How to fix a greenhouse. Installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse: do-it-yourself video, installation and instructions, the soil is correct on the site. Details of gable greenhouses and their connections

Interest in polycarbonate greenhouses has been growing lately, thanks to the undoubtedly positive qualities of polycarbonate sheets: during seasonal use, accumulating solar heat, such a polycarbonate greenhouse does not need additional heating; easy to install, reliable in operation, makes it possible for greenhouse cultivation of trellis vegetable crops, for example, and hybrid varieties of high-yield tomatoes.

It attracts gardeners and gardeners, first of all, the opportunity to get a durable and effective greenhouse for growing both seedlings and crops of full greenhouse cultivation. The metal construction parts of such a polycarbonate greenhouse can be purchased in specialized stores and garden markets, and assembled on the site. How to correctly assemble and fix a polycarbonate greenhouse to the ground without errors - you will find out in this our material.

Polycarbonate greenhouse installation

For a polycarbonate greenhouse designed for seasonal use, there is no need to create a foundation, which makes it possible to significantly save time and money, speeds up the installation of the greenhouse with your own hands up to two or three days in a quiet mode. But most importantly, at the end of the period of its seasonal operation, the entire polycarbonate greenhouse can be disassembled, placed in storage in order to eliminate the need for winter snow removal from the roof, as well as the negative impact of low negative temperatures on its coatings, thereby extending the shelf life of your greenhouse.

For the strength and ability of a polycarbonate greenhouse to withstand and in strong winds, it must be secured using T-shaped fasteners made of wood or metal. It is precisely such fasteners that will preserve the mobile capabilities of the greenhouse. If you connect a wooden beam for weighting, then this is already a foundation.

It is important to install such a greenhouse during the growing pauses, when you can move freely on the site, that is, at the end or beginning of the summer cottage season. In order for polycarbonate to retain its plasticity, the atmospheric temperature must be at least + 10 ° C.

Optimal location for a greenhouse

The plot must be flat, without a slope.
From all sides, it should be illuminated by the sun so that the greenhouse is at least three meters away from shading objects. It is important that even trees are at the same distance from it and that even their roots do not compete for moisture and nutrients with greenhouse plants. The proximity of buildings is dangerous due to the occurrence of unwanted drafts.
Correctly position the greenhouse in length from east to west, so that the most capacious side in terms of area is located on the south side, which will warm it up with sunlight in the best way.

Greenhouse soil requirements

The site has been selected - it is necessary to test the quality of the soil, for which purpose dig a hole around the perimeter of 70x70 centimeters, 1.2 meters deep. A handful of soil is taken from the bottom of this hole in order to roll a ball. If this works out, then a lot of clay, if not - an excess of sand. It is sand that is best suited because of its high drainage capacity, which excludes moisture retention and rotting of the roots of greenhouse plants. High clay density soil will need to be replaced to improve drainage.

To this end, you should dig a pit with a depth of at least 70 centimeters, fill it first with a 40-centimeter layer of river sand, and the remaining 30 centimeters with a layer of fertile soil for the growth of greenhouse plants. It is also important in the case of a close occurrence of groundwater to make drainage grooves to remove excess moisture.

Greenhouse foundation / grounding options

Everything has been prepared for the installation of the greenhouse: the site has been selected, the drainage capacity of the soil has been studied, the pit has been dug and correctly filled, the frame elements have been purchased or made by hand, the seasonal time has been taken into account - it remains to start and assemble everything correctly.

Start by marking the selected area under the greenhouse with wooden pegs using a string between them. It is necessary to remove the sod, level the tuberosity and check the levelness of the site using a construction spirit level. Height differences of more than 5 centimeters are not allowed. It is especially important to comply with this requirement in a half-meter zone around the perimeter of the greenhouse, and the rest of the space can be trimmed later.

Please note that you can fix the greenhouse to the ground using various methods, it all depends on what kind of foundation you have chosen. For example, the foundation of a greenhouse can be in the form of a monolithic reinforced concrete tape or a brick belt.

The foundation can also be iron or reinforced concrete piles with a grillage. Or maybe these are ordinary iron pipes and a grillage from a wooden beam 100x100 mm. The answer to the question of how to fix the polycarbonate greenhouse to the ground optimally depends on the choice of the foundation.

