Polycarbonate greenhouses are widely represented in the retail chain - for every taste and size. But many people prefer to do them themselves. Because a greenhouse made of polycarbonate with your own hands is much stronger and more reliable. At the same time, the costs are less or the same.

How to choose a design

If you decide to build a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, it is advisable to choose a design that allows you to use the main advantage of this material - its ability to bend. These are two types with curved roofs with arch-shaped supports.

In one design, the arcs extend from the ground itself. If they are curved in the form of a radius, a lot of area is lost at the edges, since it is very inconvenient to work there due to the small height.

Another design solves this problem - with a composite frame welded from several pieces. Straight posts emerge from the ground/from the base, which rise to a height of at least one and a half meters. An arc is welded to them. With this arrangement, the roof is rounded and the walls are straight. You can even work along walls without problems, standing up straight to your full height.

But the rounded greenhouse roof has several disadvantages. The first is that it is more difficult to make ventilation windows in it than in a straight line. The problem can be solved by making transoms in the walls rather than in the roof. The second disadvantage of a rounded roof in a polycarbonate greenhouse is that snow falls off from it worse than from flat, sloping surfaces. If you live in a region with snowy winters, you will either have to make reinforced trusses, or make a pitched roof - with one or two slopes.

There is a third solution - to make a rounded part of the roof from two arches, welded at an angle, which forms a kind of ridge. With this structure, the snow melts well and the ridge can be protected with a wide strip of metal. This will improve snow melting and protect the joint from leaks.

DIY polycarbonate greenhouse: material for the frame

The choice of materials for the frame is not very large. Profiled (rectangular) pipes, a metal corner and a wooden beam are suitable. Galvanized profiles for drywall are also used.

Wood

The timber is used for small greenhouses, and the design is chosen with a pitched or gable roof, since bending arches from wood is difficult and time-consuming. The cross-section of the beam depends on the size of the greenhouse and snow/wind loads in the region. The most popular size is 50*50 mm. Such supports are installed in the Middle Zone. For greater reliability corner posts can be made from 100*100 mm timber.

Moreover, to save money, you can not buy timber, but make it composite - from boards. Take two boards 50 mm wide and 25 mm thick, three boards 15 mm thick. Fold, knock down on both sides with nails. The resulting racks are stronger, better bear loads, and are less subject to torsion, since the wood fibers are directed in different directions.

Another option - larger size

If you are building a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands on a wooden frame, all boards/timbers must be treated/impregnated with antiseptics, and those intended for the street. The ends that are buried in the ground should be treated with compounds for direct contact with the ground. Without such treatment, the wood, firstly, will quickly deteriorate, and secondly, it can become a source of plant diseases.

When connecting the posts to the trim (bottom strip), use reinforced steel mounting angles for greater rigidity and reliability. They are available in hardware stores. To increase the load-bearing capacity of the roof, additional lintels are installed.

Profiled pipes and steel angle

Most polycarbonate greenhouse frames are made from profiled pipe. If you have the skills to work with it, it’s not difficult to do everything yourself - welding a square or rectangle is easier than round pipes. Another plus is that with help it’s easy to make arcs yourself.

The cross-section again depends on the size and natural conditions. Most often they are made from a rectangular pipe 20*40 mm. But options are also possible. Another important parameter for this material is wall thickness. It is desirable that the metal be 2-3 mm. This frame can withstand significant loads.

A steel corner is also a good option, but bending it is a difficult task, so greenhouses are assembled in the form of a house - with gables or pitched roofs. The dimensions of the shelves are 20-30 mm, the metal thickness is from 2 mm.

Galvanized profiles

A do-it-yourself polycarbonate greenhouse with a frame made of profiles is the most unreliable option. It is good in areas with little snow winters, and even without strong winds. The advantage of this option is that welding is not required. And the minus is not the greatest load-bearing capacity.

One of the frames. The jibs and stops are not superfluous.

The technology used is standard - as for constructing walls and partitions from plasterboard. The only difference is that the frame is sheathed on one side and polycarbonate is attached. It is advisable to make double racks - by merging two supporting profiles, turning them “back to back” and twisting them with self-tapping screws. To make the frame more rigid, make bevels, connecting adjacent racks with inclined jumpers. It is advisable to make the roof pitched rather than round, and strengthen the trusses.

Foundation

If you are wondering whether a foundation for a polycarbonate greenhouse is needed or not, there is only one answer - it is needed. And reliable. They fly very well. Therefore, the foundation must “anchor” the building well.

Belt type

This foundation is for buildings that are planned for more than one year. The most expensive, but also the most thorough option. If you plan to use the greenhouse all year round, the foundation is made deep - to a depth just below freezing of the soil. For seasonal use, concrete-brick or simply timber is suitable.

Concrete-brick is one of the most common

Concrete-brick (concrete-beam)

Most often they make a concrete-brick version. It is optimal in terms of cost, complexity and duration. The work is carried out as follows:

• A trench is dug according to the size of the greenhouse. Its width is about 20 cm, the depth depends on the type of soil.
  
• Thick oilcloth or roofing felt is spread on the prepared bottom. This is necessary so that moisture from the solution is not absorbed into the soil. It is also advisable to cover the sides, but there the formwork panels partially solve this problem. Without this layer, concrete will not gain strength and will collapse.
• The solution is poured into the resulting ditch. The proportions are as follows: for 1 part of cement (M 400) take 3 parts of sand and 5 parts of filler. Filler - preferably crushed stone of small and medium fraction. You should not use expanded clay - it absorbs moisture and can cause increased humidity.
• The surface is leveled “under level”. You can smooth it out with a wooden block.

  

• Mortgages - studs or pieces of reinforcement with a diameter of at least 12 mm - are installed in the foundation, in the corners and at a distance of 1 meter. Studs are installed if it is necessary to attach timber to them, and reinforcement if brick is to be laid. They stick out at least 15 cm above the foundation level.
• The poured foundation is covered with film and left for at least a week (at temperatures below 17°C, two weeks should pass). If the weather is hot, water it a couple of times a day. To preserve moisture in this case, it is better to cover it under the film with a coarse cloth (burlap).
• If the bottom trim is a beam, waterproofing is rolled out over the concrete base. You can use two layers of roofing material, but now it quickly deteriorates, so it’s better to take “Gidroizol” or something similar. You can coat the concrete with bitumen mastic a couple of times. The result will be more reliable.
• A row of strapping is laid:
  
• Next comes the assembly of the frame.

There are options for this type of foundation. You can install small ones in a prepared trench and fill the space between them with solution. They must be installed so that their edge is below ground level. A layer of concrete is poured on top and leveled. Mortgages are secured in the seams.

Can be used as a building material empty bottles. They are laid in rows and filled with concrete. It turns out to be a very economical and warm foundation. Its load-bearing capacity is quite enough for a more serious construction.

Beam foundation for a polycarbonate greenhouse

This option is suitable as a temporary solution - it can last two to three years. It depends on the humidity in the area, the quality of the wood and the processing. The timber is used with a large cross-section - 100*100 or more (can be made composite, from several boards). It is treated with compounds for wood in contact with the ground. The order of work is as follows:

This option is only suitable for dry, low-lying areas groundwater. In this case, one can hope that the foundation will survive for at least several years.

Pile-grill

Another type of foundation that will not protect against frost. But it is reliable and will last a long time. Complete, and we will give a short list of works.

Next, you can attach the strapping, or you can add a couple of rows of bricks and only after that install the frame. After this, we can say that the polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands is almost ready. All that remains is to fix the polycarbonate.

Which polycarbonate to choose

How long a polycarbonate greenhouse, purchased or built with your own hands, will last, how well it will “work” depends on the parameters and quality of the polycarbonate. One must take his choice responsibly - the sum is considerable.

Types of polycarbonate

There are three types of this material:

What type of polycarbonate is best to use for building greenhouses? Depends on the operating mode of the greenhouse. If it is heated, you will need a cell phone. If this is an option exclusively for the warm season, a corrugated (or monolithic) one is more suitable. Monolithic is also not bad, but corrugated has more rigidity. For greenhouses that are planned to be used from early spring or throughout the winter, cellular polycarbonate is installed. Due to its structure, it has superior thermal insulation characteristics - it retains heat better, although it transmits light worse (86% versus 95%).

Choosing cellular polycarbonate

It is not difficult to choose corrugated or monolithic - we are guided by the stated characteristics. It is only important that there is protection from ultraviolet radiation. There are no other pitfalls. But with a cell phone there are many nuances. You need to pay attention to the following:

The easiest way to check the quality of cellular polycarbonate is to try to squeeze it between your fingers. If it doesn’t press through, even if you make a significant effort, you can take it. If it squeezes easily, look for another one.

Installation features

According to the technology, polycarbonate is mounted using starting and connecting profiles. First, profiles are installed on the frame, a sheet of cellular polycarbonate is inserted into them, which is fixed to self-tapping screws with special press washers, which at the same time protect the attachment point from leaks. Profiles, in addition to holding the sheets in place, also protect the cuts from dust and dirt getting into the bottom. The system looks neat and works well, but all the components cost a lot of money.

Aesthetics for a greenhouse is not the most necessary property, therefore, if you need to save money, they prefer to mount it in a simple way, without profiles and press washers. Here's how to do it:

This is what directly concerns the fastening of cellular polycarbonate. There is one more point that became clear during the operation of polycarbonate greenhouses. Polycarbonate should not be placed close to the ground. It is desirable that it starts at least half a meter from the surface. Why? Because firstly, it still gets dirty and almost no light passes through it, so it does not affect the overall illumination. Secondly, it begins to deteriorate—blacken and flake. It is not clear what causes this reaction, but it is common. So, when developing a model of a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, provide half-meter walls made of another material - brick, building blocks. Doesn't matter.

A greenhouse is essentially a unique part of your garden, because the vagaries of nature have no power over it. A greenhouse will allow you to grow vegetables in winter or admire the plants and flowers of your winter garden all year round. And it’s especially nice when it’s done with my own hands. After all, the harvest harvested in it will be especially tasty, and it is also important that by building a greenhouse with your own hands, you will save a considerable amount. Of course, a number of questions immediately arise. What types of greenhouses are there and which one to choose? Where is the best place to put it? Which material to choose? But don't worry, we will answer all these questions and more. So, how to build a greenhouse with your own hands.

First of all, it is worth noting that buildings intended for growing plants are divided into greenhouses and greenhouses. A greenhouse is a more solid and complex structure. It usually has a foundation, walls and roof made of various materials. The design of a greenhouse is much simpler, it is small and mobile. A greenhouse is, in principle, not intended for the entire plant growth cycle. It is designed for growing seedlings, which are then planted in the ground.

Greenhouses are primarily divided into summer (seasonal) and winter (permanent).

Winter greenhouse

It is better to place a winter greenhouse closer to the communications of your home. Since the heating system must be run from them. Of course, you can heat the greenhouse with a stove, but this will be too troublesome. The stove must be constantly lit to maintain a stable temperature level. A capital greenhouse will definitely require a strong foundation and supports to withstand all weather factors.

Here we should also mention a thermos greenhouse, deepened into the ground several meters. But these greenhouses are built much less frequently due to their high labor intensity and cost. For it it is necessary to dig a pit, make strong foundation and walls made of thermoblocks, let down heating system and much more.

Summer greenhouse

Summer greenhouses usually mean greenhouses covered with dense polyethylene. This is the simplest and cheapest option for covering a greenhouse, which will last a couple of seasons if used carefully. Usually, either a wooden frame or a frame of PVC pipes is constructed, onto which a film is attached in the spring. A large selection of inexpensive seasonal greenhouses is also available for sale. They have an easily foldable, non-bulky design, which will be easy to hide at the end of the season if necessary.

