Pros and cons of polycarbonate greenhouses

If you decide to build a greenhouse on the site this spring, consider using polycarbonate. This material continues to gain in popularity due to its many benefits, which are covered by our tips site. Let’s not forget to mention the cons of polycarbonate.

Polycarbonate greenhouses have many advantages:

• You can choose sheets of different sizes to build any greenhouse – from a small structure for several seedling boxes to a full-fledged greenhouse with numerous plants;
• The light transmission is at least 92%, so the greenhouse heats up very efficiently, there is always enough sun for the plants;
• Polycarbonate does not burn. It begins to melt only at a temperature of + 550 ° C, while no harmful fumes are emitted;
• The material has good sound insulation properties – up to 25 decibels. For a greenhouse where no one will live for sure, this is not so important, but still this property of polycarbonate cannot be ignored;
• You can build partitions inside the greenhouse, make windows and vents, sheathe spans easily and comfortably;
• Polycarbonate weighs very little, which greatly facilitates both the transportation process and work with it on the site;
• Polycarbonate is able to withstand temperature extremes from -40 ° C to + 120 ° C. However, he does not lose his properties;
• The material is honeycomb, which allows it to provide reliable thermal insulation. If you equip heating, then a polycarbonate greenhouse can be used all year round. It will be possible to use the greenhouse without heating from March to the end of October;
• Modern polycarbonate is 200 times stronger than glass! Damaging your greenhouse won’t be easy. The material will withstand both wind and other weather conditions, including hail;
• Now manufacturers cover polycarbonate with special agents that provide protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation;
• Such greenhouse cladding is not afraid of chemicals and acid precipitation;
• All work with polycarbonate is easy to do with your own hands, without hiring specialists;
• From bending polycarbonate, you can build a greenhouse of any shape, at the request of the owners.

The disadvantages of polycarbonate as a building material are associated with some features of its use:

• The ends of the sheets must be closed! If you leave them open, moisture will get there, insects will fly in and crawl, this will cause damage. In addition, in a humid environment, mold may appear inside the polycarbonate sheet, and this will ruin the light transmission, and the entire appearance of the greenhouse;
• In winter, the polycarbonate greenhouse must be cleared of snow in time. The material is strong enough, but still under the weight of the snow cover it can change shape and deform. Therefore, in the snowy winter, owners will have to regularly clean the upper part of the structure, and carefully, best of all with a broom, so as not to damage anything;
• The polycarbonate gets dirty with dust, and there are streaks from the rain. The greenhouse needs to be washed to ensure good light transmission. But you can only use soft tissues and water or soapy water. Abrasives can damage the coating, wash off the protective layer. You can also not use ethers and alkalis, they also harm the top coating of the sheet..

A polycarbonate greenhouse in cost is located in the middle between the most inexpensive greenhouse made of polyethylene film and capital glass structures. In terms of strength, polycarbonate is significantly superior to glass and, of course, film, which makes it a very popular choice in the construction of greenhouses. Material drawbacks can be leveled through correct installation and operation. The portal wrote in detail about how to build a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands.