How to set up a polycarbonate greenhouse. Installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse: do-it-yourself video, installation and instructions, the soil is correct on the site. Proximity to home and communications

When we look at polycarbonate greenhouses on neighboring plots, the installation of a greenhouse seems to us a simple and quick matter. And after all, today you don't even need to procure any materials yourself, everything is on the market or in the store! What does the process actually look like, and is it as simple and fast as we would like?

It's not all cute and carefree, it turns out. Always things, products, and especially - designs designed for the mass consumer and produced specifically for mass sales, are made worse than piece units.

It's not about the materials, but about the design. Since the product is designed for the widest possible application, they do not have any complex elements that should, for example, facilitate operation. So, when purchasing a ready-made arched polycarbonate greenhouse, at the same time you buy all its disadvantages in the kit.

No, of course, the benefits are undeniable! Installing a polycarbonate greenhouse will make your garden life much easier.

Among the advantages, you can list (for all available options):

• The greenhouse will not break like a glass one (see);
• Much stronger than film models;
• Keeps warm inside well;
• The material can always take the necessary forms with ease;
• Polycarbonate is perfectly cut with a simple knife.

As for the shortcomings, no one will tell you about them, because it is not customary to scare away the consumer. And together with the purchased "factory" polycarbonate greenhouse, you will buy all its negative qualities (see).

And only then do not get rid of them, even following the installation instructions exactly.

• Editing will not take place as quickly as advertised. Or in a tutorial video. Before you properly install the polycarbonate greenhouse, you will need to make a foundation on site (see), and then, if necessary, also a base (preferably if the foundation is self-leveling and without formwork). A plinth is needed if you will raise the level of the soil, its fertile layer, inside the greenhouse. More precisely and simply put - to import more land;
• After the delivery of the kit (greenhouse), you have to assemble its lower part, carefully measure all the indicators, and, according to the ready-made data, arrange the foundation. Which, by the way, will then stand for more than one day. No, it can dry in the open sun in a day, but it will not gain the nominal strength, but rather crack. That is, upon delivery of our greenhouse, we pour the foundation and wait a couple of weeks. After all, you do not know what size structure you will buy on the market tomorrow?

• Minus number two: the typical form of greenhouses popularized by the people is arched. But this is not because such a design is optimal. And because the installation of polycarbonate on the greenhouse in this case is much easier, in this case it is simply more convenient for manufacturers to start the conveyor. And this is determined by the "standard" sizes of polycarbonate sheets. With the usual width of 2.1 meters, a standard sheet is 12 meters long, but of course, no one will work with such "sheets". Therefore, typical sheets are cut in half, and the structure is "sharpened" under 6 meters. In such polycarbonate greenhouses, installation instructions are even given a typical one, one for all occasions;
• The third drawback is that the standard design does not allow increasing the ceiling height. A standard sheet will have a radius of curvature of exactly 1.9 meters and a width of 3.8 meters, respectively. You will draw with a cap on the roof. In some designs, however, you can "play" with the dimensions, if you take the smaller side of the polycarbonate sheet, that is, 2.1 meters, as the main side of the polycarbonate sheet. Accordingly, you can make the ceiling a little larger, but you have to lay four sheets across so that the total length of the roof is 8.4 meters. And these are additional fasteners, joints, especially transverse ones, where water and condensate will flow;
• The fourth, slightly paradoxical drawback is precisely the arched structure. In terms of the manufacture of the frame, it is slightly superior in complexity to the rectilinear one when it comes to metal profiles or pipes, and not plastic. It is easier to make plastic, but the strength is lame;
• For the manufacture of frame structures, it is necessary to use slipways, tooling or pipe benders, and still, it is quite difficult to obtain arcs of the same size. And if you make each arc piece by piece, then absolutely ...

Conclusion! Ready-made constructions of polycarbonate greenhouses are strong enough, beautiful, warm and overly expensive. Much more expensive than a self-assembled building. And they are not always as practical as we would like, in comparison with their own construction according to their own design. Even adaptation to a specific terrain or microclimate of the zone is not, and cannot be, of mass projects.

But you, of course, have already purchased such products if you want to know how to install a polycarbonate greenhouse. Therefore, we are going further for you personally.

Installation of a finished polycarbonate greenhouse

Training

This includes work on clearing the site, the device (pouring) the foundation and the construction of the basement.

• The site where the building will be located must be cleared not only of vegetation and debris, but also a small topsoil must be removed. All the same, then you will fill up the earth, and so - along with the fertile layer, you will also remove the seeds of future weeds. And it will become much more convenient to work.

The site is cleared more than is required to install the structure, about one and a half meters on each side along the entire perimeter must also be cleaned. This will be required when storing materials and tools.

• Digging a trench for the foundation. Since this is not a house and not a shed, the trench will be enough for a depth of 20-25 cm, even taking into account the construction of a sand cushion. But what, everything is according to the rules! We check the evenness and dimension of the sides of the dug trench again by pulling two ropes along the diagonals. As a result, they should be equal in length, then your rectangle turned out to be correct;
• We make a pillow of sand, you can not sift the sand, not the case. And ramming such a pillow does not make much sense, you can only spill it with water to seal it. Layer - 5 cm, no more;
• Lay a layer of waterproofing along the walls of the trench;
• Lay the rubble or broken brick, but do not be too zealous, since the depth is small. Only corners can be reinforced, along the entire length there is no need, but there is no prohibition either;
• Fill the trench with rubble and reinforcement with a slurry of cement and sand. The proportions are usual, 1: 3, with the brand of Portland cement grade M 500 and above;
• After the set of the calculated tensile strength of the foundation (this is about two weeks, it is possible - one and a half), waterproof the foundation along the upper bed. You can put a red brick plinth on it.

Installing the frame

A polycarbonate greenhouse with the installation of a ready-made frame must be supplied with instructions, where all actions should be described in detail. Each version of ready-made structures from different manufacturers may differ in materials and the way they are attached to each other. Therefore, it makes no sense to give specific descriptions of your step-by-step work.

• Since a greenhouse is a kind of room in which there will necessarily be high humidity, all elements must be protected from moisture. If these are metal parts, they are protected even in production, but it does not happen so that there are no sawed off or cut off places where the protection is removed. At the joints and at the joints, it is advisable to paint over the metal profile or cover it with some other means of protection against corrosion;
• Wooden parts are also treated with antiseptics at the sawing points and covered with paints or varnishes. It is understood that the blanks for the frame, made of wood, are also protected from moisture, mold, and so on at the factory along their entire length;
• When installing the frame on the base, it is advisable to attach it to the base in several places. This can be done by drilling a through hole straight through the base elements using a long drill. It is also possible to fix the structure on wooden inserts arranged in advance in the basement, located approximately every 1.5-2 meters.

Covering the frame with polycarbonate

There are several options for how to properly install polycarbonate on a greenhouse. Surely, in the finished design, the developers provided for one of them, and supplied the kit with consumables, that is, fasteners. These are either self-tapping screws (screws, bolts) with thermal washers, or a special profile, which can be metal (see) or polycarbonate.

Fasteners with thermal washers

Fasteners with thermal washers require pre-drilling holes in the polycarbonate sheets. Their diameter should usually be slightly larger than the diameter of the self-tapping screw, the tightness and tightness of the attachment point is ensured by a special seal in the form of a washer.

The self-tapping screw is screwed in as usual, its head is closed with a cover provided in the fastener design to protect the metal from moisture. In this case, gaskets made of butyl rubber or rubber must be laid on the frame to ensure both tightness of pressure from the inside and tightness.

With this fastening, the connecting seams from the outside remain open, the tightness is ensured only from the inside. Water flows into the seams. In addition, at the ends it is necessary to close the ducts inside the polycarbonate sheets so that water does not flow there too.

The upper ends are closed tightly with construction tape or any other similar method, and the lower ones must have perforations for condensate drainage. Otherwise, the sheets will fog up and lose transparency.

