the designated places, dig trenches, the depth and width of which is half a meter. At its bottom, lay tree branches, bark, broken slate and other debris, which is characterized by slow decay. Next, sprinkle a small layer of earth and organic matter. After this, a small layer of fertile soil is laid.
2. Laying pipes and radiators that will be connected to a common heating system. Here it is already necessary to try not to worsen the effectiveness of the building construction.
3. Stove heating. In this case, you will have to install an ordinary potbelly stove that can be heated with wood. Naturally, smoke should be vented out. This method is not the most optimal, since you have to constantly throw up fuel. Although boilers of long burning can solve this problem.
4. Infrared films. They can be perfectly applied not only inside the house, but also in greenhouses.
Lighting and watering
Since in winter the plants require additional lighting for normal growth, it is better to use ordinary fluorescent lamps to equip it. They are economical and provide the required amount of light.
If you want to provide individual lighting for each group of plants, then use sodium lamps. They give photosynthetic radiation, that is, they act in the same way as the sun's rays. On cloudy or shortest days, the use of artificial lighting is mandatory.
As for watering, you can install an automatic system, which is sold in a hardware store. It needs to be mounted at the stage of designing the location of the beds and the construction of the frame.
Useful Tips
Do-it-yourself winter greenhouse (you have already considered the design and heating of the structure) should be done wisely. In order to make it as effective as possible, use these tips:
• Before entering the greenhouse, arrange a small heated vestibule so that cold air cannot rush into the main room.
• Ventilation windows must be provided in the design. Their total size should be at least 1/4 of the entire roof area.
• The roof is best done in the form of an arch.
That's all. Good luck