According to their shape, greenhouses are divided into:

• arched
• single-pitched
• gable
• Mittlider greenhouse
• domed greenhouses
• polygonal

Arched greenhouse It has an arched roof shape, thanks to which the sun's rays will be evenly distributed over the entire area and, accordingly, the plants will receive maximum sunlight and heat. This shape also prevents accumulation large quantity snow, so there is no risk of deformation, and you will have less work.

Lean greenhouses Usually they are attached on one side to any solid building on the site. Perhaps the ideal option would be to attach it to the south side of a heated residential building. In this option, you will save not only space on your site, but also energy for heating. But in this option, unlike the previous one, snow can accumulate, so you should be careful during snowfalls.

And the most common today - gable greenhouses. They can be both winter and summer. The main advantage of these greenhouses is their size. There is plenty of space here for you and your plants. In such a greenhouse, some part of the area can even be allocated as a recreation area.

Form Mittlider greenhouses usually based on a gable structure (less often arched). But still, we singled it out as a separate type because of its unique two-level roof, which allows you to make a transom (windows in the picture below). The transom in this case is a full-fledged ventilation system, eliminating all the disadvantages of ventilation of other types of greenhouses. It not only ventilates, but also supplies the plants with the carbon dioxide they need for nutrition.

Domed greenhouse is more of a design element than a fully functional greenhouse. However, it is perfect for growing flowers and will look great in a snowy garden. Still, it is worth noting that the domed shape provides a number of significant advantages. Among them, it is worth noting durability and stability, and most importantly, good illumination throughout the day. The disadvantage is its small size, which is why it is often not very convenient to work with. Such a greenhouse is difficult to manufacture, so they usually buy ready-made structures.

Polygonal greenhouses As a rule, they have an octagonal shape, which gives them a number of advantages, but also makes their construction more expensive and labor-intensive. The advantages include an attractive appearance, which makes them a real decoration of the garden, as well as a number of practical qualities. It is convenient to install shelving and work in them, but, most importantly, at least one of the eight sides is always at the best angle to the sun.

Choosing a location for a greenhouse

The effectiveness of a greenhouse will largely depend on its location. Please note the following:

1. If you are planning a solid greenhouse, then to provide the necessary conditions for the plants (lighting, wind), build it from west to east.
2. The amount of soil, as well as its slope, plays a big role. The greenhouse should only be placed on level ground. If the soil is clayey, it must first be sprinkled with gravel, and then a layer of fertile soil must be added. You should not install the greenhouse in lowlands, on sandy soil, or in swampy areas.
3. Considering the need for communications, remember the proximity to the house. As mentioned above, a good option may be to attach a greenhouse to a house or another building not far from it. This, for example, will facilitate heating and protection from wind and will be beneficial when small area plot. Most importantly, do not forget that this building should not interfere with access to the sun.
4. To improve the temperature regime, deepen the greenhouse by 70-80 centimeters. When deepening, it is worth remembering about low-growing plants, since if they are deepened too much, they may not receive enough light.
5. Do not place the greenhouse close to trees, they will create unnecessary shade for the plants.

Greenhouse frame

One of the key elements of the greenhouse design that ensures its strength and stability is the frame. There are three most common and popular types of frames: metal, wood, plastic (PVC). Briefly about each of them:

• Plus wooden frame is the convenience of its construction and more opportunities for improvisation. To protect against weather factors, the wood will require mandatory processing, but despite this, the wooden frame will still be inferior in terms of durability to the other two. The main advantage of this material is its environmental friendliness.
• Metal carcass stands out for its durability. There is no need to worry about it during strong winds or snowfall. There are different options for metal frames, but if you choose a steel profile, remember the need for an anti-corrosion coating.
• PVC frame considered reliable and safe. The strength of this frame will primarily depend on the thickness of the selected profile. Using polyvinyl chloride (PVC), you can create a completely sealed system in your greenhouse and control the microclimate in it as you wish.

Covering for greenhouse

To reliably protect plants, you will need good material to cover the greenhouse. The most common are: glass, various types of film and products made from the same PVC.

When choosing glass for a greenhouse, keep in mind that it must be highly durable to withstand all weather disasters. Best choice Will be tempered glass or triplex. If it is not possible to install one of these options, installing several glasses may be an option.

Film- the most popular option for covering a greenhouse today. With the right choice and proper care, it can last a long time. Now they are produced specifically for greenhouses and hotbeds different kinds films. For example:

• Reinforced film is a particularly strong material that helps protect plants from frost. Most often, gardeners choose it.
• Light-converting film - converts ultraviolet radiation into infrared, which in turn promotes plant growth.

PVC products- this is cellular and monolithic polycarbonate and acrylic plastic that transmits light well. Polycarbonate is increasingly in demand. It has a number of noticeable advantages:

• relatively low price;
• material flexibility;
• does not fade and looks aesthetically pleasing;
• good thermal insulation due to the air gap;
• resistant to temperature changes and other weather factors;
• lightness of the material, which allows you not to build an impressive frame and foundation for it;
• dissipates sunlight well;
• ease of installation and dismantling;
• durability.

How to build a greenhouse with your own hands

Before building a greenhouse, you must have a clear idea of ​​the future construction. To do this, you need to draw up a diagram of the greenhouse, calculate the amount required material and, of course, prepare the place. To give you an idea of ​​the progress of construction, let's look at a visual example of the construction of one of the greenhouse options.

Aluminum pipes are used for the frame of the greenhouse.

To give the pipes the required shape, we use a simple pipe bender.

Obviously, if you are using PVC pipes, this step will not be necessary.

The result should be the following.

In our example, larger diameter pipes are used to secure the arches of the greenhouse frame. They are driven to a depth of 40-50 cm. The height of the pipes above the ground should be about 30-40 cm.

Instead of pipes of larger diameter, conventional fittings with the same dimensions can be used for fastening. It is driven into the ground in the same way, and the frame arches are put on top.

We install boards (plinth) along the perimeter, pre-treated with an antiseptic. Then we drill a hole through the board and both pipes. Then securely fasten it with bolts. We fasten the boards to each other with metal jumpers.

Using a wooden beam, we assemble the frames of the “fronts”.

We fasten the transverse arcs with a longitudinal pipe.

We cover the wooden frame with siding or plain plywood, and then paint it.

We cover all potentially sharp and rough edges so as not to tear the film.

All that remains is to install the door and cover the greenhouse with film. Let's talk in more detail about the options for attaching the film.

Attaching the film to the greenhouse

We list the most popular mounting options:

• Wooden slats nailed or screwed with self-tapping screws. Alternatively, instead of slats, you can use cut linoleum or packing tape, and fasten them with a construction stapler. But this option is better used for reinforced film, since other types will inevitably tear from gusts of wind over time.
• Clamps, clips. Now exists big choice such fastenings, so there will be no problems in purchasing. But if you wish, you can make them yourself, for example, from PVC pipes. It's not difficult at all, and with a little experimentation, you're sure to make the right ones. If you purchase metal clamps, be sure to place something under them, as the metal can damage the film when heated in the sun.
• The mesh is the safest mounting option. After we cover the greenhouse with film, we lay a mesh on top of it, which is tied to the body. Of course, some additional film mount, at least minimal, must be present. Otherwise after each heavy rain you will have to correct it. Instead of a net, in principle, a rope can be used, although this is more troublesome.

We have discussed with you, we hope that this article was useful to you.

Every summer resident and owner of his own home sooner or later has a desire to have a good greenhouse on his site. After all, everyone knows that vegetables and herbs from your own greenhouse, and grown with your own hands, are much tastier and healthier than store-bought ones. Therefore, someone goes the route of buying a ready-made greenhouse. Someone buys a greenhouse disassembled and assembles it on the site like a construction kit. But a considerable part of gardeners want to build a greenhouse with their own hands. After all, everyone knows: if you want to do something well, do it yourself.

How to build a greenhouse with your own hands? First, let’s figure out what types of greenhouses there are. This is important for choosing the future design and material of the greenhouse.

Winter and summer greenhouses

All greenhouses can be divided into two large groups: winter and summer. They differ in the presence of a heating system in the winter greenhouse, which allows plants to be grown in such a greenhouse all year round. The summer greenhouse is designed for faster ripening of fruits and protection of plants from accidental frosts.

Winter greenhouses are usually more substantial than summer ones. They are built closer to the house, sometimes even attaching them to the south side of the house. This way they are closer to the heat source. Winter greenhouses are almost never made of film. The heating system can be either connected to the heating system of the house or be autonomous. For this purpose, a stove is made in the greenhouse.

Video review of a self-heating winter greenhouse

Arched, lean-to and gable greenhouses

Everyone chooses the type of roof for a greenhouse based on the location of the greenhouse. And also your personal preferences. We can only suggest the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

Shed roof usually chosen by attaching a greenhouse to the house with your own hands. This type of roofing is simple to construct and economical. Under such a roof you can make an inexpensive but durable base from wooden beam or metal profile pipe. The disadvantage of this roof is that snow will accumulate on such a roof.

Gable roof, like a lean-to, can have a cheap and durable frame. It is a little more expensive than a single-pitched one, but more aesthetically pleasing. But snow will also accumulate on such a roof. Consider this factor when choosing a roof for a greenhouse.

Types of greenhouses. Video review

And finally arched roof. A very popular type of roofing and deservedly so. Economical, quickly built, it conquered its niche very quickly. In combination with cellular polycarbonate, such a greenhouse has almost all the advantages. Snow does not accumulate on it, it is very resistant to winds and the dispersion of sunlight occurs naturally in it. The only drawback may be the frame for this type of roof. Making a strong and reliable frame will be more expensive and more difficult than for previous types of roofing. Let's talk about do-it-yourself greenhouse frames.

Types and materials for the greenhouse frame

We continue to answer the question of how to build a greenhouse with your own hands. If you have decided to build a greenhouse on your site and have chosen the type of roof for your future greenhouse, then now you need to think about choosing the material for the greenhouse frame. What to build a greenhouse from?

The greenhouse frame can be made from:

• tree
• metal

Wooden frame

Wooden frames are very easy to work with. Wood is easy to process and can be used to build almost any type of greenhouse. The disadvantage of such construction will be the wood's susceptibility to rotting. Therefore, all timber must be treated with special impregnations before construction.

Greenhouse made of wood and film. Video construction instructions

Metal

In order to assemble a metal frame, good skills are required. After all, the metal will have to be either welded or bolted. Such a frame for a greenhouse is very expensive. But it is very durable, reliable and will last for decades. This frame is suitable for a permanent greenhouse.

Video of building a glass and metal greenhouse

Plastic

Today, the construction of greenhouses from plastic pipes is gaining popularity. This type of construction is relatively cheap, even beginners can do it. Moreover, such a construction will not take much time. The disadvantage of such a frame will be its low strength. Over time, plastic pipes bend and the greenhouse loses its shape. Therefore how permanent structure, such a frame is not suitable.

Video on how to make a greenhouse from plastic pipes and film

Greenhouse covering

Materials for the walls and roof of a greenhouse are very diverse. Each has its pros and cons. Let's take a closer look at them.

• glass
• film
• agrofibre
• cellular polycarbonate

DIY glass greenhouse

How to build a greenhouse with your own hands? If you want to build a permanent and durable greenhouse with your own hands, then a glass greenhouse is a good option. Moreover, such a greenhouse will not necessarily be expensive. After all, it can be built from .

Many people, replacing old wooden windows with plastic ones, simply throw the frames in the trash. So you can get material for your greenhouse for free. All you have to do is process the wood of the window frames and fasten them together. You will even have windows and vents ready to ventilate your plants on hot days.