In the case of using a profile, everything is much more pleasant. The H-shape provides a tight entry of the polycarbonate ends inside, thereby immediately providing both density and tightness. The upper and lower ends of the material are also closed with an end profile, and all problems with the protection of the ducts are solved.

Here we figured out how to properly install polycarbonate on a greenhouse. The rest remains!

Doors

Everything is also provided by the manufacturer, so there is no need to independently select materials and measure them. You just have to assemble the frame of the canvas and hang polycarbonate on it, and then mount the door on the structure. It is advisable to sew the sheets to the frame "on the ground" while the door is not yet hung.

How you will ensure the tightness of the door closure is up to the owner, so to speak. If seals are provided in the finished structure, then everything is fine from the beginning. But this is not always so rosy, recall that the greenhouse is of mass production.

Therefore, it would be nice to provide for the installation of a rubber sheet seal with a thickness of no more than 2 mm. For these purposes, a bicycle tube cut along the length is perfect.

There is no need to go to the store to buy a branded model of a greenhouse, especially if you know how to assemble a polycarbonate greenhouse yourself.

For 15-20 years, it will serve you without repair, which means that additional costs will not be required.

Foundation

All large greenhouses are mounted on columnar foundations. Only the outer sides of the greenhouse are made from strip foundations. The depth of soil freezing for a given area should be taken into account.

This information can be obtained from:

• The Internet
• Construction organizations
• City, district, regional departments of architecture
• Reference technical literature

In order to fill the columnar foundation, it is necessary to make a formwork from boards with a thickness of 25 mm. The height of the columnar foundation should be equal to the depth of soil freezing plus 250-300 mm. The minimum cross-section of the foundation post is 150 * 150 mm. In each extreme foundation post, a reinforcement bar of at least 8 mm must be inserted, which should protrude from the concrete by 150-200 mm.

The concrete for the foundation posts must be at least M 200 grade. Each post must be installed on a solid foundation. The developer may have a question: How to align all the foundation posts to the same level? When installing the posts in the ground, do not worry if one post is higher and the other lower. After installing the posts and checking the geometric dimensions, they are cut to the level using the "Grinder with a diamond wheel".

• In order not to fill the foundation posts, you can buy ready-made concrete posts for fences
• Columns can be round

Stake out the foundation axes

Before building the foundation, it is necessary to make a breakdown of its axes on the ground. For small greenhouses, a tape measure is sufficient. If the greenhouse is large, it is impossible to install polycarbonate greenhouses without theodolite. In order to make the correct breakdown, it is necessary to make a breakdown of the greenhouse axes and install the cast-off on the ground:

Designations in the figure:

1. I saw through to pass the central axis.
2. Auxiliary axes for marking the edges of the foundation
3. Corner cast-off
4. Centerline strip

Pegs 7,8,9,10,11,12 to mark the corners and extreme points of the greenhouse.

Necessary materials:

• Roulette
• Wooden pegs
• Nails
• Large stakes
• Axe
• Synthetic rope (wire)
• Plumb line

First you need to make a rectangle with the required dimensions. We drive nails into the pegs where the axes of the greenhouse will pass. After the axes of the greenhouse are laid out on the ground, they must be taken out of the construction site.

To do this, outside the site, a cast-off of wooden posts and boards is installed. The strip must be strong and not wobbly in the wind. All the axes of the greenhouse will be placed on it. This is done so that at any time you can check the correct installation of the foundation posts and the installation of the greenhouse frame.

Tips: There can be as many outlines as there are main and auxiliary axes in the greenhouse.

Foundation check

The horizontalness of the foundation can be checked:

• Leveling
• Theodolite
• Water level

Where can I get these tools? Level and theodolite can be borrowed from specialized construction organizations. The water level is used by folk craftsmen. It consists of a rubber hose and two glass tubes.

The geometric dimensions are checked using a tape measure.

A right angle is a rectangle with dimensions:

• Legs 3 meters and 4 meters
• Hypotenuse 5 meters

In a rectangle with these dimensions, the angle is 90 degrees.

• The water level can be made by yourself from the irrigation hose and two glass tubes or syringes.

Foundation concrete

The industry produces cement in bags of 50 kilograms of various brands.

For example, a column with a cross section of 150 * 150 mm and a height of 1200 mm will have a volume: 0.15 * 0.15 * 1.2 = 0.027 m3. That is, for 10 columns with a height of 1.2 m with a section of 150 * 150 mm, 0.27 m3 of concrete M 200 is needed.

There are special tables in which various options for preparing concrete are considered, depending on the brand of cement, water-cement ratio and various fillers of crushed stone and sand.

• The foundation of a small greenhouse must be installed with millimeter precision and strictly horizontal.
• If the greenhouse is large, then each column must be positioned in accordance with the project. The height of the posts regulates the slopes for water drains.
• Sometimes manufacturers of cement on bags print tables for the preparation of various grades of concrete.

Greenhouse options

When building polycarbonate greenhouses, there may be several options for their designs:

• Gable greenhouses.
• Single-pitched greenhouses.

Installation of arched structures

Arched polycarbonate greenhouses have found the most widespread use among amateurs of gardeners. Polycarbonate sheets, in addition to their good thermal performance, are also durable and flexible.

Thanks to this, the industry began mass production of arched greenhouses (and many others). Arched greenhouses are the most technologically advanced of all, although the arched design has some drawbacks. But this design still has more advantages.

• Despite the manufacturer's warranties, it is necessary to install additional braces
• Before starting the assembly, it is better to watch the installation video for clarity.

Assembling an arched greenhouse

1. In order not to make mistakes, the instructions for assembling a polycarbonate greenhouse should be the guiding and guiding force of vegetable growers.
2. A strapping of wooden beams 100 * 100 mm is mounted on the foundation posts. The bars are treated with antiseptic materials against decay.
3. In the arches of industrial production made of metal square pipes, holes are drilled for fixing polycarbonate. All holes must be drilled using a template. The template is made from a metal strip. If the arches are made of aluminum or galvanized metal profiles up to 1mm thick, you do not need to drill holes. Fastening can be done with screws - self-tapping screws.
4. On a wooden or other (metal) strapping of the foundation posts, the points of attachment of the arcs are marked.
5. Once all dimensions have been checked, assembly can begin in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.
6. The first arc must be reinforced with braces so that it does not wobble from side to side.
7. All arcs are sequentially mounted from the first to the last arc.
8. The greenhouse frame is reinforced with metal braces and connected with metal profiles in accordance with the drawings.
9. After checking all sizes, proceed to the installation of polycarbonate sheets.

Greenhouse details

The photo shows how to seal polycarbonate sheets. A sealing tape should be installed at the top of the sheet, and a perforated tape for draining condensate at the bottom.

After the sealing and perforated tape has been applied, it must be secured with a U-end profile. It should be in the kit.

This profile is used to join two adjacent polycarbonate sheets. It is one-piece. In this case, the polycarbonate sheets and the profile are mounted sequentially one after the other.

In this case, the installation of polycarbonate on the greenhouse can be started with the installation of the lower part of the connecting profile, and then, by installing the polycarbonate sheets, "snap the upper part". This type of connection is more convenient to work with.

The FP wall profile can be used for single-slope greenhouses.

The corner profile is used to connect extreme corner sheets. The connection is sealed by the elasticity of the polycarbonate.

The design feature of the profile is such that it is designed for large greenhouses. Polycarbonate sheets are inserted from both sides.

Connecting profile, detachable

In this version of the connecting profile, a ridge is provided, consisting of two parts. Having attached the lower profile, rubber seals, polycarbonate sheets are installed in it and the upper part of the profile is inserted into it. With some effort, the top of the skate “snaps into place”.

Good advice :

• For the winter, all arcs in the greenhouse made of polycarbonate sheets should be supported with wooden supports with braces, resting them against recesses in the ground to avoid the collapse of the greenhouse from snow
• All polycarbonate sheets must fit into the joints with a gap of at least 5mm
• All holes in polycarbonate sheets must be larger by 2mm for self-tapping screws or screws
• All joints of polycarbonate sheets with connecting elements should be sealed with silicone

And if you do not listen to good advice, then you can face the fall of the greenhouse. It can be seen that this flimsy structure is not designed for severe and snowy winters. There is not even a hint of braces.