Installation instructions for a polycarbonate greenhouse

In order not to be mistaken in determining the outer edge of the trench, you should measure 30 centimeters from the marked line and draw a line along the ground with a suitable object. Along this line, a trench is being dug 30 centimeters wide and deep, corresponding to the length of the legs of the greenhouse being erected. The lower rail of the frame should rise 10 centimeters above the ground surface. If, nevertheless, you choose to install the greenhouse on a wooden beam, then all dimensions of the trench should be linked to its volumetric data. It is imperative to preliminary measure the trench bottom rammed in advance for its horizontal position in order to exclude possible skewing of the frame.

Already during the design and installation of the greenhouse, it is necessary to set up a barrier to the most aggressive weeds with creeping roots, for example, wheatgrass or cherry overgrowths. It is proposed to lay out the outer walls of the trench with a protective solid material (roofing material, slate and the like) as a protection against them, capable of coping with their aggression during the first three years. After the guaranteed period has elapsed, either change the location of the greenhouse, or redo the outer barrier of the trench.

Experienced craftsmen will immediately stock a screwdriver and a wrench for such work. The set of the purchased greenhouse certainly contains all the fasteners provided for by the working diagram of its assembly. Anyone who is able to weld the necessary elements of the frame himself according to well-known drawings has probably already completed the drawing, calculated everything, bought a set of fasteners and tools.

If you choose to mount the greenhouse on a wooden bar, you need to start with bitumen treatment of all structural parts placed in the ground or in contact with it, in order to exclude corrosion or damage by gnawing pests, and let them dry. The profiles of the polycarbonate greenhouse frame should be fixed with steel corners to the timber. Place a protective layer (roofing material) not only along the outer edge of the trench, but also under the timber itself.

The assembly of the frame, as a rule, starts from the ends. It is to the end arcs that the reinforcing strips, window and door frames are attached. Next, the Te-shaped legs are fastened to the bottom of the harness. In the trench, the harness with supports is installed so that it is 10 centimeters above the ground. At this and at all further stages of the correct fixing of the polycarbonate greenhouse to the ground, it is important to check the horizontality of the work performed, correcting the inaccuracy, and only after that proceed to further assembly.

In the future, the remaining frame arcs are attached to the strapping and polycarbonate is distributed and installed along them with a light-protective film on the outside, and it can be removed after installation or right in front of it in order to avoid strengthening of the glue under the influence of ultraviolet rays. Polycarbonate should also be mounted from the ends, having previously removed the window and door frames. It is more rational to fasten a rectangular sheet whole without cutting out in shape, in order to cut it with a hacksaw already fixed, bypassing the frame contour on the outside, then cut holes for the vents and doors. Close the previously removed frames and reassemble them directly with the polycarbonate in place.

It is better to lay the sheets on the rest of the frame without overlap and across, and arrange the joints with a connecting special profile, which should be attached in several places to each arc. But another move is also possible: overlap the entire greenhouse with long narrow strips of aluminum and fasten them with screws with the required density.

At the final stage, earth should be laid around the perimeter 5 centimeters above the base, which will become a natural obstacle for insects. Although for a greenhouse without a foundation, it would be useful to make additional strapping from a bar. A bar treated with bitumen or drying oil will become a reliable protection against the invasion of pests. In addition, such a weighted outline from a bar will add wind resistance to a polycarbonate greenhouse.

Whether to disassemble a polycarbonate greenhouse for the winter?

If a polycarbonate greenhouse is left assembled for the winter, then it needs constant cleaning from snow in order to avoid an increased load on the polycarbonate sheets. The doors of such a winter greenhouse must be fixed in the open position. With all measures of respect for polycarbonate, it is the best material for building a greenhouse without a foundation, because it turns out to be sufficiently stable and reliable for long-term operation.

On the other hand, if the design of the greenhouse is well calculated and a strong frame is used, then even a thick snow cap will not be a problem for your greenhouse, and the snow itself will protect the polycarbonate from frost.

Added to this is another important advantage of a mobile polycarbonate greenhouse: they made a mistake with the choice of the site for its installation this season - this is easy to fix in the next transfer of the entire structure to a better place. The main thing is to design and fix the polycarbonate greenhouse to the ground correctly and securely.

To put a polycarbonate greenhouse on your own, you need to perform a number of sequential actions:

Choose the right place and soil;
Decide on the size, shape and material of the greenhouse frame;
Decide for yourself to mount a ready-made kit or independently cut the frame elements and polycarbonate;
Prepare the foundation;
Stock up on tools and fasteners;
Install in accordance with the drawing.

