Reinforced greenhouse: the best summer cottage options

Greenhouses have long become an integral part of summer cottages in many regions of our country. The harsh climate does not allow growing a full-fledged crop without additional shelter that maintains the optimum temperature for planting. Successful farming requires a stationary, reliable and durable greenhouse.

A greenhouse is a structure made of a frame and light-penetrating ceiling and walls. In Soviet times, with a general shortage, private greenhouses were built by summer residents themselves from improvised materials, wooden frame elements and glass or film for covering were used. Such greenhouses most often could not even be partially disassembled, in winter snow and wind destroyed the fragile coating or broke the frame. Therefore, every spring summer residents had to deal with the problem of restoring greenhouses, strengthening or repairing frames, replacing broken glass or completely pulling a new film canvas.

Over time, ready-made greenhouse options appeared on sale, consisting of a metal frame and a dense coating - polycarbonate. This material made it possible to make the dome semicircular, due to which snow does not accumulate on the roof in large volumes in winter. This modification solved many problems - now you do not need to build a greenhouse yourself, and then worry about how it will cope with the unpredictable Russian winter.

The fact is that the polycarbonate coating has the ability to maintain and maintain a constant temperature. This plus for summer time turns into a real problem in winter. The air temperature in the greenhouse and outside does not drop at the same time, and even in severe frosts under polycarbonate, it will be much higher. Falling snow does not completely roll down the sloping surface, as it has time to melt and is firmly held on the surface. With the arrival of spring, the problem intensifies - the sun's rays heat up the snow crust, forming an already quite heavy crust. Thus, even a metal frame can not withstand the forces of pressure and bend, at the same time breaking the icy coating.

The solution to these problems involves several budget options.

• Partially or completely disassemble the greenhouse for the winter. This option is only suitable for demountable structures. Additionally, it is necessary to think over a place for storing fairly voluminous parts of the building;
• Watch out for snowfalls and remove snow from the greenhouse in a timely manner. This can be difficult, even if the building is located on a site where you live all year round. Most often, greenhouses are installed in an open place away from home, and it is sometimes quite problematic to get to them in winter through snowdrifts. For summer residents leaving for the city for the winter, this option is not at all suitable;
• Install sturdy wooden beams or reinforcement supports inside the building. This method does not always guarantee protection from destruction, but, if possible, will help to keep the frame from distortions.

Before proceeding to consider the features and differences of reinforced greenhouses from ordinary ones, we will understand the main types of these stationary buildings. So, a greenhouse is a tall greenhouse, closed on all sides with a transparent cover. The height of the building allows the gardener to move freely, work with plants, and also grow relatively tall vegetables. A favorable microclimate is formed in the greenhouse, dense walls protect from drafts, frosts and torrential rains. The light-penetrating coating allows you to illuminate crops for a full daylight hours, without interfering with the full absorption of ultraviolet radiation by the plants.

In appearance, greenhouses can be:

• Rectangular small house with a gable roof;
• Rectangular with a pitched roof. Such buildings are an extension to something and have a significant drawback - illumination from only one side;
• Arched. It is an assembled frame made of a certain number of high arches;
• Drop-shaped. The lancet shape of the vault resembles a drop or a simplified Gothic structure;
• Dome. The hemispherical frame consists of segments of various geometric shapes. In appearance, such a greenhouse resembles a semicircular circus tent.

In the production and installation of a greenhouse, three main elements are used - foundation, frame, cover.

The greenhouse structure is not heavy and does not have a floor, so the foundation only serves to support the frame itself. This is an important point, since a greenhouse installed on the ground will be prone to distortions from winds, erosion or swelling of the soil. For a reinforced greenhouse, a foundation is needed on which the frame will be fixed very firmly. The type of foundation for greenhouses is tape; concrete, bricks or wooden beams are used for laying it.

The frame is the main element of any greenhouse, as it must withstand the weight of the coating, the load of atmospheric precipitation and gusts of wind. Frames are subdivided into wood and metal profiles. Wooden beams are susceptible to decay and are difficult to transport, therefore, thin steel pipes of small diameter are used in the production of ready-made greenhouses. Stainless steel is more practical than wood, the material serves for many years, without being exposed to the destructive effects of soil, fungus and insects. For a reinforced greenhouse, you should carefully choose the diameter of the pipes and give preference to reliable galvanized arches, crossbars and vertical beams. The steel pipe must be powder coated with a protective anti-corrosion compound.

The following materials can be used to cover the greenhouse:

• the film is polyethylene, reinforced or PVC;
• lutrasil;
• glass;
• cellular polycarbonate.