Therefore, when buying a greenhouse, you always need to inquire about its design. If there are no braces, you can make them yourself using a metal profile and an electric drill. The costs are small, and unpleasant surprises can be avoided.

Installation of gable greenhouses

Building foundations for gable greenhouses is no different from building foundations for arched greenhouses.

When arranging gable greenhouses and their design, the recommended angles of inclination of the roof should be taken into account. Tilt angle can vary from 10 ° to 30 °.

The higher the angle of inclination of the roof, the less snow load, but the consumption of materials is greater. The main thing during installation is the correct and accurate breakdown of the greenhouse frame on the foundation. The frame can be fixed in different ways. Screws with self-tapping screws to a wooden strapping or dowels to a concrete foundation.

Details of gable greenhouses and their connections

The design features of the frame of the gable greenhouse are such that the corner joint is quite rigid and does not allow adjusting the width of the greenhouse by pushing the structure apart on the foundation without damaging it. Therefore, the accuracy of the breakdown of the foundation plays a major role here.

Greenhouse manufacturers have tried to unify the details. Installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse from a metal profile is not difficult.

The connection of two rafters together with a ridge on self-tapping screws forms a solid knot.

To increase the strength of the greenhouse structure, braces are used. If there are no such braces in the proposed greenhouse design, they should be made independently.

The manufacturer used a metal profile in the form of a square tube for the frame of the greenhouse. The profile can be not only in the form of a square, but also a rectangle.

If you do everything in accordance with the recommendations of the greenhouse manufacturers, and even take measures to strengthen the structure, such a greenhouse will last a long time. In the photo, you can see the corners of the greenhouse reinforced with braces. Braces should be used to strengthen not only the walls of the greenhouse, but also the roof.

Installation of lean-to greenhouses

The installation of single-slope greenhouses differs from the installation of gable ones in that one of the sides of the greenhouse is adjacent to a building or some kind of structure. In fact, a gable greenhouse is half of a gable greenhouse.

During installation, attention must be paid to the abutment to the wall. The junction must be sealed. Can be sealed with polyurethane foam.

Helpful hints:

• For unification, all repeated connections must be made according to the template.
• The distance between the rafters should be multiples of the width of the polycarbonate sheet. These dimensions are equal: 2100mm, 1050mm, 700mm
• For a large greenhouse, it is advisable to use an aluminum connecting profile.
• For fixing polycarbonate it is necessary to use special washers with gaskets
• The bending radius of the sheets is specified in the manufacturer's recommendations
• Polycarbonate is drilled with conventional metal drills

The dream of any gardener is to have a greenhouse on the site in order to provide themselves with fresh vegetables or earn money from the sale of off-season fruits and herbs. If you decide to buy a ready-made structure and want to equip the greenhouse yourself, follow the instructions given in the article and get a high-quality structure, saving on assembly and construction.

Choosing a place for a greenhouse on the site

To grow a good crop in a greenhouse, you first need to choose the right place for its equipment.

Rules for the successful location of the greenhouse:

• trees and shrubs on the site must be protected from drafts and winds;
• the development of plants should not interfere with the surrounding buildings - the distance to the nearest buildings should be about 3 m;
• long walls are positioned in the east-west direction for maximum sun illumination of the plants in the greenhouse, and short walls - south-north;
• trees and shrubs on the site should not shade, and the root system should take moisture from the plants in the greenhouse;
• the approach to the structure should be convenient.

If these conditions are met, the greenhouse will not only decorate the garden plot, but also guarantee a good harvest.

Did you know?Today, the largest greenhouse structure, covering an area of ​​121 hectares, is located in the UK - the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The best time to install a greenhouse is autumn, when the plants have stopped bearing fruit and the crop is harvested. At this time, nothing will prevent you from choosing a site for installation and free space for installation. Overwinters the structure without damage, since polycarbonate is not affected by low temperatures.

Site preparation begins with marking and stripping. The site for installation must be marked with pegs, remove the top layer of soil, cleaning it from roots and large stones. Tamp and level the vacated space using a building level.

Self-installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse

For assembly, you will need an assistant, since it is impossible to fix and support the structure alone. Stock up on the necessary tools (screwdriver, wrenches, knife, level, square).

Did you know? Most of the greenhouses are in Holland. They occupy 10,500 hectares, which is one fourth of the area of ​​the entire country.

Choice of design

When choosing a structure, one should take into account temperature fluctuations in the region and wind loads, take into account the stability of the structure. You should not choose a large greenhouse if you are not going to use the entire area - a smaller area is easier and easier to heat.

The most common and convenient designs are:

Foundation preparation

Many believe that a foundation is necessary for permanent structures, and a lightweight greenhouse structure can be placed directly on the ground. This decision is justified by the mobility of the greenhouse, free movement on the site.

But a stationary base, in turn, provides strength and stability, and is necessary in the following cases:

• the wind rose in this area creates windage - the structure can be blown off by the wind;
• large greenhouse sizes - lead to deformation and subsidence;
• the greenhouse is used all year round without interrupting the growing process;
• by placing the structure above ground level, it is possible to save up to 10% of the heat;
• adverse climatic conditions and external influences - protection against freezing, moisture, cold air, rodents and pests.

Polycarbonate greenhouses require a rigid base. By choosing types of foundations that are simple to build, you can cope with their construction even with minimal construction skills.

The simple design of the point foundation allows the greenhouse to be installed horizontally on supports made of wood, brick, concrete or foam concrete blocks or posts. The larger the structure, the more durable the support material you need to choose. This type of foundation is suitable for a temporary and light greenhouse.

For a medium-sized structure, you will need 6-8 anchor points:

1. Marking is carried out according to the dimensions of the frame.
2. Support posts are placed in the corners (they are dug into the level with the soil).
3. Evenly place and dig in the remaining columns a meter apart.
4. A corner is stuffed for the subsequent fastening of the frame.

When installing a supporting-columnar structure, roofing material can be used as a formwork for filling the pillars. Such a foundation is reliable, durable and inexpensive, but additional work is needed to insulate the base and rigid strapping.

It is used for stationary heavy greenhouses of large sizes and is a masonry laid in the ground along the perimeter of the following materials:

• concrete- in a shallow trench along the perimeter of the greenhouse base, formwork is installed and poured with concrete or rubble concrete;
• brick or blocks- such materials can be installed on a sandy base, fixing with a cement mortar;
• wooden beams or sleepers- the material is knocked down and fastened into a frame, and installed on roofing material or roofing felt to ensure waterproofing. Railway sleepers are treated with anti-rotting compounds, but the timber will have to be processed.

The procedure for the construction of the strip foundation is as follows:

1. Marking and digging trenches.
2. Substrate preparation (sand, gravel, roofing material).
3. Formwork installation, reinforcement and concrete pouring (for concrete foundations).
4. Ultimate waterproofing.

The greenhouse is based on a frame made of wooden beams of a suitable section. It is easy to attach any frame to the tree and change the position of the greenhouse with further use. For greater reliability, additional posts can be installed in the corners when attaching the base of the greenhouse.

Important!Any wood requires treatment with antiseptics and impregnations to protect it from moisture and decay.

Procedure:

1. Layout of the site for the foundation.
2. Digging a trench, the depth and width of which depends on the section of the bar (for example, with a section of 10 × 10 cm, the depth is 15 cm, the width is 80 cm more than the thickness of the bar).
3. Laying with an overlap of roofing material or roofing roofing for waterproofing.
4. Laying the timber on the base and fastening the frame with corners.
5. Leveling (correct minor deviations by adding sand or gravel).

• Pros:
• high-quality thermal insulation;
• low cost;
• ease of installation and operation;

• Minuses:
• low strength;
• short service life;
• the need for impregnation.