The optimal way in terms of time and effort is to purchase a ready-made set of greenhouses, and to carry out the installation on our own. In this case, the assembly of the elements will not take much time. The owner does not have to spend hours buying and selecting materials, calculating fasteners, cutting polycarbonate.

The standard set includes frame materials, cellular polycarbonate in size, components, sealants and an assembly diagram. The price of a ready-made kit depends on the type of polycarbonate, frame and parameters: length, width and height. The next step is to choose the location of the greenhouse.

How to install?

If you choose the wrong site where to put the greenhouse, then there will be problems with germination, temperature and humidity unsuitable for plants. All together this will lead to high labor costs and a small harvest.

It is estimated that losses due to misalignment are 30–35 percent of the potential harvest each year!

The greenhouse should be installed correctly with its ends from east to west, in this case, the sun, moving during the day, evenly illuminates all plantings. In the morning the air will gradually warm up and by the evening enough heat will accumulate in the greenhouse so that the plants do not freeze at night and in the morning frosts.

What to be guided by when choosing a place on the site

Rule 1. It is better to assemble a greenhouse, especially a gable or arched type, with your own hands away from hedges, trees, buildings. It is impossible that the shadow from them does not block the sun for planting in a greenhouse. Sun exposure is a major factor in greenhouse layout. Buildings, trees and shrubs interfere with the melting of snow in spring, the soil will not warm up for a long time.

If you can't put it so that the sun illuminates the greenhouse for a full day, then it is important that it gets into it from morning to noon. At this time, the dawn cold accumulates and the plants are in great need of warmth.

If the sun visits the greenhouse only in the second half of the day, then enough heat will not accumulate in it, but it is necessary to heat the plants at night. In addition, if the sun's rays "hit" unprepared plants at noon, burns of the leaves are possible.

Rule 2. The greenhouse is installed on the leeward side from east to west. In this case, maximum natural lighting is achieved. The wide wall of the greenhouse is located on the south side. - This is additional heating and an extended growing season. In the hot summer heat, they are shaded with light canopies over polycarbonate.

Rule 3.. In the case of heavy rains, snow, the water should freely leave the greenhouse and not stagnate, because the root system of cucumber and tomato plants does not like swampiness.

It is recommended to pre-survey the site to see what kind of land is under the soil layer. ... The clay will prevent the water from leaving and it will start to stagnate in the greenhouse. It is necessary that there is sand under the soil layer. If there is no suitable piece of land on the territory, then in the designated place for the greenhouse, they remove the soil layer according to the size of the greenhouse and dig a pit. Then gravel is poured into the pit and a sand cushion is created. After that, you can return the fertile land back and assemble the greenhouse with your own hands.

Rule 4. Check the groundwater level. ... If the entire site is like that, then they think over a general drainage drainage system, and for a local damp place they organize drainage directly under the greenhouse from cellular polycarbonate. Thanks to this, it does not erode or rot.

Rule 5. Be sure to study the topography of the site, the points of accumulation of snow during the winter. It is important that in winter a large layer of snow is not swept over the greenhouse, the roof may not withstand the weight.

When is the best time to bet?

The installation can be carried out on any fine day, whether it is a ready-made structure or assembled completely by hand;
It is easy to buy a greenhouse in the fall at a discount, and installation will be 10% off;
If a greenhouse was installed in the fall, then early spring cultivated vegetables of quick ripening, for example, radishes, are planted;
By purchasing frame metal pipes or polycarbonate in the spring, you run the risk of paying a higher price, because the construction season starts and the prices of materials rise.

Foundation preparation

Whether they make a greenhouse themselves or purchase a ready-made kit, it does not matter, the base, in any case, is made motionless and even.

The base is made of timber, bricks, a single concrete slab, building blocks, placed on piles or laid out with a tape around the perimeter. Which material to choose depends on the conditions of the site, the relief, the soil and the calculated load of the greenhouse structure. ...

The most affordable is a foundation made of wooden beams. It can be easily assembled on its own, and if necessary, the greenhouse on a timber can be easily moved to another place. The side is needed 10 cm; when installing, the bar is buried in the dug trenches by about 5 cm.

The weak side of the wooden foundation is that it lends itself to rotting, the timber must be impregnated with deep waterproofing or wrapped with flexible sheet protection.