Video review of a greenhouse made from old window frames

However, do not forget that glass heavy material. Therefore, the foundation of such a greenhouse must be appropriate. It must be recessed, or. Or you can do slab foundation and drain the water from under it.

DIY film greenhouse

Although such a greenhouse requires frequent changes of film, it is still common. Because the film is easy to install and cheap. In addition, if treated with care, it can withstand several seasons. It is not suitable for a do-it-yourself winter greenhouse, but it copes with the functions of a summer greenhouse quite well.

The ideal design option for a film greenhouse would be a frame made of plastic pipes curved in an arch. Such an arch can be erected in one day, it is cheap and even one person can handle it. The arch is covered with film. Moreover, it can be removed for the winter. Such a greenhouse can be somewhat modernized if agrofibre (geotextile) is used instead of film.

Do-it-yourself agrofiber greenhouse

Can be used as a greenhouse covering material with your own hands. It allows water and steam to pass through well. Your plants will be irrigated by rainwater and will be able to “breathe” freely. White geotextiles provide enough light for plants, and at the same time prevent the sun's rays from burning the foliage. Such a greenhouse requires less ventilation than those made of other materials. Agrofibre is a durable material, unlike film. You can use it for many years. It does not tear, is not afraid of punctures, and stretches well. For today, this is good alternative film.

Step-by-step video instructions for making a greenhouse from agrofibre

DIY greenhouse made of cellular polycarbonate

Such greenhouses are made by hand for all types of roofing and frames. They come in both arched and single-pitched. Polycarbonate is attached to both wood and metal. They cover frames made of plastic and aluminum pipes. In general, this is a universal material for building a greenhouse with your own hands. When choosing polycarbonate, pay attention to its thickness and weight. Choose sheets with a thickness of 4 mm or more. Better 6-8 mm. In addition, the sheet must be quite heavy. Do not forget that polycarbonate cannot be mounted in a horizontal position. Condensate in the honeycombs should roll and flow freely. Otherwise, the polycarbonate will quickly become overgrown with algae and lose its transparency.

How to make a polycarbonate greenhouse on a metal frame. Video

We hope that our article helped you in choosing the type of your future greenhouse and we answered the question of how to build a greenhouse with your own hands. Share your thoughts and questions in the comments to the article. We are very interested, what kind of greenhouse did you make with your own hands?

Hi all!

There is very little time left before the full-fledged gardening season begins. The seedlings have already been planted and the first shoots are appearing. And soon it will need to be planted on your site. Some are planted in open ground, and some in greenhouses.

But, before you plant your seedlings in the greenhouse, you must have it)). You can, of course, buy a greenhouse in a store, but if you are ready to make it yourself, then in this article we will look at the most common options for making it.

Select the greenhouse or project you are interested in:

Before building a greenhouse, you need to determine some points for yourself. Firstly, and this is the most important thing, what will grow in the greenhouse. The size of your structure depends on this. You can put up a large greenhouse, or you can make greenhouses. Next, we choose the place where the greenhouse will be located. And, lastly, the material from which we will make it. The most common material is wood. However, with the advent various types building materials, the greenhouse can be made from plastic pipes, polycarbonate, etc.

According to the shape of the roof, greenhouses are arched, single-pitched and gable. The most common greenhouses in garden plots are gable greenhouses. This roof shape provides good illumination.

Consider the option of a greenhouse that is made of wood. Wood is the best, most profitable and affordable material. Of course, it is also best susceptible to environmental influences. Therefore, when building a greenhouse, it is necessary to take this factor into account and choose a material for your structure, preferably from hard wood, as well as treat all elements and parts of the greenhouse with various preservatives.

On a note:

Which tree species are considered hard and which are soft? Hard rocks – most of them deciduous trees, and among conifers - larch and swamp cypress. Soft woods are pine, spruce, alder, linden, and aspen.

If your greenhouse is temporary, then you can use inexpensive softwood and practically not spend money on processing it.

If you install the greenhouse for a long time, then, in addition to suitable wood, you will need to prepare the foundation. Foundations for greenhouses are different. You can choose the most suitable one depending on the design of your greenhouse.

Foundation made of timber or railway sleepers.We prepare a trench in which we lay timber or sleepers on top of the roofing paper. Everything is connected with metal brackets. After this, the frame is installed.

If strong winds prevail in your area, then a columnar foundation is suitable for you. The concrete foundation is laid deep enough to help keep the greenhouse in place even if a hurricane hits.To build such a foundation, you will need pipes with a diameter of 20 cm, which must be installed in the ground below the frost line (from 90 cm to 1.2 m). If your greenhouse measures 3x6 m (usually this is the standard), then you will need to install 6 poles. The beams are placed on them and connected to each other and to the frame in the same way as in the previous method.

Block foundation. A trench is dug around the perimeter of your greenhouse into which concrete blocks on a gravel-sand bed. To secure them it is used cement mortar. And already on top of these blocks a frame made of large cross-section beams is attached

Strip foundations are installed for greenhouses big size because it can withstand heavy loads. Such a foundation is a concrete pad with a thickness of 30 to 50 cm, poured into a shallow trench. The service life of such a foundation is quite long, so greenhouses on it can be replaced if necessary.

After the foundation is ready, we begin assembling the greenhouse frame. There are quite a lot of options. As mentioned earlier, there are arched, single and gable greenhouses. It is important to choose one that will meet your requirements and the requirements of the area where you will install it. First of all, it all depends on what you are going to grow in the greenhouse and how long it will serve you.

The most optimal (however, standard, found in most gardeners) greenhouse rectangular shape size 3x6 m, with gable roof. Such a greenhouse is most often covered with plastic film. Many, however, use polycarbonate. But it depends on the possibilities. Polyethylene, of course, will be cheaper. However, it will have to be changed every season.

It is best to start assembling the frame of the future greenhouse by assembling separate sections located parallel to the front and rear walls of the greenhouse. The number of such sections depends on the length of the structure, as well as on the required reliability (the more sections, the less sagging and greater stability).

If you use polycarbonate to cover the greenhouse, then the number of sections will depend on the width of this covering (210 cm). The sections, for example, can be placed at a distance of 0.5-1 m from each other. The dimensions of the sections themselves will be as follows: 1.5-1.6 m for the side walls, 3-meter bars for connecting the upper part and 1.75 m bars for the roof slopes. However, you can choose the sizes yourself.

Below are several schemes from which you can choose the most suitable one for yourself. For example, I was interested in these particular schemes (which is why I took them). But based on all these schemes, I want to make one for myself, according to which I will build my greenhouse.

The figure above shows not only the diagram of the greenhouse, but also the list of materials needed for its construction, as well as their dimensions and consumption. This list is intended for standard sizes 6x2.8 m, however, based on these data, you can calculate the amount of material needed for your size.

Stages of greenhouse construction

As you can see, this is a standard trapezoidal house-shaped greenhouse (with a gable roof). There will be a door at one of the ends (the back of the picture).

We start by installing the supporting beam. As a rule, it is taken for this purpose somewhat wider than the one from which the frame is made. We treat with an antiseptic. This beam is attached to the foundation using metal anchor bolts and reinforcement.

The main thing to remember is that the base of the greenhouse should be a solid beam, and not fastened sections. The stability of the greenhouse depends on this.

So, we’ve attached the base to the foundation, let’s move on to the frame itself, and start making it from the walls.

The figure below shows a diagram of a finished wall measuring 5.4 x 1.5 m. There are two such walls, and two end ones. In this diagram, the timber is fastened using grooves. To attach other frame elements you will need self-tapping screws, metallic profile, corner, clamps.

Next we move on to installing the rafters. There can be any number of them, but the more, the better the strength and reliability of the roof, as well as. Easier to attach the covering material. We also make grooves in the rafters (see picture).

There is such a thing as a rafter leg. The size of this leg depends on the height of the person. If you are of average height, then the length of the rafter leg is 1.27 m, and if you are tall, then 1.35 cm.

In general, the length of the rafter leg is directly related to the width of the covering material: the width of the polyethylene film sleeve is 3 m, and when unfolded it is 6 m. Based on this, the sum of the lengths of two rafter legs and two uprights should be about 5.8 m. As a result using plastic film 6 x 6 m in size, you will avoid unnecessary pieces that go to waste.

The number of rafters usually corresponds to the number of racks.

After the rafters have been attached to the side wall posts, we move on to installing the roof ridge (attached to the top groove of the rafters) and wind boards (attached to the side grooves of the rafters). In the general diagram of the greenhouse (first picture), these boards are highlighted dark color. These three elements of the greenhouse should be made only from solid material.

And finally, when everything is ready, we install a door at the end, and here, or at the opposite end, a window.

That's probably all about installing a greenhouse. Now it can be covered with covering material. Previously, the covering material was mainly polyethylene, sometimes glass. Now they use polycarbonate.

Greenhouse made of polycarbonate and plastic pipes. We do it ourselves

With the development of technology, new materials for construction have appeared. Nowadays, plastic pipes are quite actively used in the construction of greenhouses. It should be noted that I make small greenhouses in my garden only from such pipes. Pipes come in the following types: PVC, polypropylene and metal-plastic.

PVC pipes are the cheapest, but they are all quite easy to install. Therefore, the choice of pipes is yours. The only thing I would like to note is that metal-plastic is somewhat more reliable.

In addition, using plastic pipes, you can already give your greenhouse any shape (which is difficult to do in a wooden one).

Before you start building a greenhouse, you, as in the case of a wooden one, choose what you will plant in it and the place where it will stand. Based on this, you prepare a drawing of the greenhouse in order to purchase required amount material.

Below is an approximate diagram of such a greenhouse with mounting options.

Based on this, we select the required amount of material. For the above scheme, the material consumption will be as follows (prices may vary):

After this, you decide whether your greenhouse will be permanent or temporary (portable). If you are installing it for a long time, then it is best to make a strip or columnar foundation for it. If you install it without a foundation, then you need to dig in metal pins. They should protrude 30 centimeters above the ground surface. It will be necessary to put the greenhouse frame on them. To do this, we put pipes on these pins. If the height of the greenhouse is 4 meters, then the length of the attached pipe will be 6 meters. We bend the pipe, forming an arc and put it on the pins of the opposite side.

To secure the installed arcs to each other, we take a pipe of the same length as the planned greenhouse. If there is no pipe of this length, then we connect two pipes to each other. After that, we place it in the center of the arcs and fix it with clamps.

The frame is assembled. Now we assemble the coating, for which we use polycarbonate. We choose sheets with a thickness of at least 4 mm. Their size will be 2.1x6 m.

We fasten these sheets with an overlap. The joints can be sealed with special tape. We connect the sheets with thermal washers or self-tapping screws with wide heads.

Now all we have to do is attach the polycarbonate sheets to the greenhouse.

Polycarbonate is a fairly flexible material. This allows you to cut it and install it without any effort. In addition, polycarbonate is attractive for use due to its strength and resistance to atmospheric adversity.

Standard sheets for greenhouses are 6 and 8 mm, for greenhouses - 4 mm, and for a winter greenhouse - 10 mm.

To attach the polycarbonate to the frame, you can use so-called plastic earrings or aluminum staples. The figure below shows a diagram of such a fastening.

Another option for fastening polycarbonate is the use of profiles. Before attaching the screws to the metal frame, we drill holes in advance, and then attach the polycarbonate to the screws. Self-tapping screws with thermal washers are best suited, since they have a wide support area, and, in addition, this will make it possible to keep the carbonate intact and prevent condensation from appearing.

The figure below shows self-tapping screws for fastening polycarbonate.

A simple greenhouse made from window frames. How to build with your own hands?

Another option for a greenhouse that can often be seen in garden plots is a greenhouse made from window frames. This is also an easy and inexpensive project. However, it is good if you have a sufficient number of these same frames. If your frames are made of glass, then you are installing a glass greenhouse. If your frames are empty, then after installing it you cover the frames with plastic wrap.