Whichever type of blocks you choose, they all fit into the foundation using a strip method:

1. Sand is poured at the bottom of the trench, moistened and tamped.
2. The first row of blocks is laid on a cement mortar.
3. In the corners, 2-3 blocks are laid out in height, strictly observing the verticality.
4. Pull the cord between the corner blocks for a horizontal level.
5. The blocks are fastened with a solution and so all subsequent rows are filled.

The dimensions of the greenhouse should be a multiple of the dimensions of the foam concrete blocks, since they cannot be broken due to the presence of voids inside.

Important! When constructing any foundation, it is necessary to install anchors (bolts, fittings, corners or metal plates), with their help the greenhouse is attached to the foundation.

• Pros:
• good waterproofing;
• durability;
• favorable cost.

• Minuses:
• low thermal insulation;
• weak strength.

Concrete

This type of foundation is used under the following conditions:

• close location of groundwater;
• installation of a greenhouse on a slope;
• deepening the greenhouse into the ground.

Did you know? Icelandic geysers are used for the construction of greenhouses. This provides tremendous savings in heating costs.

Sequence of work:

1. The trench for the foundation is first covered with sand, then with gravel and compacted to ground level.
2. Place the formwork over the gravel.
3. Distribute the reinforcement, fastening it with wire.
4. They are poured with concrete mortar, compacting it and not forgetting to install anchors.

The lightness of the frame and plastic of the polycarbonate greenhouse makes it possible to do without a support base, but the question arises of a reliable fastening of the structure to the soil in order to avoid overturning in the wind. Such a greenhouse installation is only possible for seasonal use.

To install the structure on the ground, lugs (T-shaped pillars), which should be included in the set with the greenhouse, are driven into the soil to a depth of 30 cm. This reduces windage and creates relative stability.

• Cons of installing a greenhouse without a foundation:
• heat loss (up to 10%);
• weak protection against freezing through the ground;
• penetration of weeds, rodents and insect pests;
• destruction of polycarbonate sheets in contact with the ground;
• shrinkage of the earth can cause distortion.

• Pros of installation on the ground:
• simplicity and speed of installation;
• profitability;
• ease of dismantling after seasonal work;
• free movement around the site.

Frame selection

The frame is the skeleton of the greenhouse, and it must be strong, reliable and durable.

When making a choice in favor of a specific material for the frame, you need to remember the requirements for the structure as a whole:

• ease of installation of a translucent coating;
• recreating the selected shape;
• ensuring sustainability;
• ensuring the rigidity of the entire structure;
• resistance to temperature extremes inside and outside the room.

Wood is a traditional, affordable and inexpensive (compared to others) building material for protected ground structures. The construction and operation of timber frames has pros and cons.

• Pros:
• ease of installation;
• cost-effectiveness of consumables;
• environmental friendliness of the material;
• any materials are easily attached to the wooden frame;
• good thermal insulation.

• Minuses:
• fragility of the structure without appropriate impregnation;
• treatment with antifungal drugs is necessary;
• insufficient elastic material to create, for example, arched structures.

Greenhouses with a metal frame are considered more reliable and durable. In this case, profile pipes, aluminum and galvanized steel should be used in the frame. The coating should be galvanized on both sides, this is the only way to protect the structure from rust, which will certainly happen with polymer-powder or primed coatings, which are not able to withstand the aggressive climate of the greenhouse for metal. For frames, a U-shaped profile (section 50 × 40 mm) is suitable, arcs can be made from a rack-mount profile, and horizontal parts from a guide.

For the manufacture of frame arcs, you can use ordinary square shaped pipes with a cross section of at least 20 × 20 × 1.5 mm (bend with a pipe bender), and the posts - from a rack profile (50 × 50 × 3 mm). The pipe has good rigidity, condensate does not linger on it, care consists only in timely painting. To reduce thermal conductivity, choose a light-colored paint. Pipe arches are cost effective, but in winter you will have to clear the roof of snow to avoid sagging.

The aluminum profile is durable, lightweight, strong and does not require painting, but it is expensive and difficult to weld on your own. When bolting to an aluminum frame, the strength and reliability of the structure is reduced.

The galvanized profile is easy to work with, does not corrode and allows you to create a structure of any shape (arched, one- and two-slope). When working with a galvanized profile, you need to be careful not to cut yourself with sharp joints.

The number of transverse fastenings - arches affects the strength, rigidity, snow and wind resistance of the structure. For the strongest, the distance between the arcs is 0.5 m. The optimal arrangement of arcs is considered with a step of 0.67–1 m, depending on the characteristics of the profile. For steps over 1 m, use the thickest polycarbonate and profile.

More often, the frame cladding is carried out with cellular polycarbonate, which has successfully replaced glass and film. Polycarbonate is stronger than glass and is not inferior to it in light transmission (86%), superior in thermal insulation properties, strength, flexibility and lightness. Polycarbonate is resistant to natural factors and can withstand temperature fluctuations (–40 ° C ... + 120 ° C). A special protective layer prevents the penetration of ultraviolet rays into the room.

Polycarbonate sheathing is the most important point in installing a greenhouse and requires careful observance of the rules:

• the mounting holes should be slightly larger than the diameter of the screws (this will avoid damage due to thermal expansion);
• a long sheet of polycarbonate should be fastened with self-tapping screws into oval mounting holes, installing a self-tapping screw in the center;
• self-tapping screws must be at least 5 mm in diameter with rubber washers to reduce heat loss through the joints;
• before the beginning of the sheathing, the inner film is removed from the polycarbonate sheet, the outer one - after the end of the work;
• the sheet must be placed strictly vertically so that condensate from the inner cells flows freely from the voids;
• fastening is carried out 3.5 cm from the edge of the sheet;
• the step of fastening with self-tapping screws depends on the thickness of the sheet and is 30–40 cm (thickness 6–8 mm), 50 cm (thickness 10 mm);
• it is necessary to control the efforts when screwing in self-tapping screws in order to avoid damage to the sheet.

Important! When sheathing with polycarbonate, the sheet must be fixed with a protective layer outward, and not otherwise.

Sheathing with polycarbonate starts from the end walls, the sheets are installed with an overlap and screwed on. The excess is cut with a knife along the frame, doors and vents are cut out along the openings. Then the side walls and roof are cladding. With the arched shape of the greenhouse, the sheet is thrown from the base of one side to the other, leveled and attached to the frame. Subsequent sheets are wound with an overlap (5–10 cm) in the absence of special joints. Remove the outer film - and the greenhouse is ready for use.

To get good yields, not only the choice of the design of the greenhouse is important, but its arrangement inside - the location of the beds, paths, shelves and racks. The relatively small space of the erected greenhouse must be used with maximum benefit for caring for plants and for creating a microclimate - a combination of illumination, humidity, heat and ventilation.

The layout of the beds depends on the vegetable crops being grown and the size of the greenhouse:

• three beds- two passes, the middle bed (90–120 cm) is wider than the side ones;
• two wide beds on the sides- one pass, plants with this arrangement receive maximum sunlight;
• three narrow beds- two wide passages;
• wide bed in the middle- two narrow side ones, the scheme is appropriate for wide greenhouses.

The beds are formed with a height of about 30-60 cm and are located in the west-east direction, undersized plants are planted on the south side. Save space at the entrance by making the center bed shorter. Paths between the beds should provide free access to the plants. With narrow paths, the plants are located close to each other, which reduces the illumination and ventilation of the plantings. Wide paths are an unreasonable use of the usable area.

The optimal width of the paths is 45–70 cm. The paths can be laid out with stone, gravel, brick, paving slabs, roofing felt over the boards. Internal racks are used for potted plants, containers with seedlings, household supplies. The shelves are approximately 90 cm wide, and the height is selected based on ease of use.

Polycarbonate greenhouses are heated in summer by natural sunlight, and in winter months, heating can be done with heaters or stove heating. To provide ventilation in summer, greenhouse windows can be kept open all day. Use will automatically adjust temperature and humidity.