The timber is laid according to the markings, which were previously stuffed on the ground. ... The timber is sawn to the size of the greenhouse and laid along the twine, while carefully calibrating and leveling the level using a construction tool, spirit level or level. It is important to observe right angles and check the equality of the diagonal dimensions. The bars are fastened together with metal staples. The wooden foundation remains vulnerable to the penetration of rodents, shrews, groundwater.

A strip foundation will last ten years longer than a wooden one. In addition, it protects the root system of plants from rodents and dangerous frosts. But the ribbon view cannot be moved to another location and takes much longer to build.

They mark the place of the future greenhouse using stakes and stretched cords. If the ground is dense, then a shallow trench of about 400–500 mm should be dug along the markings. Sand, fine gravel is poured at the bottom, to a height of about 200 mm. ... After preparing the formwork, concrete mortar is poured inside in layers. Later, a greenhouse structure is mounted in it. –2 layers of brickwork. In this case, the anchor bolts are mounted in the still uncured concrete.

The foundation is made of concrete blocks according to the same principle. Instead of pouring with liquid cement mortar, FBS blocks are installed; dimensions of 200 * 400 * 200 mm are suitable for greenhouses. The blocks are laid in a column, the rows are laid with heat and waterproofing. A greenhouse structure is mounted on top of the blocks.

Even in highly unstable watery soils, it is easy and quick to screw piles in with the screw. The depth of pile laying depends on the severity of the greenhouse structure and on the number of supports, on average, the depth is from 1–1.5 m. Also, the foundation is made of timber, the pile can be easily dismantled and moved to a new location.

In the event that the groundwater is high, then the foundation of any material requires good waterproofing. Thanks to protection from moisture, the service life of the foundation is significantly extended, and the stability of the structure increases. When the base is ready, then the greenhouse is leveled on it, the corners are aligned and fixed with self-tapping screws.

How long the greenhouse will last depends on the material of the foundation and frame. It is made from a piece of wood or a metal pipe. The pros and cons of the type of greenhouse frame are inherent in the properties of the substance used.

The wooden frame is environmentally friendly, easy and quick to install, but short-lived and requires hydrophobic impregnation, periodic painting. The service life of a wooden structure is no more than 5 years.

The frame made of metal tubes can easily withstand wind and snow loads. It will last much longer than a wooden frame, but the metal needs anti-corrosion treatment. Due to precipitation in the form of snow, rain, rust quickly appears in grooves or docking points.

Tools and materials

When installing a greenhouse with your own hands, you cannot do without a set of tools and materials. In work you will need:

Level (level);
Screwdriver;
Construction saw;
Electric jigsaw;
Ax, shovel.

Materials:

Frame materials (timber or metal pipe);
Formwork board;
Polycarbonate sheets;
Waterproofing (mortar or roll material);
Fasteners (screws, washers, gaskets);
Twine, stakes.

Before proceeding with the installation on the greenhouse site, you should carefully study the quality of the soil, the level of water occurrence, the terrain, the main direction of the wind and the degree of sunlight.

A greenhouse can be an excellent help for summer residents - with its help it is quite possible to protect early seedlings from spring frosts and get a decent harvest of vegetables for the season, extending it in the fall.

The main purpose of the greenhouse is to create a microclimate favorable for plants. Therefore, it must withstand the loads from wind and snow, transmit maximum light and be moisture resistant. In addition, it is desirable that the design of the greenhouse be simple and lightweight, and the installation could be performed without the use of special equipment. One of the types of such greenhouses are arched, covered with polycarbonate.

Types of polycarbonate greenhouses

Polycarbonate is a rather flexible material that allows you to assemble a greenhouse of any shape.

But among gardeners, only two types are popular:

arched;
tent.

There are a large number of greenhouses of different shapes and types. In order to choose the right one, you must first determine for what purposes the structure is needed, whether it will be used in winter, what size will be optimal for the owner of the site personally and how automated it will be.

Arched

Arched structures are the most durable because they withstand gusts of wind better, and precipitation does not linger on the slopes. The installation of an arched greenhouse is quite simple. Such a design can be purchased in a retail network disassembled and then assembled by yourself. But you can do all the work from start to finish on your own.

Since arched structures have a smaller reflective surface, more sunlight gets inside them compared to gable ones. In addition, in such greenhouses, greenhouse crops grow to a greater height than in other buildings.

However, it is much more difficult to care for plants growing close to the walls. Greenhouses of this type are not suitable for growing seedlings, which are supposed to be planted in open ground, since the structure does not provide an opportunity to harden the plants. The arched greenhouse can be easily assembled, dismantled and transported. If necessary, you can add new sections to increase its length.