So, before installing the greenhouse, we prepare the foundation for it. We install a wooden frame made of timber or boards on it. It is best to use timber 50X50 mm, and boards 40 mm thick.

The frame consists of racks, upper and lower harness. The lower and upper trims are made from identical boards. The racks are installed at a distance from each other so that the window frame fits between them.

The roof frame must be strong enough. It is better to make the roof gable, with additional supports under the ridge, so that it does not collapse in winter under the weight of snow. It is best to use timber for the roof.

Frames are installed using both nails and screws. Each frame must be secured both outside and inside, on four sides. If there are gaps between the frames, they are sealed with polyurethane foam.

It is best to make the roof from polycarbonate, or stretch a film over it. This way, your roof will be completely transparent and there will be enough light. But if you are making it from frames, then it is better to start installing the frames from the roof, and not from the side walls. Otherwise, a tool or other material that accidentally falls may break the glass.

At the end of the greenhouse we make a door, which also represents a frame. So we installed a greenhouse. Now you can use it for its intended purpose.

Do-it-yourself greenhouse from a profile

Another modern material that has become actively used by skilled builders is profile. The advantage of a profile greenhouse is that both the size and shape of the greenhouse can be made to whatever you like.

The figure below shows a diagram of a standard profile greenhouse.

To build such a greenhouse you will need the following tools: metal scissors, tape measure, building level and plumb line, screwdriver.

Having drawn up a diagram of the greenhouse, you can begin assembling it. As described in previous projects, we start with the foundation.

You select the size of the greenhouse based on the size of the polycarbonate that will serve as its covering. You can also choose the roof at your discretion: arched or pitched. It is better to make a pitched one in the form of a house (gable). Then there will be much more lighting.

According to the diagram, you cut the profile into the required size elements. Connect these elements together with metal screws.

You start installing the frame with the guides. We screw them to the foundation with self-tapping screws. The frame itself consists of sections that are connected to each other by a common upper beam. The pitch between sections should be such as to ensure sufficient structural rigidity. Basically, it is equal to the width of the polycarbonate sheet divided by 3 or 4.

Assembly of the front and rear walls occurs in the same way as sections. However, they are reinforced by vertical posts. We make an entrance in the front wall. We screw the door hinges to one of the racks, and from the profile we assemble a door frame, which we also cover with polycarbonate.

When the sections and walls (front and back) are ready, screw them to the guides.

We attach the polycarbonate in the same way as in the previous version (a greenhouse made of pipes and polycarbonate).

That’s probably all that concerns the manufacture and installation of greenhouses from the most common and popular materials. I would like to wish you good luck in making it, so that there are no unnecessary difficulties, and a good harvest. You can, of course, buy a ready-made greenhouse, but, you see, growing a good harvest in a greenhouse assembled with your own hands is much more pleasant.

The greenhouse is as much a symbol of the modern era as space flight, computers with the Internet, robots and nuclear energy. This is not an exaggeration. According to WHO data for 1975, then 3/4 of the world's population lacked animal protein (without which a person, roughly speaking, becomes dull and stupid), half was chronically malnourished, and a third, in addition, had never tasted either meat or food in their lives. fish, no eggs.

We still feel the consequences of insufficient and malnutrition on a global scale today, but the situation, if not radically improving, is at least not significantly worsening, although there is less than 0.5 hectares of farmland left on Earth per person. Greenhouse farming helps you survive until better times (while you’re still alive, hopefully!): the yield of fruits and vegetables in a greenhouse can exceed that in open ground by several times(see figure), and the harvest is not harvested in one gulp on market day, but gradually all year round; this makes it possible to stably meet demand and free up land for livestock farming.

Note: from UN things. Also in 1975, UN experts zealously promoted vegetarianism. And last year they recognized him as having a mental disorder.

In turn, greenhouse agricultural technology was completely transformed quantitatively and qualitatively by a polycarbonate greenhouse. It is simple, cheap, durable and technologically advanced. In addition, if in the same 1975 expert tasters accurately separated greenhouse fruits and vegetables from ground-grown fruits and vegetables by taste, now in about 50% of cases they are confused. This means they don’t feel a noticeable difference and speak at random. Under an indispensable condition: the test samples were grown in modern greenhouses using modern agricultural technologies. Which, in turn, in old greenhouses are either ineffective or simply not applicable. For example, A greenhouse made of wood and glass becomes completely unusable in 2-3 years due to drip-fog irrigation.

Polycarbonate is a type of organic glass that reflects infrared (IR) rays well and thus can create a strong greenhouse effect. But it did not transform greenhouses on its own, but only after they learned to produce it in the form of sheets of a honeycomb structure. This made it possible to create strong and durable prestressed greenhouse structures on a lightweight frame; You can build a polycarbonate greenhouse in almost any climate, from the Sahara to the Putorana Mountains and from the Mojave Desert to Northern Labrador. Thanks to this, greenhouse farming has also become a public resource: a greenhouse on a quarter-acre plot of land can provide a family with fruits and herbs all year round and even provide a marketable surplus for sale.

Polycarbonate is easy to process, and the technology for creating structures from it with functioning cladding is simple. With the widespread use of pipes made of structural plastics and methods for quickly and firmly connecting them, the construction of a frame has ceased to be a serious problem. Currently, there is a wide range of kits of parts for assembling small garden greenhouses on sale, but demand dictates prices! Therefore, those who want to build a greenhouse with their own hands are constantly arriving: in the Penza region alone. number of self-made private greenhouses for 2009-2014. increased by more than 20 (!) times.

Note: Structural plastics are those that are capable of bearing mechanical operating loads for a long time. PVC, for example, for all its advantages, is not a structural plastic, although it can be very useful in the greenhouse business, as will be discussed below. Of the structural plastics, polyisopropylene (PP) is most commonly used: it is not expensive, and its mechanical properties are comparable to steel. Further, unless otherwise stated, plastic will always mean PP.

There are different ways to build a greenhouse from PP, at least this:

Video: greenhouse made of polypropylene pipes

But we will further try to tell you not only how to make a greenhouse yourself, but also how to construct it, without complex calculations, and during construction to avoid excessive costs and labor. Ready-made sets of parts are designed for all occasions and therefore are not cheap; a design well worked out by others in these specific circumstances may turn out to be unsuitable for some reason, and we will create our own greenhouse to suit our own local conditions, making do with the minimum necessary.

We will focus primarily on greenhouses made of polycarbonate on tubular plastic frame, as the most universal. But there is a whole range garden crops, capable of vegetating and bearing fruit all year round at relatively low above-zero temperatures and relatively low light. These are natives of the tropics that have taken root in temperate latitudes: cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, Bell pepper, zucchini, squash. In our country they are cultivated as annuals, but in general they are evergreen and with minimal heating costs they can produce marketable products 9-10 months a year, and the demand for them is always good.

Such crops do not require high agricultural technologies, but they are afraid of overheating in the summer; here they need fresh air and coolness more. Therefore, as well as for a number of other reasons, a good old wooden greenhouse is better suited for their small-scale production and cultivation for personal consumption, so we will also deal with them. Let’s not ignore mini-greenhouses for table greens, flowers and seedlings, especially since you can set one up in a city apartment.

Finally, greenhouse business is being improved not only by seasoned specialists in large research centers. Craftsmen sometimes come up with designs that are surprisingly effective and promising; some of them will also be discussed.

Greenhouse or greenhouse?

Greenhouses with greenhouses are usually differentiated by size. Like, the greenhouse is big, you can go into it and work there like in a garden. And the greenhouse is small, you can only climb into it with your hands, and then squatting, so you have to do pruning, hilling, etc. uncomfortable. But this is only a visible difference, but the essence is much deeper: a large structure can be a greenhouse, and a small box can be a greenhouse.

Note: about appearance and essence. The famous ancient Greek sophist philosopher was once asked: “What is man?” After thinking, he replied: “A biped without feathers.” The next day, the students shook out of the bag in front of him... a plucked chicken.

The greenhouse creates the so-called. spring awakening effect. To do this, the soil in it is mulched quite deeply with manure; the best is horse. As biofuel decomposes, it warms the earth from the inside. Root heating of plants at a lower air temperature than on the soil surface, combined with excess nitrogen, primarily stimulates the rapid growth by vegetation of its nutrient factory - green mass. If plants have their own depots of supplies (bulbs, rhizomes), then these are primarily used for this, and the root system still lags behind in development. Plants, figuratively speaking, do not yet think about fruiting in such conditions.

Greenhouses are used primarily for forcing and growing seedlings. Forcing is a process of controlled acceleration of vegetation; in some species - up to flowering. By forcing, for example, you can get onions, fresh watercress and lilies of the valley by a predetermined date: New Year, March 8th. Plants are so exhausted from forcing that they either die or require a long rest in the vegetative phase. Forcing table greens produces products of excellent quality if the planting material is environmentally friendly, because The plants take very little from the soil.

Note: The simplest full-fledged greenhouse for seedlings and forcing onions into greens can be built in half an hour to an hour, see fig. Fertile layer the soil is removed with a bayonet and put into a pile. Another half bayonet is selected and a layer of manure is laid down. Put the soil back on top, make a cover out of film - and you're done! In central Russia, such a greenhouse produces products from approximately the end of March to mid-October or early November.

In the greenhouse, root heating occurs, but it is moderate. The main thing here is that the plants must feel the influx of warm air, warmer than the soil, from above and/or from the sides. This gives the “mid-spring effect”: plants tend to bear fruit as quickly as possible to begin storing nutrients for the winter or dry season. Well, if they have a paradise with eternal spring, then they can “fatten” as much as they want without depleting themselves, as long as there is enough soil nutrition: the root system is now working with all its might. This is the basis for the high productivity of greenhouse farming.

Note: A greenhouse cannot be a greenhouse, but any greenhouse can become a greenhouse. In general, for this you need to increase soil heating and weaken air heating. But the subtleties of handling forced crops are a topic from agricultural technology, and not from the construction of greenhouses.

About refraction

Polycarbonate and silicate glass have a refractive index of light significantly greater than 1. That is, the slopes of the greenhouse direct the sun's rays falling on them inward at a steeper angle. On the one hand, this is good: in winter, the stingray works as a light concentrator - it collects oblique winter light over a larger area and directs it inside to a smaller one, see figure:

On the other hand, as the slope of the slope decreases, the degree of reflection of direct rays also increases. If the angle of their incidence decreases to critical, the so-called. angle of total reflection, then only half of the scattered light will pass inward, and the direct light will be completely reflected. Based on this:

• In mid-latitudes, the angle of inclination of the slopes should be chosen within 30-45 degrees from the horizontal.
• The further north the greenhouse is located, the steeper the slopes should be.
• Greenhouses conventional design need to be gabled and oriented with the ridge of the roof from north to south, i.e. slopes to the east and west. In this case, the angle of incidence of most of the light transmitted inside onto the surface of the shadow slope will be less than critical and it will be reflected back inward.

Note: cellular polycarbonate in front of glass in this regard has additional benefit– light refracts each of the layers of its structure and the degree of light concentration turns out to be higher. But polycarbonate layers are thinner than the thinnest glass, so its light transmittance is almost the same as single-layer glass.

How do plants sense light?

Refraction in the greenhouse coating has another important: it smoothes out fluctuations in light and temperature throughout the day and season. Most garden crops are quite tolerant of light and temperature levels, if they remain more or less stable or change smoothly. But a sharp jump in any of these parameters is understood by plants as a signal that unfavorable conditions are approaching. At the same time, their physiology switches from growth and fruiting algorithms to survival and accumulation of their own reserves: yields fall, product quality deteriorates. A classic example is cucumbers. Even if it didn’t last long, it suddenly got colder or felt hot – that’s it, they became smaller and went to bitterness.