In early spring or autumn, when there are no plants in the room and the temperature does not drop below freezing, it is necessary to carry out work to eliminate malfunctions, damage and sanitize the structure:

• washing for disinfection and cleaning from dirt with a pressure of plain water from a hose;
• checking stability and, if necessary, strengthening the frame and base;
• renewal of the protective layer of the frame;
• inspection and replacement, if necessary, of polycarbonate;
• elimination of cracks and punctures;
• preparation of the greenhouse for winter, for arched structures, supports are installed to protect against deflection under the weight of snow (10 cm of snow already poses a threat to strength).

Important! Washing is carried out in calm weather to avoid dust settling on a damp surface. Do not use abrasive materials and brushes, so as not to break the protective layer from ultraviolet radiation.

You need a polycarbonate greenhouse if: you are ready to spend all your free time in the garden in winter and summer, please your loved ones with your own crop without chemicals, appreciate your work and want to protect the crop from environmental influences. The success of the plan will depend on the choice of the right place for the construction of the greenhouse.

To grow vegetables in greenhouses as efficiently as possible, it is important to take care of the future harvest even at the stage of greenhouse construction. After all, if the shelter is not done according to the rules, no feeding and stimulation will help to get the full return from the plants. Correct installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse is a guarantee of its trouble-free operation for many years.

Polycarbonate is a fairly flexible material that allows you to assemble a greenhouse of almost any shape. However, only two types of structures are popular among gardeners, the most reliable and lightweight in execution:

• arched;
• tent.

Small greenhouse on the site

Arched shelters for closed ground

Arched ceiling structures are the most durable and economically viable. Their shape is such that snow and rain do not linger on the slopes. An arched greenhouse withstands gusts of wind better than other types of structures.

Making arches yourself requires engineering skills, experience, and the appropriate tools. Therefore, arched frames are often made not on their own, but are purchased ready-made, industrial production.

The installation of an arched polycarbonate greenhouse from the manufacturer is quite simple and almost any summer resident can do it.

Standard three-meter spans are completely covered with one sheet of polycarbonate, which is attached only from the ends, which reduces the consumption of expensive material.

Arched polycarbonate greenhouse

Tent greenhouse structures

The hipped greenhouse is a house with a gable roof, located on vertical posts. Most often, tents are erected with their own hands, although ready-made frames can sometimes be found on sale.

The dimensions and proportions of such a design can be any, depending on the wishes of the owner. The consumption of materials for a tent greenhouse is greater than for an arched greenhouse, because polycarbonate will have to be cut in accordance with the size of the frame and carefully fastened on all sides.

House-like construction

Installation instructions for a finished polycarbonate greenhouse

The installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse is conventionally divided into three stages:

1. Site preparation and foundation laying.
2. Assembly and installation of the frame.
3. Fastening polycarbonate.

Site preparation and foundation laying

Before installing the greenhouse, the site is carefully leveled, cleaned of debris, vegetation, if necessary, remove the top layer of turf. Small temporary greenhouses usually do not need a foundation. If the greenhouse is large and it is supposed to be used year-round or for the very early cultivation of vegetables, then you cannot do without a foundation.

The base can be point, that is, laid only under the bearing supports, or tape - along the entire perimeter. The materials used are wooden beams, concrete blocks, bricks or concrete fill.

The main stages of the construction of a concrete foundation:

1. Mark out the outlines of the future structure on the ground, clearly observing the angles of 90 degrees.
2. Dig a trench around the perimeter 30-50 cm deep and 20-30 cm wide.In areas with deep freezing of the soil, you will have to dig deeper - up to 1.0-1.2 m.
3. Fill the bottom with medium-grain gravel with a layer of 10-20 cm, depending on the depth of the trench.
4. If the soil is very loose, sandy, and easily crumbles, then formwork must be installed. To do this, knock together wooden shields and lower them parallel to the walls. The formwork should rise 10 cm above the surface. In areas with dense soil, there is no need for formwork.
5. For greater strength, steel reinforcement or mesh is lowered into the trench.
6. The pit is poured with concrete. The filling is carried out in layers along the entire perimeter, and not each wall separately.
7. The concrete surface is leveled with a level and left for 3-4 days until it hardens completely.

A trench must be dug under the foundation.

Assembly and installation of the frame

Industrial-made frames are supplied complete with all the necessary fasteners, however, to facilitate the work, you need to prepare the following tools:

• pliers;
• screwdriver or sturdy Phillips screwdriver;
• roulette;
• marker;
• a hacksaw with fine teeth or a construction knife.

Detailed instructions for assembling a polycarbonate greenhouse may differ depending on the manufacturer, but the general recommendations are the same for everyone.

First of all, you need to find an assistant, because one person cannot cope with such a voluminous structure.

Stages of installation of the frame:

1. The assembly starts from the ends. The central arch is connected to the uprights using the screws and fasteners supplied with the kit. It is more convenient to do this on the ground, and not in an upright position.
2. The end is installed on the foundation, the verticality is checked by the level and fixed with anchor bolts or clamps.
3. Above, strictly in the middle of the arch, a horizontal crossbar is screwed on. The same cross-members are placed on both vertical supports. In order for the guides to be on the same level, be sure to measure the exact distance with a tape measure and make appropriate marks with a marker.
4. Collect the next arch, set it on the base and screw it to the crossbars. They check the observance of the angles of 90 degrees, after which the vertical supports are finally attached to the foundation. The step between the arches is 2.1 meters, this is due to the width of a standard polycarbonate sheet.
5. Do the same with all other arches and crossbars, remembering to constantly check the corners with a level.
6. They begin to install doors and transoms at the ends. The frames and additional stiffeners are screwed on first. They are attached to the door opening, after which they are checked for performance. If the door does not close, clings to the frame, or spontaneously opens, then the opening is not aligned.
7. To remedy the situation, the structure or part of it is disassembled and then reassembled, carefully aligning the corners and checking the verticality. Correctly assembled end, together with doors, vents and stiffeners, when checking with a level, should form a single plane. This completes the installation of the greenhouse frame and you can cover it with polycarbonate.

The joints are carefully secured

Fastening polycarbonate to the frame

The assembly of the polycarbonate greenhouse is approaching the final stage. Covering the frame with sheets is quite simple. When installing a purchased greenhouse, you will not need to cut almost anything, because one six-meter sheet overlaps a standard three-meter arch. You will have to work with a hacksaw only at the ends of the structure.

Stages of work:

1. Remove the protective film from the polycarbonate before use. Under the film, the sheets have a layer that protects against ultraviolet radiation, therefore, during operation, polycarbonate is attached with this side outward.
2. The ends of the sheets are sealed with a P-shaped seal set on glue or with a special vapor-permeable film. If you neglect this point, condensate, cold air and insects will get into the sheet tunnels through the non-sealed ends of the sheets, as a result of which the greenhouse will retain heat worse.
3. Together with an assistant, they fix one edge of the sheet at the foundation on the first arched span, after which they throw the sheet over the structure and fix it on the other side. It is better to work in calm weather, since even small gusts of wind blow away light sheets.
4. If the greenhouse is small, the sheets are connected to each other with a special connector supplied in the kit. On large structures, it is better to additionally secure polycarbonate along the entire length by screwing it to the arches. For fasteners, thermal washers with a seal are used or, in extreme cases, ordinary self-tapping screws with washers. The mounting holes are drilled slightly larger than the diameter of the self-tapping screws to provide a margin for thermal deformations. The holes should be 0.5-1.0 cm from the edge of the sheet.
5. To decorate the ends of the greenhouse, the sheets are applied to the facade, screwed in several places, and then cut off the excess polycarbonate protruding beyond the borders of the facade. It turns out a solid wall in which doors and vents are cut out. The cut pieces are made around the edges with a sealant and screwed into the appropriate places.

Installation of polycarbonate

Installation of a homemade polycarbonate greenhouse

Only experienced craftsmen can independently design and assemble a polycarbonate greenhouse.