Tent

A hipped greenhouse looks like a house with a gable roof. Most often, tent structures are put up with their own hands, although ready-made frames are sometimes found on sale. It must be borne in mind that for its construction it is necessary to spend more materials in comparison with an arched one, because all structural elements need to be cut out and as a result more waste is obtained.

Of the positive qualities, it is worth noting that the plants here can be placed closer to the walls, because they are vertical.

Types of foundations suitable for greenhouses

The greenhouse is a lightweight structure, but it also requires a solid and solid foundation. The most important characteristics are structural strength and suitability for its intended purpose.

Columnar

Columnar foundations consist of posts, for the manufacture of which you can use various materials. A reliable and durable option. Its cost is relatively low.

The columnar base is a simple solution for light greenhouses, but when creating large-sized massive models, you will have to additionally strengthen the basement. Making a greenhouse will require small wooden or concrete posts - usually eight supports are sufficient.

Brusovy

The timber foundation is inexpensive and has good thermal insulation properties. It is better not to use it for installation in lowlands where water accumulates, because the tree can quickly rot. The timber for the manufacture of a greenhouse must be selected dry and clean, without signs of damage or decay, and its section depends on the area of the greenhouse - for a large-sized structure, logs with a large section are needed.

Pile-grillage

The structure of the pile-grillage foundation is a series of supports immersed in the ground below the level of soil freezing; strapping is made of steel or reinforced concrete. This design provides an even distribution of loads.

A distinctive feature of this type of foundation is the ability to erect a structure even on uneven soils, while there is no need to carry out expensive earthworks.

You can use as supports:

wooden beams, which must be additionally impregnated with special solutions;
rectangular and square wooden sleepers;
metal and asbestos hollow pipes;
monolithic reinforced concrete pillars;
screw piles of all types (after all, this is a kind of screw foundation).

Suitable materials for the construction of a tape grillage are:

concrete blocks of standard sizes;
brick;
aerated concrete and its derivatives;
wooden sleepers, which must be treated with additional impregnation;
a natural stone.

The pile foundation can be assembled in a short time and use a minimum of materials for its construction. As a rule, construction companies build this type of foundations for a reasonable price.

Tape

The strip foundation is the simplest and cheapest reliable base for a greenhouse - it will provide the structure with all the necessary characteristics and protect the planting. This is the optimal solution for polycarbonate greenhouses.

The principle of laying the foundation resembles the installation of a brick base. It is advisable to work with a concrete mixer. The disadvantage of a concrete base is low thermal insulation.

The figure below shows the stages of building a strip foundation.

Platen

Such a foundation is the most time consuming and expensive, but at the same time durable structure. Perfect for all non-separable soils and greenhouses that can be used in winter. For its arrangement, you need a concrete mixture, a pipe and a reinforcing mesh for the drainage system.

No foundation - ground installation

When installing a polycarbonate greenhouse on the ground, first of all, it must be borne in mind that it is possible to mount a greenhouse without a base only when the building is used seasonally. Lovers of cultivation of greenhouse delights throughout the year, it will not work.

Among the disadvantages, one can note a large loss of heat (about 10%) and the absence of an obstacle for rodents and insects.

For summer residents who operate such gardens only from May to September, the installation method without a foundation gives additional advantages:

significant time savings;
a tangible reduction in the cost of building a foundation;
the ability to do all the work with your own hands;
ease of dismantling at the end of the season;
if necessary, you can move structures to a new fertile place.

How to choose the right place for a greenhouse

You need to choose a place for installing the structure regardless of the installation method. However, it should be borne in mind that the method without a foundation has a plus - the location of the greenhouse can be changed at any time.

Soil quality

The soil at the site of work must be examined - to determine the composition of the soil at a depth of 0.8 meters and to determine the presence of groundwater.

If the greenhouse is installed on soft soil, it may tilt or sink. Because of this, the strength of the structure will be low, damage to the frame or coating, and disruption of the door operation are possible.

To exclude such negative manifestations, it is necessary to choose a place where the soil will be dense. If this is not possible, the foundation must be poured, and drainage ditches must first be made in the swampy place.

It is not recommended to make a greenhouse in a clay area. This is because the clay retains water when watering. And for plants, an increase in moisture is a negative factor. It is best when there is sand under the fertile soil. If there is no sand, you need to remove the clay layer and make drainage.

