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Making polycarbonate greenhouses
- 04 Oct, 2022
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The greenhouse is a controlled and protected environment that allows the cultivation of different species of vegetables, plants and fruits, especially in the colder seasons of the year (but not only!), represents an exceptional ally in defending seedlings from even aggressive weather events such as hail, strong wind, snow and frost.
In fact, the greenhouse is thus a construction that creates within an enclosed space a microclimate suitable for optimal plant growth and development.
Depending on the grower's needs, the greenhouse can also be used for the entire life cycle of the plant or only for the delicate initial stages, i.e. before the seedlings have to be transplanted outdoors. In addition, you can choose to house not only fruit, vegetables and vegetables in your greenhouse, but also seedlings and flowers - including species that are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations such as orchids.
Especially for private gardens and vegetable gardens, building a do-it-yourself greenhouse is a relatively effortless task, especially if you use polycarbonate as the main material.
Let's see why!
Why polycarbonate is the perfect material for your DIY greenhouse
Choosing polycarbonate to make a greenhouse for your vegetable garden provides a number of advantages, both aesthetically and functionally. Not only because these small constructions look good, but they are also extremely high-performance, easy to make and require a limited investment of time and money.
The main advantages of polycarbonate for the construction of a greenhouse for the vegetable garden also include:
- High resistance to even aggressive weathering agents such as rain, wind, hail and snow
- Excellent aesthetic impact
- High mechanical resistance, i.e. marked robustness to shocks and stresses
- Long service life
- Maximum application flexibility
- Easy workability
- Low thermal conductivity, which means that the material does not tend to cool excessively even when temperatures drop below zero
- Lightness and marked manoeuvrability of the sheets
- Transparency of the material, which is therefore perfect for ensuring the passage of natural light
- Optimal thermal insulation of the crops, especially when using the multiwall sheets
- Ease of assembly and transport
- Very low maintenance requirements
- The lightness of polycarbonate allows for slimmer and more economical supporting structures.
What types of greenhouse for the vegetable garden can be made with polycarbonate?
Depending on the space available to you, the size of your vegetable garden and its location in relation to your house or main building, you can choose to make different types of greenhouse using polycarbonate.
One of the most common models is the 'small house', which, as you will certainly have realised, is reminiscent in shape of the typical pitched roof house. Available in a variety of sizes, this greenhouse can be placed either in the garden or on sun terraces or terraces by carefully following the assembly instructions.
If your vegetable garden is adjacent to an existing building, you can instead consider to build a polycarbonate multiwall greenhouse wall, with a single-pitch roof and - obviously - only three perimeter walls: the last one will obviously be that of the building to which your new structure is attached. This type of polycarbonate greenhouse can also be very small in size and is often the perfect solution for those who have a vegetable garden on their terrace, balcony or veranda.
The main components of the polycarbonate greenhouse include the supporting structure and the infill of the walls (two to four polycarbonate sheets depending on the type of construction you choose) and the roof. Polycarbonate greenhouses obviously do not include the floor.
In the case of a wall-mounted greenhouse, you should always take care to fasten the structure to the wall of the building. If your polycarbonate construction is self-supporting, i.e., a small house, a secure fastening to the ground must be provided, either by means of poles planted in the ground or with small plinths, in order to ensure maximum stability and safety of the finished product.
Normally, all polycarbonate greenhouses prove to be flexible, durable and highly customisable thanks to the possibility of inserting shelves, consoles and, if there is sufficient space available, even windows and convenient worktops inside.
A few tips for making your own DIY polycarbonate greenhouse
Finally, let's take a look at a few useful tips to make the construction of your DIY polycarbonate greenhouse easier and more efficient.
First of all, remember that you can choose to build your greenhouse either with solid polycarbonate sheets, which is aesthetically very similar to glass, or with multiwall polycarbonate sheets - which is characterised by a translucent surface instead.
Also keep in mind that all joints between the various greenhouse components must be properly sealed: you can use soft rubber gaskets designed precisely for this purpose. As far as the door stop is concerned, this should also be insulated with a suitable draft shield. If you use multiwall sheets, it is very important that the air chambers are sealed with special aluminium tape or, if you wish to limit the formation of condensation inside the sheets, with breathable tape.
The polycarbonate greenhouse can be assembled with the help of common self-drilling screws, after the sheets have been properly squared. Then remember to equip yourself with a cutter or small circular saw in case you need to cut the sheets to size, and always place them on a wooden surface before proceeding. After cutting the Twin-Wall Sheets, it is good practice to clean the air chambers of cutting residues with compressed air before taping them.
PolyPiù offers several solutions for the easy construction of your beautiful polycarbonate greenhouse. These include SmartPIÙ and LightPIÙ, which in addition to being light and durable are also very cost-effective.
SmartPIÙ multiwall polycarbonate sheets are incredibly impact and weather resistant (including hail) despite their thickness of only 2.5 millimetres and are made with corrugated shapes that improve statics and allow for easy overlapping. They are also supplied already heat-sealed at the ends to prevent dust and water from entering.
LightPIÙ is a product specifically designed for greenhouse construction: made in both corrugated and wavy shapes, it consists of very thin (0.8 - 1 mm) compact polycarbonate sheets and is extraordinarily resistant to mechanical stress. It is also certified against hail and fire and boasts a special UV treatment that makes it perfect for protecting your crops even during the hottest summers.
Want to evaluate other PolyPiù solutions for your DIY polycarbonate greenhouse? Take a look at CarboPIÙ multiwall with its great look and exceptional strength; or CarboPIÙ Solid if you want a spectacular 'glass effect' with much greater strength.
Good work!