Wooden beams, metal corners, PVC water pipes or a galvanized profile used in drywall construction are used as a frame for a homemade structure.

The steps for creating a homemade greenhouse look like this:

1. Drawing a detailed plan of the structure on paper, indicating all dimensions. All subsequent assembly of the greenhouse takes place based on this particular plan.
2. Laying the foundation. This stage is no different from the actions when building a finished greenhouse.
3. Preparation of material for the frame. Cut the required number of parts to the appropriate length. If the frame is wooden, the bars are impregnated with an anti-fungal primer or machine working.
4. Assembling the frame.
5. Wall cladding with polycarbonate.

Detailed drawing of a homemade greenhouse

When designing a greenhouse, it is imperative to take into account the size of a standard polycarbonate sheet 6.0 by 2.1 m. By adjusting the structure to these measurements, you can avoid waste when cutting.

Another important point is that there must be supports or roof elements at the joints so that the polycarbonate has something to attach to. Therefore, the distance between the posts should not exceed 2.1 m.

A few more points to consider when installing a polycarbonate greenhouse:

• the most reliable material for the frame is a galvanized profile. It does not rust like ordinary iron, does not rot like wood, stronger than PVC pipes;
• the height of the structure together with the roof should be within 3-3.5 m. In lower greenhouses, air circulation is disturbed, and too high are not economically justified for personal plots;
• when designing a door to a greenhouse, it must be borne in mind that a garden wheelbarrow must pass through it;
• vents are located in the upper part of the structure.

To better imagine how the polycarbonate greenhouse is assembled, it is worth watching the video of the masters. The videos clearly show the entire installation process.

A properly assembled greenhouse is a stable and durable structure that can last for more than one year. Polycarbonate shelters combine excellent light transmission, thermal insulation properties and ease of use.

Before deciding to assemble a greenhouse from 3x6 m polycarbonate step by step, you will need to do a little preparatory work. Find the most understandable and detailed project of a greenhouse frame, which would not require large expenditures or the involvement of "narrow" specialists for the installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse. Usually, it takes at least four days to assemble the frame and lay the polycarbonate, provided that the materials and tools are fully provided.

What are polycarbonate greenhouses made of?

The main expense item for future construction is the assembly of the frame, therefore, the first thing to think about when choosing a polycarbonate greenhouse project is the material for the supporting structure. It is possible to assemble the skeleton of a greenhouse room in several versions, but the reliability of the structure remains the determining factor, and only then can we talk about the price of the issue.

Most often, in order to assemble the frame of a small polycarbonate greenhouse, experts and various shabashniki offer four types of material:

• Metal square tube with galvanized or phosphate coating;
• Aluminum pipe and profile;
• Wooden slats and beams, slabs and unedged boards;
• Water supply polypropylene pipes.

Of course, we are talking about assembling a full-fledged stationary frame with a small foundation and polycarbonate wall cladding. If you select a frame for greenhouses - a temporary hut for one season, then the selection criteria will be based on the ease of assembly and the cheapness of the roof. The greenhouse must be quickly assembled, and at the end of the growing season, removed, construction details and polycarbonate sheets must be collected in bags until the next season. Therefore, if you plan the design and assembly with your own hands, it is better not to use polycarbonate greenhouse drawings for the greenhouse.

Metal and wood

From the entire list, the most reliable material can be considered a steel profiled pipe. If you adhere to the basic requirements of the technology for building a polycarbonate greenhouse, then a steel frame lined with plastic will stand in a summer cottage for at least 30 years. Wood is next on the list of the most reliable solutions. Despite the fact that wood is inferior to aluminum and plastic in mechanical strength, this solution has one important advantage - homemade polycarbonate greenhouses assembled on a wooden frame are quite simple to repair and maintain.

Advice! When choosing the material from which you plan to assemble a greenhouse or polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, you should remember that you will also have to repair it on your own, so the frame should be convenient to repair and replace damage.

In addition, steel pipe and wood are better for assembling a square polycarbonate greenhouse. Using a beam and a corner, a square, or even scraps of a metal water pipe, it is much easier and cheaper to assemble a building with a gable roof than to bend arched floors.

The advantages of plastic and aluminum for arched structures

One of the ways to build a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands involves the usual copying of ready-made structures designed and manufactured by firms in the factory. So, if you look at the ready-made kits, it turns out that most of the models sold have to be assembled from plastic and aluminum pipes with a diameter of 15-25 mm.

The reason for this decision is obvious, installing such polycarbonate greenhouses with your own hands takes at most a couple of hours of intensive labor, so aluminum and polypropylene are good if you need to assemble small buildings. Another advantage of plastic and aluminum profiles is the insensitivity of the material to condensation, which is always a lot under the polycarbonate. If you have to fight for the normal state of a greenhouse made of wood and steel with the help of paints and varnishes, then the aluminum frame can be assembled, forgotten and not remembered about it.

Polycarbonate greenhouse options

The use of polycarbonate flooring greatly enhances the ability of DIYers to plan and assemble temporary structures. Thanks to the use of polycarbonate, several new and already classic models have been designed:

• An arched greenhouse covered with honeycomb plastic. The assembly of the greenhouse frame is carried out from ready-made gable segments and bearing arcs. It is believed that this type of greenhouse frames appeared as an expanded and reinforced version of a greenhouse;
• A box-type greenhouse with a gable roof. Before the advent of cellular and cast polycarbonate, assembling a full-fledged gable roof was a whole problem, since the plastic film could not withstand gusts of wind;
  
  
• The greenhouse-hut is assembled from two gentle slopes glazed with cellular polycarbonate. If there is a problem of how to make a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, then this option is best suited;
  
  
• Box-type greenhouses attached to the house with a curved or pitched roof. A relatively new version of a winter greenhouse or greenhouse is built on the foundation and side wall of a residential building.
  
  

If the first two types are referred to summer cottage greenhouse complexes, which have to be assembled on a separate foundation, then a greenhouse version attached to the house can be assembled using only a few tens of meters of polypropylene pipe and 30-35 m 2 of cast polycarbonate. The only drawback of this design is the high cost of plastic. Due to the strong shading from the walls of the house, the greenhouse frame has to be assembled and glazed with the most transparent and more expensive monolithic polycarbonate.

For your information! Attached schemes of greenhouses and greenhouses are not only a way to protect the basement of a building, but also a good option to save on heating on cold and frosty days.

The listed structures differ among themselves not only in the shape of the roof and the profile of the bearing beams. The main difference lies in the way of assembling the frame and the technology of laying polycarbonate. It is clear that different methods of assembling parts are also used for greenhouses of different sizes, therefore, before trying to build a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, you will need to master carpentry or welding or learn how to assemble pipes by soldering polypropylene.

What are the sizes of polycarbonate greenhouses

Each greenhouse option has its own optimal size and recommended frame material. For example, the most popular today arched structures are made in the "tunnel" form factor, with a width of 1.5-3 m and a length of 4 m, 6 m, 8 m and 10 m. Bearing arcs are recommended to be assembled from aluminum and steel profiles.

For your information! Arched-arc greenhouses made of polycarbonate with a frame made of polypropylene pipes are assembled about this size. They can be easily distinguished from steel and aluminum structures by their couplings.

The dimensions of the arched polycarbonate greenhouses are chosen in such a way as to reduce the loss of the honeycomb sheet. The standard packaging contains sheets of honeycomb plastic, 2.1 m wide and 10 m long. That is, from one canvas it is possible to cut two segments sufficient to overlap arcs with a greenhouse base width equal to 3 m.

A classic greenhouse house is most often built according to the same standards, from 4 to 12 m long, 3.6-4 m wide. Structures on steel frames are always the widest, wooden and polypropylene frames are rarely wider than 3.6- 4 m.

Currently, the most optimal option is recognized as the size of a greenhouse made of polycarbonate 3x6 m on a frame made of a metal square pipe 20x20 mm, with a wall thickness of 2 mm.

