How to Choose the Right Greenhouse Building Materials
No matter what type of greenhouse you are planning to set up, picking the correct greenhouse building materials will make all the difference in the world. We’ll review all the materials you will need in this article.
Structural Greenhouse Materials
The first thing you need to get is the structural materials. You will need non-heat conducting timber, steel, and aluminum alloys. I would not recommend plastic piping because it is not sturdy and it cannot handle the wind as well as steel can. Aluminum is a better option since it is rust-resistant and it is easy to assemble.
Going with a wooden framework has its advantages and disadvantages as well. A wooden framework is easy to work with and is very aesthetic. Wood is also good at preventing heat loss during cold weather seasons. However wood is vulnerable to pests such as termites.
PVC pipes are commonly used for smaller greenhouses, especially if you plan to use polyethylene to cover it.
Covering Material
There are multiple options of covering materials for a greenhouse. You can use glass, fiberglass, plastic film, polycarbonate panels, etc. It is best to match your choice of frame with the covering materials.
For example, when sunlight is reduced during the winter months, it is better to have a covering material that has strong transmission capabilities while having a framework that is conducive to absorption.
The good thing about using glass is that it allows direct transmission of light and reduces heat loss. However there is a risk of shattering and installation costs are pretty high. The disadvantage of glass is that it retains heat and causes the internal environment to heat very quickly. This is why having a framework with proper ventilation is extremely necessary when using glass. Glass has a life span of 25 years or more.
Polycarbonate is easy to bend and is not as flammable as plastic material. Polycarbonate also has solid transmission of light capabilities and has a life span of over 15 years or more.
Lighting
Choosing the right lighting depends on the types of plants you want to grow. You will need to spend some time figuring out what type of plants you want to grow and choose the lights around that.
There are several types of lighting systems on the market today. There is High Intensity Discharge (HID), Metal-Halide (MH), and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights. Each of these types emit light at different colors of the spectrum: HID emits light in the blue spectrum, HPS in the red-orange, and MH in the blue spectrum. The blue spectrum is good for growth and the red-orange spectrum is good for budding.
Insulation Materials
There is several types of insulation methods for your greenhouse. One of the most effective types of insulation is polyurethane boards and polystyrene boards. If you place these on the end walls and sides, it will help keep the greenhouse warm during the winter. I have seen people put bags of drive leaves and straw outside of the greenhouse walls to keep the place warm as well. Using thermal blankets as curtains for the greenhouse is another useful option.
To find out how to make a high quality hobby greenhouse yourself at a fraction of the typical cost you should sign up for my Free in depth mini-course on the subject. It’s packed full of valuable information and a step by step plan on how to build an awesome backyard greenhouse that will produce fresh plants and vegetables for years to come. Happy greenhousing!
A Cold Frame Greenhouse
A really simple greenhouse for your garden would be the cold frame greenhouse variety suited to your own backyard. The cold frame greenhouse, sun boxes and and hotbeds are relatively inexpensive options. They are especially great when you want to grow cool weather crops in the early spring, fall, and even into the winter months.
They work well for early plantings of summer annuals and seeds, faster rooting of cuttings, starting perennials from seeds in summer, and protecting delicate plants in the winter.
The advantage of a cold frame greenhouse and sunboxes is that being solar greenhouses they do not need supplemental energy to heat them. You would need to ensure proper ventilation during hot summer days to keep your plants from overheating.
The design of of a cold frame greenhouse has a southward facing orientation with an opaque covering and insulating north reflecting wall, and removable glazing. Cold frames work by trapping the sun’s heat during the day and also retain heat radiated by the soil during the cooler night.
Modern design of cold frames increase efficiency by including excellent insulation as well as movable insulation. The ladder is folded up during the day, but is pulled down at night or in cold weather. Other ideas for heat retention are the use of water filled barrels painted black that are good absorbers of heat from the sun. They passively radiate heat back into the greenhouse environment at night due to the temperature differential.
Learn more about how to build a cold frame or even a greenhouse of your own by signing up for my Free 10-part mini-course on the right side of this page. In it, I share with you a step by step approach for planning and building a wonderful garden greenhouse or cold frame for your own backyard.