Own greenhouse

The first thing we’ll start with is why do we need a greenhouse? What do we, speaking in Odessa, want to get from it? According to marketability, greenhouses are divided as follows:

1. Winter, or year-round, allow you to grow any crops all year round. Today, only durian and cherimoya are not physiologically amenable to greenhouse farming.
2. Seasonal capital, or semi-winter - produce marketable products with Central Russia 8-10 months per year. In these, either annuals or plants with physiology that require/tolerate a dormant period at sub-zero temperatures are cultivated.
3. Seasonal lightweight - active phase of the production cycle for 2-3 months. shorter than semi-winter ones; This is usually what is meant by seasonal greenhouses. As a rule, early/late regular vegetables and herbs are cultivated in them.
4. Temporary - used for growing in natural soil seedlings, forcing or for one-two-three-fold harvest of crops that greatly deplete the soil: root crops, strawberries, etc. When the area is used up, the greenhouse is dismantled, moved to a new location, and the land is left fallow or sown with nitrogen-fixing crops, legumes, etc.
5. Greenhouses - they are installed (it’s difficult to call it a building) once for seedlings and forcing. How to make a greenhouse as such is described above. Greenhouses for exotic flowers are more complex in design, for example. orchids or gesneriaceae, but this topic is already from floriculture, and not gardening.

Note: Phalaenopsis, common in flower shops, are only a few representatives of about 800 genera and more than 35,000 species of orchids, suitable for mass cutting. The flowers of all orchids are long-lasting and cut-resistant. Among them there are many that in Hollywood there is not enough cocaine to deliberately invent, on the left in the figure. There are cases when wealthy connoisseurs paid $5,000 and even $20,000 for just 1 flower of a rare species. In countries where they love all sorts of rarities, renting out living flowering orchids in pots is a profitable type of small business; rare orchids need to be groomed and cherished until they bloom for 7-8 years. Many orchids emit a subtle scent; vanilla - orchid. Orchids grow all the way to the tundra, but in our area they are either small and not striking (for example, orchis), or very rare, like lady’s slippers - cypripediums, in the center in Fig. The culture of Gesneriaceae is simpler, and they are also very spectacular and simply luxurious, on the right in Fig. True, they are not suitable for cutting.

The purpose of the greenhouse determines the initial and operating costs of it. Winter ones require a capital foundation with full concreting of the underground part and insulation, as well as full lighting and heating. The cost of heating them accounts for the lion's share of current ones, so winter greenhouses turn out to be profitable especially in large sizes (from about 200 cubic meters) on large farms. The own heat reserve of a large greenhouse is enough to maintain the life of plants, taking into account the greenhouse effect, for several days, up to 2 weeks. Therefore, heating systems for them are designed not for peak frosts, but according to the average seasonal temperature, which is much higher.

The original version of a winter greenhouse is a greenhouse-greenhouse; in mid-latitudes it does not require constant heating at all. The greenhouse-greenhouse is heated by mulch decomposing under the soil layer. But its production cycle is difficult to vary; it is necessary to extract manure in large quantities 1-2 times a year, and food crops from it, according to modern sanitary requirements most often they do not pass, because are oversaturated with nitrates. In the greenhouse phase of the cycle, only chives are more or less edible. Large greenhouses are used primarily as greenhouses, and small garden greenhouses are used for cut flower growing.

Note: in certain climatic conditions, it is possible to build a completely energy-independent winter greenhouse, the so-called. thermos greenhouses; a special section will be devoted to them. But the complexity of construction and the cost of it for a thermos greenhouse are much higher than for a regular one. True, exceptions are possible, see further in the same section.

Semi-winter greenhouses– also quite solid structures; The foundation is most often monolithic strip or made from lightweight prefabricated blocks, because the upper structure is light and has little risk of uneven shrinkage. But the working area here is illuminated and heated only at the beginning and end of the season of use, and 6-7 months. the greenhouse operates on natural light and the greenhouse effect. A light lantern for a semi-winter greenhouse made of polycarbonate on a PP frame is inexpensive and can last more than 15 years, and with minimal lighting and heating, perennial subtropical crops, including citrus fruits, can be grown in one from Moscow and further south; they still have a period of rest. Harvesting will be seasonal, and heating to a slight plus in the coldest weather will help the plants survive the winter.

Seasonal greenhouses Most of all, they are built independently. With skillful management in the Moscow region, ordinary table crops can last up to 10 months. per year, and to the south of Rostov-on-Don they are able to operate year-round. In both cases, costs for light and heat will not exceed more than 2 times those for a city apartment of equal area. When the time of use is reduced during the cold season, heating costs drop rapidly, so most of these greenhouses live up to their name. The profitability of seasonal greenhouses increases significantly if owners have access to inexpensive solid fuel for stoves; For more details, see the section on heating greenhouses.

The skylights of seasonal greenhouses are generally the same as those of semi-winter greenhouses, but the foundation is made of a light columnar one. Most often, rolled metal (pipes, angles, channels) is used for it, but a very cheap wooden one will last as long as a greenhouse if the pieces of timber or logs for it are boiled in bitumen for 10-20 minutes (scalded with bitumen) and their ends before installing them in the pits wrap with roofing felt. If the service life of the greenhouse does not exceed 5-7 years, and the lantern is plastic, then it can be built without a foundation.

Temporary greenhouses and greenhouses used in the middle zone from approximately April to October. They grow quickly ripening crops; mainly bulbs and root vegetables, as well as table greens. Temporary greenhouses are most often made of soil (see below) and covered with film. Lighting and heating are not provided, because... there is already/still enough natural light for photosynthesis, and the greenhouse effect gives an increase of 7-12 degrees to the seasonal temperature.

Note: the degree of the greenhouse effect depends on the intensity of lighting, because Plants release carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. Therefore, you need an eye and an eye for the light in a greenhouse - less light, less carbon dioxide, it became colder, photosynthesis weakened, the greenhouse effect weakened, it got even colder, and so on very quickly until it freezes.

Greenhouse and soil

The next factor that needs to be kept in mind when, so to speak, preliminary thinking about a greenhouse is the nature of the use of the soil. According to it, greenhouses are divided into ground, box and trench or bulk.

Ground, as the name implies, are built directly on the ground. They are temporary and seasonal. The basis of such a greenhouse is simple: wooden formwork 200-300 mm high on a flat area, see fig. From the outside, the formwork is supported with pins made of reinforcing bars, onto which the ends of the lantern arches made of pipes are placed. The frame of the flashlight is lightweight, designed for more or less favorable weather conditions. Cover it mainly with film.

Fertile soil is poured into the formwork; mulch if necessary. As the soil depletes, it upper layer choose and change. Such agricultural crops will be enough for no more than 5-7 years: than smaller plot land, the more difficult and expensive it is to maintain its fertility for a long time. But by that time the formwork will rot, the film, if it is not disposable (see below), will wear out, and the frame of the greenhouse is made dismountable or, if it is made of PP pipes, completely transported by two or three to a new place.

A box greenhouse is suitable for all greenhouse crops for at least 10 years; theoretically - forever. This is achieved by the fact that the reinforced formwork is filled to the top with crushed stone along the waterproofing, on which boxes filled with earth with perforated bottoms are placed. The depleted soil is simply thrown out of the boxes and new soil is poured in. Excess irrigation water flows into the crushed stone and then into the drainage. This eliminates the scourge of unprofessional greenhouses - soil acidification from the cold from below. If there is no drainage system on the site, then the greenhouse drain is drained into a cesspool attached to it. It is impossible to reuse wastewater for irrigation; it is teeming with harmful micro-living creatures!

Most highly profitable homemade greenhouses namely box ones. The manufacture of formwork and foundation for a box greenhouse is also possible from wood (see figure), because In this case, it has almost no contact with the ground and is subject to less harmful influences. If the lumber, in addition to being treated with biocides, is also impregnated twice with hot bitumen, then the formwork will last 12-15 years. For a longer estimated service life, it is better to use a blind area (for a semi-winter greenhouse - with insulation) and build a brick base on it.

Note: for plants with a shallow root system (onions, radishes, carrots, melons, watermelons), the boxes can be on stands. Then the greenhouse can be multi-story, in whole or in part.

A trench greenhouse is, roughly speaking, a series of concrete gutters (trenches) with technological passages between them. They are cast together with the foundation and covered with a common lantern. In each trench, crushed stone drainage is made with an outlet into a cesspool or a collection area common to the site, and earth is poured on top of it. Areas for different crops in the trenches are separated by removable partitions that reach the drainage layer.

Caring for a trench greenhouse is more difficult than a box greenhouse, and the likelihood of diseases spreading in it is greater, which requires fairly skillful agricultural technology. But when proper construction cooling of the soil from below is completely eliminated even on permafrost. In addition, it is possible to cultivate plants with a powerful deep root system, even woody ones. Therefore, winter and semi-winter greenhouses are mostly built using trenches in places with a harsh climate.

Note: The author knows of a resident of the Kola Peninsula who, using the income from potatoes, onions, garlic and tomatoes from a homemade trench greenhouse, built himself a mansion of 230 square meters in 5 years. When he was asked: “Mortgage?”, he asked in response: “What is it?”

When form is everything

The most important factor determining the functionality of a greenhouse is the configuration of its skylight. In terms of the variety of architectural forms, greenhouses can compete with public buildings, but frame greenhouse houses, pos. 1 in Fig., faceted tunnel, pos. 2, and tunnel arched with semicircular (item 3) and pointed (item 4) arches.

House

In a greenhouse-house, the entire operational load is carried by the frame, so the glazing can be of any kind. Given the required strength for a home greenhouse, the simplest technologically and cheapest is a wooden frame. Modern methods Treatments of industrial wood make it possible to achieve its durability in greenhouse conditions for up to 30-40 years. The best type of wood for construction is larch.

The easiest way to make a wooden greenhouse-house is fully ventilated; this is important for summer cultivation in a greenhouse, see above. When the sun is high, the roof slightly shades the plants and cuts off ultraviolet radiation, which protects them from burns. In the southern regions, sometimes roof slopes are also covered with gauze or old washed sheets in the hottest weather.

The roof of a wide-open greenhouse-house plays another role: excess carbon dioxide is formed in the greenhouse, because It is heavier than air, and once heated, it cannot rise. For plants, it’s like caviar for cognac: the harvest is rampant, and the fruits are the same.

In regions with a sharply continental climate wooden greenhouse-a house will be the best choice, especially if local lumber is cheap. In Yakutia (Sakha Republic), for example, it is very hot in the summer and watermelons have time to ripen on a layer of soil 20-30 cm above the permafrost. Small, about the size of a large apple or orange, but it tastes like watermelon.

Note: Yakut watermelons may seem incredible, but we, not limiting ourselves to verbal assurances, refer the reader to the book by Yu. K. Efremov “The Nature of My Country”, M., “Thought”, 1985 (see figure) With the science fiction writer Ivan Efremov, his namesake geographer Yuri Konstantinovich is not related.

Watermelons and melons come from deserts; they are able to develop quickly as semi-ephemerals. However, it is useless to experiment with tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes in the open ground of Yakutia: the warm season is not enough for ripening, the roots either reach the permafrost and the plant withers, or the Sun burns it - the air is clean, transparent, and the UV is burning. A fully hinged greenhouse-house allows you to create a suitable microclimate for right time for early ripening varieties. True, with heating at the beginning/end of the season, but here fuel is inexpensive and sales of products are ensured.