Drawings of polycarbonate greenhouses with dimensions

There are two ways to accurately and efficiently assemble a greenhouse frame. The first case involves compiling yourself or using ready-made instructions for assembling a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands. This is the simplest option available even for people who are far from construction. A good option is to draw up a plan for assembling a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands from a video, for example, from a video:

It is easy to collect, but it takes a lot of time. It is much easier and more convenient to make a sketch, or better a drawing of the future frame, indicating the dimensions and nuances of polycarbonate fastening. Moreover, having reduced the size by half, the existing sketches and calculations can be used with your own hands as drawings for a polycarbonate greenhouse.

Arched scheme

Structurally, the greenhouse frame is assembled from seven bent arcs, pulled together by horizontal crossbars. All parts, including pediments and arches, are made by welding from a bent square tube 20x20 mm. Before assembling the greenhouse, metal parts are treated with a mixture of phosphoric and acetic acid.

There are entrance doors on the front and rear pediments. The frame under the door can be assembled from a wooden bar or welded from a square. Air vents or vents are installed in the upper part of the gables, they can be assembled as part of the door leaf, but it is best done in the form of a transom above the door.

Square greenhouse option

It is much more difficult and more expensive to assemble a classic greenhouse box with a gable roof. One of the variants of this design is shown in the drawing below.

As in the previous version, the box is constructed of seven sections welded from a square tube. In order to assemble the greenhouse cladding, three strips of polycarbonate 2.1 m wide are required.

The design of a greenhouse with a gable roof differs from the arched version:

• The shape is more convenient for working inside the greenhouse;
• Roof slopes can be assembled from molded polycarbonate, which increases the amount of light entering the room;
• The body is more rigid, withstands gusts of wind well in any direction.

The arched building keeps the wind well only from the side direction, therefore, before placing a polycarbonate greenhouse on arcs, it is necessary to correctly orient the structure relative to the wind rose.

The advantages of a greenhouse with a round roof include a simple device and minimal costs for the manufacture of bearing sections-arcs. It will take three times as long and twice as much material to assemble a frame with a gable roof. There is practically no difference in the consumption of polycarbonate. Therefore, most summer residents choose the option with an arched type of floor.

How to calculate polycarbonate for a greenhouse

It should be said right away that it makes sense to collect arched greenhouses not so much because of the lower costs for polycarbonate or metal, but because of the simplicity of the design. If we take the drawing of a greenhouse-box as a basis and count the number of assembly units, then we can imagine how much the laboriousness of building an arched structure is less than the time and effort spent on assembling a square gable scheme.

In order to assemble an arched greenhouse 3x6 m, you will need the following materials:

• For the arrangement of the foundation - 200-210 pieces of red bricks, 75-98 kg of M300 cement, gravel and sand - 1.5 cubic meters;
• In order to assemble the bearing arcs for polycarbonate, you need 7 pieces of a square pipe 20x20x2 mm, 6 m long;
• 18 m of pipe 40x20x2 mm are used for the strapping of the base, in order to assemble the gables and horizontal crossbars, another 30 m of pipe 20x20 mm will be required;
• In order to assemble the greenhouse cover, you need 4 pieces of polycarbonate 2.1 m, 3.5 mm thick. For fasteners, a standard self-tapping screw with a washer is used; assembly will require 120-140 pieces plus 18 m of the edge end profile for embedding polycarbonate honeycombs;
• In addition, for the assembly and fastening of the greenhouse frame on the foundation, it is necessary to buy 18-20 pieces of anchors, with a washer, a nut and a grover, awnings - 6 pieces.

Important! Since the assembly of the greenhouse frame is performed by welding, you will need to rent a good welding inverter for a couple of days or, even better, a semiautomatic device with a mask and a pack of electrodes.

Before assembly, the supporting arcs and metal parts of the greenhouse gables must be treated separately and sequentially, with a daily interval, with an aqueous solution of phosphoric acid, soil and paint for atmospheric works.

Preparation for the installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse

The preparatory work process is primarily associated with cutting blanks and welding individual parts. It is easier to assemble a greenhouse if the gables and arches were made in advance, for example, arches from a pipe were cut and profiled in a garage or home workshop. Of course, the same work can be done at the place of the future assembly, but this approach greatly complicates and slows down the work.

The most important stage of preparation is considered to be the manufacture of arcs. There are many recipes for how to bend a square pipe in a handicraft way or using a homemade machine.

Advice! If possible, it is best to order the bending of the arc at the nearest locksmith or repair shop. Firstly, the quality will be an order of magnitude higher, and secondly, there will be no need to spend precious time and effort to assemble the machine, which will be required once for the entire construction site.

The cost of arc profiling services is approximately 30-50% of the pipe price.

How to properly install a polycarbonate greenhouse

The first thing to start planning and preparing for assembly is the selection of a site for assembling the frame. Despite the fact that most of the details of the greenhouse were made in the workshop, in order to assemble the frame, it will take a platform about twice the size of the base of the greenhouse 3x6 m.On it it will be possible to fit the details and cut polycarbonate sheets, transfer cement, sand and brick, make kneading for the foundation.

Site selection and foundation installation

Usually, the owners put the greenhouse box on the lightest spot on the site, away from trees and outbuildings. But, in addition to lighting, you will also need to take into account the direction of the wind, the flow of cold spring air can be very inappropriate, therefore, it is recommended to hide a polycarbonate greenhouse behind buildings, for example, behind a bathhouse or a shed.

The second condition for site selection is the availability of rainwater and groundwater drainage. Before assembling the greenhouse, it may be necessary to install drainage or concrete gutters to drain moisture.

As soon as the issue with the choice of location is resolved, you can proceed with the arrangement of the foundation. For marking, the easiest way is to use wooden stakes with a stretched cord. Next, you will need to dig a trench to a depth of 20-25 cm and a shovel bayonet width.

A film is laid on the bottom, then sand with gravel, the top layer is covered with the largest fraction of crushed stone and poured with concrete. After about a day, you can lay out the basement of the foundation to a height of two bricks. Of course, the greenhouse can also be assembled on steel stakes hammered into the soil, but, as practice shows, on heaving soils, this method of assembling the greenhouse foundation leads to deformation and breakage of the piping.

Polycarbonate greenhouse frame

The assembly of the bearing part of the greenhouse begins with the gables. If they could not be welded in a garage, then this will have to be done on the site. In order to assemble the pediments, it is enough to choose a pair of arcs with the same curvature. The workpieces are laid on the platform, the supporting ends are pulled together with a thin steel wire and the lower section of the strapping is welded. Next, one by one, you need to assemble and weld the door frame and the window of the window.

After the metal has cooled down, you can start cutting the polycarbonate. To do this, the frame of the pediment is laid on a sheet of polycarbonate spread on a flat area and the details of the cladding are cut out with a construction knife, as in a template.

It remains to install the gables on the plinth, lay and weld the horizontal crossbars and the lower pieces of piping from a 40x20 mm pipe. The lower part of the greenhouse frame before assembling the arches for polycarbonate must be carefully welded and fixed to the foundation with anchors.

Coating with polycarbonate sheets

The final stage is the installation of support arcs and polycarbonate sheets. Most of the greenhouse frame, except for the base, up to this point, was assembled with welding tacks with an electrode. This made it possible to assemble the frame and at the same time make changes if inaccuracies were made during the assembly.

Arches are laid on horizontal crossbars alternately, first in the center, then to the left and right of the first arc. Once the parts have been laid and aligned, you can proceed to full-fledged electrode welding of all welds.

The final touch is the assembly of the polycarbonate cladding. Sheets are laid on the finished frame one by one, with overlapping edges, and although many experts consider this method of assembly outdated, it is best suited for thin polycarbonate. Only after the greenhouse roof has been assembled can the gables be sewn up.