Today, greenhouse manufacturers prefer polycarbonate, and there are reasons for this. The material is resistant to mechanical stress. It is convenient to work with it, it is easy to cut and bend. Better than other materials, it retains heat inside the building. The porous structure allows you to create an optimal microclimate in the greenhouse. The strength and durability of the greenhouse depends on the quality and thickness of polycarbonate, therefore, when choosing, a material with a thickness of 4 to 6 mm should be preferred, and its density should not be lower than 0.7 mm.

The main parameters of the indoor space are width, length and height. The free growth of plants and the convenience of working in the beds depend on these indicators. It is easier to work in a spacious greenhouse, there is no risk of accidentally damaging neighboring crops.However, it should be borne in mind that free access is needed to the beds, but the land should not be empty, and the plants should not interfere with each other.

When planning the width of the building, attention is paid to two main indicators - the width of the door (it should be convenient to enter the greenhouse) and the width of the paths (at least half a meter for a comfortable step and turn of a person). The rest of the space will be used for garden beds. To prevent plants from being too crowded in an enclosed space, at least 75 cm on each side of the path should be left for their free growth. Thus, the smallest greenhouse should be 2 meters wide. At the same time, a 3 x 6 m structure is considered the best option as the most comfortable for plant growth and land work. When planning and surveying, it should be borne in mind that the width of the landings should not exceed 1.2 m, so that it is possible to freely reach the far edge of the garden without stepping on it. Based on these parameters, beds are formed in wider greenhouses, interspersed with paths according to the same standards.

The length of the greenhouse is an arbitrary parameter and depends on the wishes of the owner. The standard size is considered to be 4 m, where an arched arch is located every 100 cm. The dimensions were not chosen by chance: 1 m is the size of a sheet of cellular polycarbonate, and 4 m is enough space to create an optimal microclimate in a greenhouse. If desired, the length can be increased to 10 m, but the longer it is, the more difficult it is to maintain the desired temperature.

The height of the structure depends on the height of the planned landings and the growth of the owner himself. The standard sizes are from 180 to 200 cm. This is enough for the free development of crops, fresh air and human convenience. Too high greenhouse vaults are unprofitable, they will take more material, but the increased roof height will not bring any return.

The set of the factory product must be accompanied by detailed instructions for self-installation. Each greenhouse model has its own configuration and installation nuances, so the instructions must be received along with the warranty card.

As a rule, a detailed description is enough to do the installation yourself without the involvement of specialists from the manufacturer.

The greenhouse is installed at a positive temperature and already thawed soil. The frame is installed strictly on a pre-laid foundation, which will avoid uneven pressing of the soil and subsequent damage to the frame and coating.

At the first stage of the greenhouse assembly, the end parts are formed. Polycarbonate is attached to them with a solid sheet, the protruding edges are neatly cut along the contour.

The second step is the installation of the lower base frame. The use of anchor bolts will most reliably protect the greenhouse from swaying under wind gusts.

End parts and arcs are installed on the base. A horizontal beam-ridge is fixed at the top on the arcs. During the installation of these elements, the bolts are not fully tightened, performing the function of balance holders. The final tightening of the bolts takes place after the entire frame has been assembled.

As a reinforcement of the frame for the winter, you can use duplicate arcs or props. The arcs are made of a metal bending profile, the diameter is smaller than the main frame. For the beams, a wooden beam is used to support the ridge of the roof and the main load-bearing beams.These works must be done in the fall, before the onset of the first cold weather, before the ground has time to freeze.

To strengthen the existing greenhouse, it is necessary to carry out preventive maintenance of the structure in spring and autumn. Before starting planting and after harvesting, check the coating for damage and the frame for defects. These can be cracks in the film coating, corrosion in some areas of the metal base, or fungus, mold on wooden beams. Metal and wood should be well cleaned and coated with antibacterial or anti-corrosion compounds.

Periodic correction of minor damages will prevent a thorough destruction of the greenhouse, will extend its life.

The main parameters by which consumers evaluate garden structures are strength, guaranteed service life, as well as the possibility of self-assembly of the product. Customer reviews on the forums of gardeners allow us to compile a list of models of reinforced greenhouses of Russian production, which summer residents assign the status of "best".

This line includes models:

• "Uralochka Reinforced";
• "Summer Resident";
• "Kremlin Suite";
• "Garden of Eden";
• Elbrus-Elite;
• "Orange";
• "Innovator";
• "Hope".

For information on how to assemble a reinforced greenhouse, see the video below.