Simple Greenhouse Building Plans
Almost all “problems” with greenhouse building plans can be traced to two factor, lack of detail and clarity.
You see, building a greenhouse is easy if you plan right. It’s because you can easily prepare from the very beginning.
And if already started, don’t sorry. It’s better that you’re finding out now, so you can take action as soon as possible.
Your choice of greenhouse is where it all begins…and choosing right can make your life easier.
After you decide that you want to build a greenhouse, you have to next decide what type to build. This should not be a difficult one to address, provided you know what kinds of plants you want to grow. You will need to answer questions such as:
-What will my greenhouse be principally used for?
-Do I want a large or small greenhouse?
-Will the greenhouse be the main attraction of my garden?
-Is my garden exposed to strong winds?
-Are there young children or wild animals in the area?
Factors such as cost and space will determine the type of greenhouse you build. If you do live in a windy area, it may be worth to spend the extra money for a solid and sturdy greenhouse.
If you live near a large hardware store or a nursery, or even a do-it-yourself home center, go and visit some models. The customer service representative should be able to provide you with valuable information before you make a final decision.
By following the above guidelines, you’ll be taking the first steps towards creating an optimal environment for your garden.
Of course, there is a lot more to it, that I couldn’t possibly lay out the entire guide in this email.
You can find out exactly what you do need by checking out my ultimate greenhouse building plans email course. It’s a FREE 10-part mini-course that will guide you, step by step, towards setting up a backyard greenhouse of your own. From how to select the proper location to actual blueprint plans and a detailed explanation for it’s construction. Happy Gardening!
A Polycarbonate Greenhouse Covering
Polycarbonate is an increasingly popular choice for greenhouse coverings due to it’s many desirable features. It is very strong with high impact value, hail proof, clear to allow excellent transmission of light, reasonably flexible so that it can be bent, and is less flammable than other plastic materials. Simply put, a polycarbonate greenhouse gives you a lot of bang for the buck.
You’ll find it comes available in single, double, or a triple wall structured sheet. The single wall polycarbonate sheets are available as corrugated sheets in a matte or clear variety. The polycarbonate rolls available for a hobby greenhouse already come with a coating of material that greatly reduces the dripping of moisture as well, which is beneficial for reducing the number of pests that can potentially take up residence.
Polycarbonates tend to expand or contract with temperature changes and installation must be done accordingly to allow for this feature. The single sheet variety can be installed with screws and rubber gaskets, while the multiple-layered sheets can be secured to the frame with aluminum extrusions. Aluminum tape is used to seal the top and bottom of the sheet to prevent entry of dust, insects or algae. Polycarbonate sheets also score over plastic films in their estimated life span which is around 15 years or more as compared to plastic films for which it is around four years. Glass, of course, outlives both at a life span of about 25 years.
Greenhouse Types to Consider For Your Own Garden
There are literally hundreds of greenhouse types that you can build. In this article, I will primarily focus on the most common greenhouses to build.
If space is limited in your backyard, you may want to consider a Lean-To greenhouse (also known as a half-greenhouse). This is when the greenhouse’s ridge line is attached to your garage or the side of your house. A major advantage of this type of greenhouse is that it has easier access to heat and electricity.
An Ever-Span Greenhouse: is one of the most popular. It is a stand-alone and almost looks like a miniature house. This is one of the largest types of greenhouses and are limited by the length of the material that you end up buying. Generally ever-span greenhouses have dimensions of 6 feet by 12 feet.
Barn Style Greenhouses: has walls that are upright and has a lot more headroom than a typical greenhouse. Barn style greenhouses either have slanted or straight walls. The straight walls are more conducive for vent placement. Side slanted barn style greenhouse walls makes collecting sunlight easier for plants.
Hoop greenhouses: These are quite possibly the easiest and cheapest kind to build. Essentially, a hoop or pvc style greenhouse requires little more than a frame made out of connected pvc tubing, a sturdy plastic sheeting material, and a simple wood frame entry for the front door. Typically a hoop style house with dimensions measuring 10×10 or so can easily be built for under $500, which is an incredible deal considering what you’ll get out of these little plant factories.