Oddly enough, but the most time-consuming stage in the assembly of the polycarbonate coating is the installation of the end strips. If you leave the installation of the protection at the last stage, then it is quite possible to close the ends with overlays, but this is extremely inconvenient to do. It is much easier to install the end strip just before attaching the sheet to the greenhouse plinth.

The most painful question that owners face when making homemade greenhouses is whether it is worth doing the entire building with their own hands. It is much easier to buy a ready-made construction kit. The total cost of materials, including work and delivery, is only slightly less than the price of the kit.

In this case, there is a significant difference. Ready-made greenhouse constructors are assembled using couplings and self-tapping screws, so the structural strength of 3x6 m is enough for a maximum of 3-5 years of operation, while polycarbonate can withstand 15-20 years. In a homemade version, the frame is assembled by welding, which guarantees operation for up to 30 years or more. It is possible to replace a polycarbonate sheet in a 3x6 m greenhouse in one day, moreover, with minimal costs.

Do-it-yourself installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse is not as difficult as it might seem. Of course, drawing up a project and drawings require at least some knowledge of geometry, and the construction process itself requires minimal skills in working with a tool. But all this in a volume not exceeding that of the average gardener.

We will give step-by-step instructions on how to properly install a polycarbonate greenhouse yourself. It also contains videos with useful information.

Installing a greenhouse in a polycarbonate cottage

Installation of greenhouses on the foundation, if they are very small, simple in design, can be done without a full-fledged design. A conditional drawing by hand will be enough.

The design of any buildings on the garden plot, including carbonate greenhouses, always begins with a sketch. First of all, draw the frame of the building. This can be done by hand without using a ruler. We decide on the type of construction, its approximate parameters, building materials. As for the dimensions, here we first measure the construction site - we find out the area and geometry of the base of the future greenhouse. Next we set the height of the roof, side walls, basement.

How to install a polycarbonate greenhouse, video and photo instructions

Now the foundation. Here, too, it would be nice to make a sketch, you can in different forms, as in the picture below. What to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on, options:

• block on a cement pad and
• tape reinforced,
• tape reinforced with a plinth.
• Reinforced tape + piles.

They are suitable for any type of greenhouses, wooden, metal-profile, polypropylene pipes, etc. The only thing is that it is better to build thermoses on a strip base.

How to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on a foundation: two base options

After we start making drawings. Arched greenhouses consist of overlapping parts, so few building projections are required:

• The ends. If there are no differences in their design, then we make only one drawing.
• Side view. If both sides are the same, the drawing is one.

Note:in cases where the installation of the greenhouse is assumed without a foundation, the racks with which the structure will be anchored into the ground are drawn along with the entire frame. If the foundation is present, we draw separately: front, back, side, top view.

Scheme - drawing of a polycarbonate greenhouse

Next, we proceed to the drawings of the entrance doors and ventilation transoms. All that is the same - we do in a single copy, marking the number of units. Immediately we expose all sizes, places for installing hardware, welding points, if it will be used. We conventionally mark the nature of the hardware, fasteners. The same applies to the drawings of the entire greenhouse frame.

Drawings of doors, vents

You can simplify your task by ordering a ready-made structure. A complete set of polycarbonate greenhouses will be brought to the site, assembly and installation, the video of which is presented below, will take very little time. Installation instructions and rules are always attached along with the rest of the documentation.

How to install a greenhouse on the site: installation of the foundation

First of all, we clear the ground from debris and stones. We check the surface by level, - level the uneven areas. Now you can start marking. The most convenient way to do this is using a peg system. The lace is pulled over the crossbars, and it is attached behind them with a free loop so that the distance between the contours can be changed.

How to properly install the greenhouse on the site: the working platform is marked with a double-circuit peg system

We begin to dig trenches for the foundation. Their walls should be strictly vertical, the depth along the entire length should be the same. Trench parameters are set according to the drawing. The most common sizes for greenhouses up to 10 m 2:

• Depth - 50 cm.
• Width - 30 cm.

At the edges we make the installation of the formwork. If the casting of the basement is supposed to be simultaneous with the foundation, then we raise the shields above the edges of the trench to its height + 15 cm.For a foundation without a basement, we make the formwork 20 cm high.A structure is assembled from boards, chipboard, metal sheets, or any other available material. Be sure to install a system of supports that will not allow the boards to disperse under the weight of the concrete.

How to install a polycarbonate greenhouse, we dig foundation trenches with our own hands or using special equipment

The foundation is cast with a cement-based mortar, with the addition of crushed stone and sand. The proportions are as follows:

• Crushed stone - 6 parts.
• Sand - 3 parts.
• Cement (М400) - 1 part.

Pour the mortar into the formwork so that it remains 10 cm to the edges. We cover the foundation with cellophane, leave it to solidify for 36 hours, after which we proceed to further construction.

Note:the given recipe is suitable for most greenhouses, except for industrial ones, which are heavy - a more durable solution is needed for their installation. To get it, we simply reduce the amount of crushed stone, take 5 parts instead of 6.

How to install a polycarbonate greenhouse: foundation before formwork

The next photo is a view of the foundation after de-formwork, ready for the installation of the greenhouse. To make it easier to maintain the plants, the beds should be high. Therefore, we take out a 20 cm layer of earth along the aisles - it can be laid in the space of the beds. As a result, the passages will deepen, and you will not have to bend over for weeding or loosening.

After removing the formwork, we proceed to the installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse on the foundation.

Do-it-yourself installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse, the video contains useful tips on choosing a place for a structure and its installation.

Installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse frame

Further installation of the polycarbonate greenhouse on the timber - the strapping is done using anchor bolts (16 mm). Under the timber (120 x 50 mm), we must lay strips of roofing material, which will provide the necessary moisture insulation. The distance between the bolts is 50-60 cm. The tightening is done gradually, referring to the building level. Where necessary, we put pieces of wood or metal. We tighten the hardware so that the strapping does not "walk".

How to install a greenhouse: installation of timber strapping

Installation of the greenhouse on a timber is done using steel corners - one on opposite sides of the profile pipe. We pre-mark the timber so that the installation points on both sides are at the same level. As with the installation of the piping, fixing the arcs must be accompanied by level measurements. Only this time we are not looking at the horizontal, but the verticality of the elements.

How to properly install a polycarbonate greenhouse, frame profiles are attached to the timber with steel corners

Note:it is most convenient to use clamps-crabs for connection nodes of elements. They are T-shaped, three- and four-sided, tightened with screws. If the installation of an industrial greenhouse is being done, then the fastenings will need more solid ones. In this case, through bolts or a welding machine can be used.

Fastening with a crab clamp

Installation of polycarbonate

We begin the installation of the coating from the ends, from which the door and window frames were previously removed. For convenience, we fasten the rectangular sheets as they are, without cutting out a semicircle in the shape of the sides. We cut the already fixed material, bypassing the contours of the frame from the outside, as well as cutting out a hole for the door and / or vents. For such work, an ordinary hacksaw is used. We close the removed transoms with polycarbonate, hang them in their original place.

After that, we proceed to install cellular polycarbonate on the rest of the frame. Sheets are stacked across, without overlap. The joints are formed with a connecting profile, which will ensure a tight connection of the coating. Polycarbonate hardware uses special - thermal washers with a sealing gasket.

Installing polycarbonate on the end sides of the greenhouse

Sheets of covering material are attracted to each arc in several places. This is common practice, but there is an alternative installation method to avoid multiple holes in the sheets. Everything is very simple: they take narrow, long strips of aluminum, they overlap the greenhouse over the polycarbonate. The required tightness is provided by a screw, which can be tightened or loosened at your discretion. The principle of operation of such clamps is clear from the following photo.

How to properly install a polycarbonate greenhouse, a good idea for installing a covering material

Note:polycarbonate is sold with a protective film on the surface. This protection is removed immediately before the installation of the material or immediately after. It is impossible to tighten with this, since under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the glue on which the film is held will set. It will become almost impossible to remove the latter.

Ready greenhouse

The installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse on the ground has been completed, the video contains a guide for working with thermal washers.