A drawing with the specification of the frame of a winter-semi-winter wooden greenhouse suitable for installation on permafrost in a harsh climate is shown in Fig. In European Russia, a greenhouse-house can be significantly lighter and its frame can be made from scrap materials, for example. old window frames, see below.

Note: a wooden greenhouse is not at odds with polycarbonate. On the contrary, lightweight but durable polycarbonate takes on some of the operational loads, which silicate glass is not capable of. At current prices polycarbonate coating will cost less than glazing, and the entire wooden greenhouse under polycarbonate will be stronger and cheaper.

Faceted Tunnel

House greenhouses have a significant drawback, which manifests itself in places with weak insolation: when the Sun is low, the angle of incidence of its rays on the slopes turns out to be close to optimal once a day for a short time. Simply put, the greenhouse-house does not concentrate light well and turns out to be a bit dark in winter. In an attempt to solve this problem, a faceted tunnel greenhouse appeared.

It is not advisable to make the frame of a faceted tunnel from plastic, because... The mechanical properties of PP are best when the transverse connections of the frame are prestressed, i.e. if the frame arcs are curvilinear. Therefore, a faceted tunnel is, as a rule, a metal greenhouse made of pipes, lined with polycarbonate; pipes can be round, but profile ones are more often used. However, this raises the problem of the joints of the frame elements.

Welded seams corrode intensively in greenhouse conditions, especially external ones, sandwiched between the pipe and the casing. Non-destructive visual inspection in such places is impossible, so the frame is prone to sudden destruction.

Note: Do not try to make steel frames prestressed - ordinary rolled steel is completely unsuitable for use in this capacity! Have you heard about fatigue and fluidity of metal?

At industrial production For metal greenhouses, welding is generally abandoned, and the frames are assembled using shaped plastic connectors, on the left in Fig. These are sold separately, but they are expensive and require an additional large amount of fasteners, so homemade steel frames of greenhouses are still welded, but without external seams: the workpiece is cut at an angle, bent and welded from the inside, on the right in Fig. This requires special precision and care in calculating the frame and marking the workpieces, but weakened joints are immediately visible, because the weld seam rusts faster than solid metal.

Speaking of connections

In greenhouse frames other than wooden ones, you cannot drill holes and drive fasteners into them: a sharp difference in environmental conditions inside and outside will create pockets of corrosion and/or dangerous mechanical stress in such places. Non-wooden frames are assembled using welding or special connecting units. In plastic branded kits for self-assembly, the parts in the connectors are still secured with self-tapping screws, because Few people will buy a kit that requires special tools for assembly. But serious manufacturers carefully calculate the location of the fasteners, the entire structure is modeled on computers, and the prototype is put through full-scale tests before production. And frivolous locals, without bothering themselves with painful thoughts about copyrights, simply copy proven models.

Arched tunnels

A greenhouse-tunnel made from semicircular arches is the easiest to manufacture, the most wind-resistant and the best at concentrating light. Pay attention again to item 3 in Fig. with the shapes of greenhouses: most of the sides of the semicircular seem darkish. This means that most of the light went inside and did its useful work there. And in the summer, when it’s hot and the sun is high, an almost flat roof gives the same effect as a greenhouse-house.

The material consumption of a semi-circular greenhouse and the costs of its construction are also minimal, however, snow resistance is low, and in places with a large snow load, incidents like the one in the figure are possible, even if the structure is structurally executed completely correctly. Therefore, in regions with heavy snow, it would be more correct to build a lancet greenhouse. It will cost 3-5% more, but it is easy to make several large windows for summer ventilation, which is important east of the Urals, mountains and rivers.

Any arch exhibits all its advantages only when subjected to intense, operational load as part of the structure or previously. For a greenhouse, as a lightweight one-story structure, only the second option is possible. At the same time, the excellent mechanical qualities of PP are fully manifested in parts made from prestressed pipes. In combination with working polycarbonate sheathing, this brings greenhouses made from it on a plastic tubular frame to record ratios of strength, durability and durability to cost. This leads to another record for the popularity of structures of this type. Therefore, a little lower we will deal with them in more detail, but for now we will briefly consider another arch.

Arch from profile

In thin-walled volumetric parts with characteristic arched greenhouses bending radii, stresses in ordinary steel turn out to be far from its yield limit, on the one hand. On the other hand, galvanized C- and U-profiles for drywall are inexpensive, lightweight, and assembling a greenhouse frame from a profile of this type (see figure) seems to be elementary: just a Phillips screwdriver and metal scissors. When strengthened with struts and crossbars, the “fresh” structure turns out to be quite strong, even stronger than from PP pipes. And the skin can be attached to it not with clamps (see below), but somehow simpler and lighter.

However, the first disappointments await the specialized enthusiast already during assembly. Firstly, you have to twist a lot of screws and they are expensive. And the cramped fingers and bleeding calluses simply scream: “Well, finally, you, such a master, buy a screwdriver!” Secondly, the blanks marked by hand and cut without a profile cutter (and there are many of them!) do not fit together exactly and the entire frame goes, as they say, awry. In production it’s easier, where the computer calculates it, transfers the data to the robot stamp, and it cuts it perfectly, it’s just not good at it.

But the most important disappointment awaits even before the end of the first season: the frame is rusting before our eyes. What would seem worth reading right away is the specification for the profiles - they, like drywall, are not intended for outdoor use...

Plastic arches

And snow and wind...

Correctly configuring and assembling a plastic greenhouse yourself is only possible if you know the wind and snow loads on it at the place of construction. The maps in Fig. will help you decide on them for your greenhouse. As they say, don’t bother with numerical values ​​of loads and don’t expect complex formulas in the future: everything has already been reduced to the numbers of load zones. If one of them is indicated in the text, the largest in this place is meant. For example, the greenhouse will be in the 2nd wind and 6th snow zones, or vice versa. Then you need to do it for the 6th zone; Specifics regarding snow and wind, if they exist in this case, are discussed.

Frame

Branded greenhouse frames are assembled from special pipes on shaped connectors (see, for example, Fig.): glasses, flat and three-coordinate crosses, straight and oblique tees, splitters at several angles. They are available for sale, but they are expensive and are usually designed for a specific design. Having pushed around in attempts to adapt it for yourself, you still have to buy the rest to complete the complete set. Which, all at once, would be half the price.

We will go the other way. We will make do with 3/4-inch PP water pipes and cheap connectors for them sold everywhere: straight couplings, flat tees and right angles. We will connect the parts, just like . Renting a soldering iron (more precisely, a welding machine) for propylene is inexpensive, it consumes little electricity (it is plugged into a regular outlet), and you can learn how to weld PP in half an hour. A finished frame of this design will be no worse than a branded one, but much cheaper. A novice master can assemble it in a weekend. Since aerodynamics and icing are more important for a greenhouse than the weight of the upper floors, the frame is designed according to aviation rather than construction principles. Good planes sometimes fly longer than an ordinary house costs.

Zero cycle

The basics about preparing the base of the greenhouse have already been said earlier. You just need to add that the site for the greenhouse must be planned with an accuracy of 5 cm/m, otherwise the likelihood of soil acidification increases. If the greenhouse is not ground, after leveling, a soil slope of 6-8 cm/m is formed towards the drainage. For lightweight greenhouses, the slope is formed before installing the formwork under gravel, and for capital ones - after pouring the strip foundation. The slopes of the drains of winter trench greenhouses and thermos greenhouses are formed by the screed of their floors. Don't forget about waterproofing the slope!

The arcs of the arches of the design under consideration are tightly placed on pins made of reinforcing bars protruding upward by 40-50 cm. There is no need to make the protrusion smaller; the arches will not hold well. More is also not necessary, they will bend incorrectly. Under a lightweight greenhouse, reinforcement bars are driven into the ground close to the formwork by 1 m or more, and under a permanent greenhouse they are walled up in the foundation by the same 40-50 cm. After assembling the frame, the arcs are attracted to the formwork with clamps made of a thin perforated steel strip and self-tapping screws 5-8 mm long the thickness of the formwork boards.

Note: in zones 1-3, the thresholds of the door and window frames are also attached to the formwork with clamps and screws. In the upper zones, the frames are made without thresholds, and their racks are put on reinforcement pins, like the arches.

How to make a frame?

Dimensions

Standard lengths of water pipes are 6, 5 and 4 m. They are used to produce semicircular arches with a span of 3.6, 3 and 2.3 m, taking into account cutting waste and shrinkage of welding joints. These values ​​should be used as a guide when calculating the overall dimensions of the greenhouse. Pointed arches are more reliable if the snow zone is 4th and higher. Then, on the contrary, they go from the dimensions: the arch is drawn to scale on graph paper (the upper corner is necessarily straight in this case!), the length of its wing is measured with a curvimeter, a flexible ruler or laid out along the contour of a thick thread, followed by measurement, and converted into the length of the workpiece. Add 20 cm for trimming and shrinkage. You can do the opposite: measure a piece of soft wire to scale (for example, copper winding wire with a diameter of 0.8-1.2 mm), bend it as necessary on graph paper and beat off the profile of the arc wing on it .

Assembly

The arcs of the arches gather on flat surface straight. Placed in place one by one; During the assembly process, the ridge and longitudinal load-bearing beams - stringers, pos. 1 in Fig. Door and window frames, pos. 2, are assembled separately on corners, tees and straight couplings. Couplings are the basis of hinges and latches; Sections of frame posts are welded into the coupling pipes. Then, hinges and latches from sections of larger diameter pipes are attached to the coupling bodies with self-tapping screws. In this case, this is possible, because there will be no permanent loads in these places, and malfunctions of the hinges with latches do not affect the strength of the frame and can be easily eliminated. The assembly of the door and window panels begins by threading their rear pillars into the hinge cages, then the rest is welded by weight. They can be sheathed with anything, using self-tapping screws into the frames of the canvases, because... and these nodes are not load-bearing.

The lightest frame of this type is shown in pos. 3. Please note - the ridge beam, like the stringers, is stepped, assembled from pipe sections on tees. In this case, the door and window frames are also mounted on tees flush with the gables.

How often to install arches?

The arc installation step is determined as follows:

• If zones 1 and 1, take a step of 1100 mm.
• In other cases, enter the zone numbers and get the consolidated load zone number N.
• For the largest zone up to and including the 3rd, divide 4800 by N, and the resulting value is rounded to the nearest smaller integer, a multiple of 50, and the step is obtained in millimeters; eg for zones 2 and 3 it will be 950 mm, and for zones 3 and 3 – 800 mm.
• If the largest zone is 4 or 5, N is divided by 5600; further – similar to zones 2 and 3.
• In the largest zones 6 and 7, N is divided by 5500.

The dependence of the arc step on the zone, as we see, is nonlinear. This is explained by the fact that as the zone number increases, the stringers take on more and more load, see below. So the design turns out to be a little more material-intensive, but significantly less labor-intensive.

Note 15: The 8th zone, both of them, generally speaking, are problematic. It sometimes snows here concrete floors breaks, and the wind moves houses from their foundations. Any self-construction here it is carried out at your own peril and risk, and this fully applies to greenhouses. How to still get out, with a certain amount of risk, will be discussed later in the course of the presentation.

Gain

You can rely on the lightest frame with some caution in zones 1-2, but even here it is advisable to reinforce it with at least a pair of stringers. Their location diagrams for different zones are shown in pos. A-B. Just remember that the coordinates are given for the longitudinal axes of the connections, and the beams themselves are stepped, like the ridge beam. Taking this (and welding shrinkage) into account, you need to mark the workpieces.

Attention! Pairs of stringers of the same level must be performed in a mirror image, pos. E!