A-Frame Greenhouses: These greenhouses get their name from having an A-shape. The nice thing about A-frame greenhouses is that they can be built into sections before the final product is constructed. A-Frame greenhouses have straight walls and a slanted roof. The slanted roof makes it easier to get rid of snow when compared to other greenhouses. However heating up A-Frame greenhouses can be expensive since there are higher ceilings.
To learn how to build a backyard greenhouse of your own, I encourage you to sign up for my free 10-part mini-course. In it i show you how to plan and construct a hobby greenhouse that can set up easily and cheaply. Happy Gardening.
An Attached Greenhouse Can Be Ideal
Lean-to:
When space is limited, an attached greenhouse can be a great option. A lean-to’s ridge line is connected to the side of the home or garage and ideally has a doorway leading into the building. As they abut the main structure of the home, lean-to greenhouses have easy access to electricity, water, and heat.
The height of the lean-to would obviously be limited by the supporting wall it abuts. Also, the supporting wall may hinder sunlight. You have to remain vigilant during the winter months when snow or ice can slide off of the main structure of the house onto the lean-to.
Accessibility, lower cost and easy heating are the main advantages of a lean-to greenhouse. These houses come with either a straight eave or curved eave design.
Ridge Greenhouses:
These are attached by a common gutter only at the lower edges or eaves of the roof. In order to increase efficiency and maintain continuity by increasing the area under the greenhouse canopy, there is no division of the structure by an inner wall. The roofs of these greenhouses can be either curved or gabled. The curved arches are preferred where flexible and lighter materials such as polyethylene should be used. The gabled roof generally uses heavier materials like glass or fiberglass.
Even Span Greenhouses:
An even span structure is another great attached greenhouse option. It is a very graceful structure and can be connected to the house or stand on it’s own. In the attached variety, it has one gable end connected to the wall of another building. It is usually the largest of the garden greenhouses and can be lengthened as desired, which is a great feature moving into the future. This is of significant value if you’re on a fixed budget to start with, but then later want to expand and make the house bigger. It has the capacity to hold two to three benches for crop production and beats the lean-to in availability of usable space as well as having a better shape and size to maintain optimal temperature and ventilation.
An efficient even span greenhouse would have dimensions of 6-12 feet in width and length respectively.
Window Mounted Greenhouse:
These are the smallest of all the greenhouse enclosures available and are great for hobbyists. They are window mounted and contain two or three shelves that can accommodate a few choice plants. These are relatively low cost and require very time and effort on your part.
To learn more about how to plan and build a wonderful greenhouse of your own I encourage you to sign up for my Free 10-part mini-course on the right side of this page. In it I show you step by step how to set one up for much less than you’ll spend on a kit or contractor. Happy Gardening!
A Greenhouse For Beginners – A Simple Approach
A greenhouse for beginners can be a simple as a pvc frame and plastic sheeting, or a wood frame and glass covered structure. Either one will provide a setting for gardening enthusiasts who want to produce fresh quality crops throughout the year, despite the weather. The beauty of owning a greenhouse of your own is that they are able to heat up because of all of the incoming solar radiation from the sun that is absorbed by plants and soil from within the building. Plastic or glass sheeting used on hobby greenhouses act as a barrier to air flow. They also shield plants from severe weather conditions (such as hurricanes and rainstorms) and pests.
These greenhouses also have controlled micro-climates, which means that you can control the humidity, temperature, ventilation, etc. Plants require warmth and humid temperatures to survive. Since glass and plastic polycarbonate material is good at allowing sunlight to pass through, heat is contained within the greenhouse. This essentially translates into the fact that you are able to grow all manner veggies and flowers even during the coldest months, which is pretty cool (no pun intended) if you ask me.
To get started, I highly recommend you draw out the design and appearance of your beginner greenhouse on paper. Decide how you want to set up the walls and the roof. Once you have an idea in mind, you will be able to decide the type of greenhouse you want. Fortunately you can access everything you need to get started today by signing up for my comprehensive free 10 part mini-course on the subject. In it, I provide you with everything you need to build a simple yet highly effective garden greenhouse of your own. From how to select proper site location (very important), to actual plans and building instructions. No BS. Just sign up in the form on the right hand side of the page and get going now. Happy greenhousing!