In the 6th zone, the upper pairs of stringers are connected with crossbars (pos. E), in the 7th zone, the ends of the tunnel on both sides below are reinforced with braces according to scheme 2-1 (see figure). In the 8th zone, they need to be reinforced according to scheme 3-2 -1 (see ibid.), but, again, without any guarantee. It is useless to increase the number of stringers in the upper zones: they, figuratively speaking, begin to push the loads off each other and the structure as a whole weakens.

How to install braces without gusset? Moreover, the angles are fractional? Using homemade galvanized clamps 0.5-0.7 mm, see fig. on right. The workpiece is bent in a U-shape, mandrels from sections of steel pipe are inserted into it and the ears are crimped with a vice. It is convenient to use 2 pairs of vices: the stationary tabletop ones compress the long ear, and the smaller adjustable ones compress the short one.

After crimping, the mandrels are removed, the clamp is cut to size and shape, and holes are drilled for M6 bolts. This kind of handicraft crimping results in a shortage, but here this is only for the better: compressed with bolts in place, the clamp and pipes will grab tightly, and will acquire a monstrous rigidity for such a thin metal.

Arrows and legs

The location of the stringers on the pointed arches is determined based on the basic semicircular with the same span, as shown in pos. D. Please note that this method is only valid for arrows with an apex angle of 90 degrees! You can’t make the arrow’s ridge single without a gusset, and there’s no need to. An additional pipe, corners and tees for a double-beam ridge, pos. I. Its halves are made, like the stringers, in a mirror manner. The maximum distance from the top is indicated; the beams need to be moved as close to it as possible, in accordance with the size of the available tees and welding skills of the PP. By the way, the easiest way to withdraw through a double skate is to chimney, and it will make the semicircular arch stronger.

If the arches rest on vertical legs no higher than 60 cm, counting from the top of the reinforcement, then an additional stringer is placed at the junction of their wings with the legs, position D. Reinforcement in zones 7 and 8 is carried out according to the same schemes, moving one cell down, those. There should be no empty cells under reinforced ones. If your legs are higher than 0.6 m - alas! – needs to be considered especially, because the bottom of the frame will no longer work as a continuation of the arches, but as a separate box.

Door and window

In zones starting from the 3rd, it is mandatory, and in the lower zones it is highly desirable, to attach the door and window frames not directly to the arch (slightly beveled tees create unwanted stresses in the frame), but to hang them in it on half-crossbars and short longitudinal holders, pos. K, K1, K2. To an inexperienced eye, such a fastening seems rather weak, but remember: the gables will be covered with a still functioning cladding made of durable polycarbonate. Ultimately, the frame will be no weaker and will last no less than the fuselage of a DC-3 or An-2.

And under the film?

Today's film greenhouses are not at all the flimsy disposable “polyethylene” of the past. A greenhouse cover made of modern reinforced film will last 5-7 years and will cost several times less than rigid polycarbonate. The special greenhouse film has another valuable property: hydrophilicity. It retains a layer of moisture up to 2 mm on its surface, which improves the transparency of the coating and enhances the greenhouse effect. Thanks to this, a modern film greenhouse can be seasonal and even semi-winter. Ventilating film greenhouses in hot weather does not cause problems: it is enough to tuck the edges of the canopy; They don’t even need a door with a window. In general, for places with mild and temperate climates, a greenhouse under film is the best option, but in others there is no point in building it.

The frame described above will also work perfectly under the film. It has quite an airplane safety margin, and when calculating for film, it is enough to take the zone numbers 1 higher. The uprights of the door and window frames must be left, see figure, because they take part of the loads. You can attach Velcro to the posts not with self-tapping screws, as in the figure, but with clamps made of thin soft wire. Not as aesthetically pleasing, but simpler, cheaper and no less reliable. If using self-tapping screws, then it is better to install straight couplings under the Velcro and wrap the screws into their thickened bodies.

Hard roof

Film greenhouses justify themselves mainly in cases where they are installed temporarily for a relatively short period of time. For example, someone bought a plot for forest planting or a pasture for livestock. Everyone knows how things are with loans now. In order to raise funds for its development, I decided to wait 3-4 years, and for now rent out the land inexpensively. This is where subtenants can help out a fellow farmer, and make some good money themselves.

For long-term use, greenhouses with a hard polycarbonate coating are more profitable. With an estimated service life of 20 years (and this is not the limit), it will cost less than replacing the film cover 2-3 times. In addition, there is no need to bother with washing it, removing and installing it twice a year and allocating an area for it. winter storage. So let’s take a closer look at polycarbonate.

It has already been said above that the greenhouse, from the point of view of its covering, differs from other structures by the sharp difference in environmental conditions inside and outside. A coating up to several cm thick has to withstand the same loads as a half-meter stone wall. Therefore, the methods of working with polycarbonate for a greenhouse are somewhat different from those for and. The video gives an idea of ​​how to cut polycarbonate for a greenhouse:

and how to attach it to the frame:

We will consider only individual points that are not sufficiently covered in known sources.

Structure

Cellular polycarbonate slabs are available in different thicknesses and structures. Slabs of the same thickness can have different structures, and vice versa. The 2R structure (see figure) is unsuitable for greenhouses either in terms of thermal insulation or mechanical qualities.

Structures of the R type (without diagonal connections in the cells) are more transparent than the RX type, but withstand dynamic loads worse, therefore they are suitable for places where the wind zone is not higher than 4th. 3R is used where the average winter temperature is above –15 degrees or frost below –20 degrees lasts for more than a day, no more than once every 3 years. In other cases you need to take 5R.

The temperature ranges for 3RX and 6RX are the same, but in cases where the wind zone is 5 and higher. For any 8th zone, the only acceptable option is 6RX. There is no need to take 5RX, it is not very transparent. 6RX and was developed to replace the 5RX in greenhouses.

The thickness of the slabs is determined as follows:

• If both zones are not higher than 2, take 6 mm.
• For other cases, we find the summary number N, as for the frame.
• For the 3rd and 4th largest zones N we leave it as is.
• For the largest 5 and 6 zones we take N+1.
• If there is a 7 or 8 zone, take N+2.
• We multiply the resulting value by 2.
• The result is rounded to the nearest higher standard thickness slabs

Thus, for example, for zones 4 and 4 the thickness is 16 mm, and for zones 8 and 8 - 40 mm. However, both 8 zones do not exist in the Russian Federation.

Sheathing

The standard sizes of polycarbonate slabs are 6x2.1 m and 12x2.1 m. The general dimensions of the greenhouse are chosen such that an overhang of at least 10 cm is formed over the gables of arched and faceted houses and along the entire perimeter of the roof. According to SNiP, the overhang should be at least 15 cm. If the greenhouse is commercial and you expect to receive a sanitary certificate for the products, keep in mind that inspectors will check the greenhouse in its entirety.

The radii of curvature of greenhouse arches allow slabs of the most commonly used structures 3R and 5R to be laid on the frame both lengthwise and across. What would be more correct? This way and that way. It all depends on which loads are greater in a given location, static from snow or dynamic from wind. If the number of the snow zone is greater than the wind zone, it is better to lay it across, on the left in Fig. Otherwise - along, right there.

Note: RX structures are laid only lengthwise, otherwise sudden failure of the coating due to material fatigue is possible.

Longitudinal joints are assembled using standard FP (straight) and RP (ridge) connectors, depending on the bending radius at a given location. It is advisable to seal the upper gaps of the joints with construction silicone, marked with yellow circles. It is better to take one-piece connectors, they are cheaper and there is nothing in them to rust. In extreme cases, you can still separate the joint by dripping it with brake fluid and pulling the plates lengthwise in different directions.

When sheathing crosswise, some of the seams between the slabs may end up hanging. In this case, the slabs are connected in a well-known amateur way (shown in the inset): in strips flexible plastic 3-6 mm thick with sealing gaskets made of rubber or silicone and self-tapping screws. It is better to take strips and joint pads from PVC. It is quite strong, reliable and resistant for such a case. But its main advantage is in the joint - the PVC quite quickly sticks tightly to the gasket and it is never squeezed out from under the linings.

Fastenings

Methods for attaching polycarbonate to the frame with thermal washers (items 1-3 in the figure) have been described many times and we will not dwell on the details. We only note that if the cladding is longitudinal, then both ends of the slabs must be covered with perforated self-adhesive and framed with an end profile.

It is highly undesirable to weaken the greenhouse frame, as indicated above, with holes and fasteners. The casing is attached to it with steel clamps 1.5-3 mm thick, pos. 4 and 5. A strip 40-60 mm wide is bent along the mandrel in a U-shape, clamped together with the mandrel in a vice and the mustache is bent back. The bend must be made taking into account the thickness of the rubber gaskets, and they, in turn, in accordance with the thickness of the walls of the cages of the frame connectors. The thermal gap between the plates, 3-5 mm wide, is filled with silicone sealant.

Hut made of windows

Greenhouses made from frames of unusable windows appeared during the times of mass Khrushchev construction. Firstly, back then the carpentry for new buildings was of the most disgusting quality: “Give me a plan! Val come on! The current generation of people will live under communism!” Therefore, many new residents immediately replaced the windows and doors with custom ones, since the materials and work then cost a penny. Secondly, to the working people, i.e. officially permanently employed, summer cottages then they were distributed to everyone left and right. Thirdly, cheap government prices and accessibility are by no means friends. It is appropriate here to recall an old Soviet political joke. The chairman of the collective farm “Svet Ilyich” opens the general meeting: “Comrades! We have two issues on the agenda: repairing the barn and building a commune. Regarding the first question: no boards, no nails, no bricks, no cement, no mortar. Let's move on to the second question."

We will move on to technical issues, they can be of some use. Nowadays, too, many windows are being replaced with metal-plastic with double-glazed windows, but frames that are still strong are thrown away. You can assemble a completely reliable and durable house from them, if you help the frames a little to carry the load. There is no point in covering such a structure with a Khrushchev-style disposable film; it is better to spend money on a couple of sheets of inexpensive 3R 6 mm polycarbonate, which, with a greenhouse size of about 6x3 m, will allow you to get by with just one roof truss for the roof, except for the gables. We will get a completely seasonal and commercial greenhouse for zones up to 4 inclusive, i.e. for most of the territory of the Russian Federation suitable for agricultural use.

The design of the greenhouse frame under the frames is shown in Fig. For clarity, the proportions of the parts are given arbitrarily. Dimensions in plan – 5.7x2.7 m; internal space– 5.4x2.4 m. It will require, in addition to polycarbonate and frames, 15-16 boards 150x40 mm 6 m long and 1 beam 150x150 mm of the same length; only 0.675 cc. m of coniferous wood, and about 5 kg of nails 70, 100 and 150 mm.

The foundation is a wooden columnar one, made of 6 pillars in 2 rows, 1 m long. The beam is needed just for the foundation. The protrusion of the pillar at the highest point of the site above the ground is 30 cm; the rest are leveled along it using a hydraulic level. There is no need to deepen the pillars according to freezing calculations; the structure will play together with the soil for many years; it has been tested on Khrushchev’s “polyethylene”.

The beams of the lower support frame - the grillage - and the upper one - the frame - are sewn together on nails from boards as usual, in a zigzag, pos. 1. The driving pitch in a row is 250-400 mm. The grillage is assembled into a prefabricated tenon, and the trim into a prefabricated quarter (item 2) is also on nails, 5 envelopes per corner. Cutting boards measuring 150x150 are cut into three pieces; these pieces will come in handy later.

Next, the grillage is mounted on the foundation and 2 boards are spread out in three lengths. Here you will have to move from the new tree to the old one and sort the frames. 8 solid highest ones (or better yet 10, if found), are put aside immediately (on the left in the figure), they will go to the corners and, if there are 2 more, to frame the doorway. The rest are scattered over the estimated area of ​​the walls somehow, as long as there are fewer holes, on the right in Fig.

Now, from the 50x40 slats, cut 4 racks the length of the tallest frame plus 10 mm and nail them to the grillage vertically at the corners flush with their outer sides. The corners from the outside are sheathed with boards that are the same length as the posts now plus 220 mm (height of the grillage + height of the trim). The strapping is placed in the resulting nest at the top and the entire box is finally sewn together with nails.

Frames are installed starting from the corners. How to fasten them to the box and to each other is shown in pos. 3-5. Approaching the places of the future door and casement window from both sides, place the racks of the door and window frames from solid boards. They are fastened to the grillage, frames and adjacent frames with nails using the same blocks from scraps. If necessary, you can lay out 1-2 more boards on them.

Now it's the roof's turn. Rafter trusses are made according to pos. 6. Polycarbonate is laid lengthwise on the roof. A longitudinal strip 40 cm wide is cut from each slab. This will create roof overhangs of about 15 cm, and the strips will be used for cladding the gables.

The penultimate stages of work, firstly, close the gaping openings in the walls with foam plastic, and foam all the gaps. Foam in this case is not only a sealant and insulation; it will give the entire structure additional cohesion and strength. Secondly, the dimensions of the door and window are measured locally and their frames are made according to Fig. on right.

Before installing drainage and starting the greenhouse, all that remains is to design the base. In Khrushchev's times, they used slate or roofing felt on it, sprinkling the outside with earth. It’s easier for us: now there is such a wonderful (without irony) material as empty plastic bottles. They simply push them under the grillage with their necks inward, but there is no need to remove the plugs. You will get excellent thermal insulation with ventilation, absolute manufacturability with maintainability and long-term durability; Environmentalists around the world are ready to howl about what they should do with these bottles. And it’s a free benefit for us.

Note: This type of box will also fit under disposable polyethylene film, only it needs to be reinforced with the same 50x40 slats, see figure:

Bottle shop

Plastic bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Among the remarkable qualities of this material there is also a unique one: it transmits UV almost without loss. This allows you to enhance the greenhouse effect and thereby reduce heating costs and extend the operating cycle of the greenhouse. Therefore, if it is possible to get at least 400 PET vessels, it makes complete sense to make a greenhouse entirely from bottles.

There are 3 possible options here. The first is, on long winter evenings, to unravel the bottles into sheets and sew them on a machine with nylon or, better, propylene threads into panels of a suitable size, pos. 1 in Fig. Sew furniture stapler, as is sometimes advised, it’s not worth it: staples will cost more than threads and will rust quite quickly. You can also find advice to sew not with thread, but with fishing line. Even if their authors know where to get a machine that sews with fishing line, or they themselves know how to sew by hand at the same speed, then all the same, the fishing line will cost many times more in length and weight than thread, and the seam will not tighten, because. The line is solid, not twisted.

The second option is to collect something like sausages from bottles (picture on the right), string them onto steel rods and fill the frame of the frame with such “kebabs” vertically, with the necks down so that the condensation drains, or horizontally, pos. 2 and 3 in Fig. with types of bottle greenhouses. If the street is below +10, such a greenhouse without sealing the gaps between the bottles will be of no use, but in the spring warmth it will provide a greater concentration of light, which will accelerate the development of plants.

The third option is to place the bottles horizontally with their necks inward, pos. 4. Thermal insulation and light concentration are maximized (even houses are built this way), but not hundreds, but thousands of bottles are needed. They are connected with glue or cement, which is labor-intensive and expensive, so bottle greenhouses, so to speak, horizontal, are rare.

Is it possible in winter without heating?

The greenhouse loses a lot of heat, and its heating costs a pretty penny. The marketability of self-heating greenhouses is very limited by an excess of nitrates in the soil. To receive satisfying modern sanitary standards products without winter heating, and the thermos greenhouse was invented.

It was not invented by Ukrainian craftsmen these days, as Ukrainian news outlets say, but in Israel more than half a century ago. By the way, it was for thermos greenhouses that we had to come up with the same cellular polycarbonate and special thermal blocks that combine good insulating and mechanical properties. From a bare idea to a workable design is often a very long time...

Israel is the world leader in greenhouse farming. Greenhouses are built there in deserts and mountains. In summer, the ground surface heats up to +60, and in winter it can be -20 for a short time. And the idea itself is that in the soil at a certain depth a constant temperature is maintained, equal to the average annual temperature in a given place; in the subtropics it is approximately +18-20. With an increase of 7-12 degrees from the greenhouse effect, we get just the optimum for plants, including pineapples.

Only the upper zone of the underground structure of the greenhouse is a thermos, see fig. The lower one, ordinary concrete, is essentially an air conditioner. In winter, it is warmed by Mother Earth, but in summer, hot light will not flow into a hole with cool dense air. As a result, the temperature in the greenhouse can be controlled only by vents without the cost of heating and air conditioning. To enhance lighting in winter, we orient one roof slope to the south, and cover the other from the inside with aluminum foil.

In the temperate zone the situation is different. Firstly, although the average annual temperature here is about +15, heating depends not only on the temperature, but also on the incoming heat flow. In order to get to the “air conditioner” of the required power, you have to go down below the freezing depth of at least 2 m. Already in the Rostov region, this requires a hole of 2.5 m. Secondly, peak cold weather here lasts not hours, but days . Therefore, the greenhouse volume is needed to be large. In the same Rostov region. The minimum dimensions of the pit in plan are 5x10 m.

From such a fifty, in fact, in our area you can harvest 400-600 kg of pineapples and up to 1.5 tons of bananas per year. How to sell them? Okay, let’s say we live in some distant kingdom, where consumer control for a moderate bribe in national currency is always ready to willingly and joyfully register heroin as a food additive, and weapons-grade plutonium as children’s toys.

But half a ton of even small pineapples will yield about 1000 fruits individually. How much does 1 (one) pineapple cost? In a supermarket, with a branded sticker and a quality certificate for the batch? How often and how many pineapples are bought? In this situation, when will just excavating 120-130 cubic meters of soil pay off? In general, a backyard thermos greenhouse in the boreal zone can be classified as a project in which common sense and sober calculation are completely replaced by an insatiable desire to achieve something intrinsically unique, contrary to the obvious.

Of much greater interest is a small ground-based thermos greenhouse with its own heat accumulator in the form of a heater, operating on the principle of a solar oven with a heat storage device, see fig. on right. At -5 outside, its interior near Moscow can warm up to +45. Therefore, in the vault there is a sliding hatch-temperature regulator with a clapper valve and a deflector that diverts the cold stream from the plants to the zone of greatest heating.

The upper firecracker should be triggered by the slightest blow back and forth, so its flap is made extremely light, freely moving and spring-loaded to zero balance in the closed position with a thin, 0.15-0.25 mm, steel wire. The firecracker still does not save you from frost, so the hatch regulator must be closed manually at night.

The dimensions indicated are minimum; the greenhouse can be made larger. If it is made in the form of a ridge, but for every full and partial 1.5 m of length along the front, you need your own hood with an air duct so that the heater warms up evenly. So, a greenhouse 2 m long should have 2 air ducts and 2 hoods. There is no need to pull the hood high up, it is still not a stove; minimal draft is needed here, just so that the heated air leaks through the heater.

When is minimization needed?

The mini-greenhouse is used primarily in city apartments. Here a part of an insulated balcony or loggia is allocated for it. It is better to make the partition from the same polycarbonate. Boxes with earth are hung on the wall; at the same time, it is possible to grow exotic flowers and supply the family with radishes, strawberries, and herbs in winter.

In plant growing, mini-greenhouses are used to create for a specific group of plants special conditions. In a regular box greenhouse, all you need to do is nail arcs made of metal-plastic pipes to the boxes and cover everything with film, on the left in Fig. For potted crops, we have to make smaller copies of large greenhouses, in the center there.

A mini-greenhouse made from bottles, on the right in the figure, will be an excellent help in gardening. higher. Due to the high concentration of light, it can be through, and fresh air has a beneficial effect on plants in the early phases of development. Besides, there’s no hassle with this: I took it outside and set it up.

There are also types of highly productive mini-greenhouses available for self-production. Here, for example, in Fig. on the right is a greenhouse made from tires. Despite its clumsy appearance, it is high-tech: a two-stage greenhouse effect and drip irrigation are used. With skillful selection of varieties, one “auto-greenhouse” stand can produce up to half a bucket of tomatoes or 700-800 g of strawberries per day.

So what about in winter?

Small winter greenhouse can pay off either north of approximately the parallel of Kotlas, or in the very south, in the Krasnodar Territory and Stavropol Territory. In the first case, the matter is decided by fairly high prices and demand, in the second - a mild winter. In both cases, in general, 2 designs are possible for a small private owner.

The first is a classic trench greenhouse, only covered with polycarbonate, see fig. below. Because the frame is completely load-bearing; when calculating the coverage, take the zone number 1 less. In winter, flowers and onions are grown. By the end of February, when the mulch is almost rotten, tomatoes and cucumbers are sown and harvested at the end of April. In the summer they “greenhouse” as usual, and in the fall, when ground crops are cheap, the trenches are refilled; This is not a matter of one day, because... Fresh biofuel gets very hot at first. Then the cycle repeats.

The second is a box dugout greenhouse without drainage; diagram on the next page rice. Dugout is a relative name, because concrete screed the floor won't hurt her at all. Excess water flows into trays, where, under the influence of heat from the heating registers, it evaporates and humidifies the air.

It is advisable to insulate the base and blind area of ​​the dugout greenhouse, but there is no need to insulate the foundation. In the positive zone around it, the soil will not fall asleep for the winter, which will provide additional heating in low light. In this regard, the dugout can be considered a semi-thermos greenhouse.

How to warm up?

Heating, as already mentioned, accounts for the majority of winter greenhouse costs. If the heating is water from a boiler, then the optimal system design will be. It was specially designed for industrial premises, so it does not fit well into residential premises, but it is simple, inexpensive and very economical at the required temperature of up to +16 degrees, and in a greenhouse it will add heat to the optimum greenhouse effect.

However, the best option for heating a greenhouse is a stove-heater like a buleryan or buller. The obliquely upward nozzles of its convector direct hot air onto the roof slopes; here it prevents them from freezing, but cools down to a comfortable temperature and falls over the plants like a warm veil, creating the effect of the height of spring. You can learn more about the features of stove heating in greenhouses from the video below.

Video: stove heating of a greenhouse

For a greenhouse with an area of ​​less than 10 square meters. m the smallest buller turns out to be too powerful, because... With a very small fuel load, the efficiency of the bullers drops sharply. In this case, a potbelly stove made from a 12 or 27 liter gas cylinder will help out; the efficiency of potbelly stoves is quite high with a low firebox. Regarding stoves long burning, then they are unsuitable for greenhouses: they create a weak focus of convection and strong, burning plants, thermal radiation. Spring turns out like in the desert.

About lighting

Greenhouse lighting requires a separate, detailed discussion. Here we will share just a little secret: 1 special 24 W phytolamp can be replaced with 3 regular 13-15 W housekeepers with spectra at 2700K, 4100K and 6400K. The power consumption doubles, but is still three times lower than that of incandescent lamps.

One such triad under flat conical reflectors provides sufficient illumination of an area of ​​4-6 square meters. m. Lamps must be hung so that identical spectra are not adjacent either in a row or between rows.

Finally

Let's summarize - what kind of greenhouse to build? For starters, from bottles. It will quickly, simply and cheaply allow you to learn how to run a greenhouse and experience its benefits.

Further, in temperate climates, greenhouses made of polycarbonate on a frame made of PP pipes clearly dominate. In harsh places, a wooden one, also covered with polycarbonate, is preferable. It is also good because it has minimal impact on the environment. This is vitally important on permafrost.

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