Illumination of the place

The greenhouse should be installed in such a way that the seedlings receive more light, especially in the morning. For photosynthesis, this is the most favorable time of the day.

When choosing a place for a greenhouse, they take into account the illumination and arrange the structure:

from North to South;
from east to west.

Most often, gardeners use the second option - then the sun illumination is the highest.

Influence of trees and buildings

The distance between a one-story house and a greenhouse should be more than 3 meters, otherwise the shade from the house may slow down the growth of the grown plants.

The greenhouse should be located away from large trees. Otherwise, their root system will take moisture away from crops. They can also shade the greenhouse, and drop foliage on the roof in the fall.

Many summer residents have a greenhouse on a plot next to outbuildings. In this situation, it is necessary to take into account the influence of the shadow from the buildings - it is unacceptable to shade the plants in the morning hours. If the area of the site is not enough, it is better to install a greenhouse on the south side of the buildings.

What the frame can be made of

It is impossible to say unequivocally which of the building materials will be the best for making a greenhouse frame, because each of them has its own indisputable advantages. Therefore, you need to be guided by expediency and practicality.

For example, a greenhouse can be made on the basis of:

profile pipe;
wood;
galvanized profile;
polypropylene pipes and other materials.

DIY greenhouse installation

Most often, tent greenhouses with a wooden frame are made with their own hands. If you have the skills of welding, then you can build arched ones. In any construction option, it is necessary to study instructions for assembling a polycarbonate greenhouse and draw up a work plan so as not to waste your money and time.

Drafting a project

The project for polycarbonate greenhouses is quite simple to make. Before starting to create it, you need to determine the shape of the structure and the materials used.

There are such forms of greenhouses:

rectangular;
arched;
in the form of a house with a sloping roof.

For greenhouses with a rectangular shape or with a sloping roof, polycarbonate sheets with a thickness of 4-10 millimeters are suitable. The best option would be sheets of six millimeters, and for arched structures - 4 millimeters.

After the material is selected, it is necessary to determine the size of the structure with a minimum width of 2.5 meters. Greenhouses with an area of over 50 square meters are used to grow vegetables for commercial purposes.

In the greenhouse project, it is necessary to provide for ventilation vents and doors. Given the parameters of the sheets, you can design a greenhouse.

Required tools and materials

When installing a greenhouse, in addition to polycarbonate, you may need various tools and materials - depending on the type of construction.

Tools:

cord;
axe;
a hammer;
level;
self-tapping screws;
welding;
nails.

Materials:

wooden beam;
boards;
metal corner;
pipe;
concrete;
brick.

When erecting a structure from a metal profile, for example, an ax, a wooden beam and nails may not be needed.

Site preparation

Before building a greenhouse, the site must be carefully prepared - this is the key to a durable and high-quality installation. It takes more time to prepare the site than to install the greenhouse itself, but this time is not wasted.

This work will take several days:

You need to start with marking and stripping. Using hammered pegs, mark out the place for the greenhouse and the intended passages to it.
It is also recommended to draw a diagram of the structure in advance in order to check with it during the construction process. After making sure that nothing is overlooked, you can start clearing the site.
The next stage is digging the earth with the removal of roots and debris. It should be leveled with a rake, getting rid of all large clods and stones. Next - make sure that the alignment is done efficiently - for this you just need to put a board with a building level. It is necessary to level the ground until the site is level over the entire area intended for construction.

After that, you can start building the foundation.

Production of a pile-screw foundation with a grillage from a bar

The foundation with a grillage from a bar is reliable and will last a long time.

To make it, you need to perform the following work:

Mark the perimeter of the greenhouse, dig a trench 20 centimeters wide and 20 centimeters deep.
Drill holes in the corners with a diameter of 30 centimeters and a depth below the freezing of the soil, and then the same holes along the entire perimeter. The distance between the holes is about 2.5 meters.
Pour sand into the holes, put a rolled roofing material in them.
Install three reinforcement bars (10-12 mm in diameter), connected to each other, inside the roofing material. The rods should rise above the ground - for the bottom strapping.
Pour concrete into the holes.
At the bottom of the trench, pour a layer of sand - five centimeters thick. Spread roofing material on it for waterproofing. Assemble the formwork on the sides and fix it, then pour concrete into it. Level the surface and cover with foil.

Installing the frame

The assembly of the frame is best done by welding, but this work can be done using bolted connections or self-tapping screws. With any method, it is necessary to check horizontal and vertical elements using a level.

The procedure for performing work on the installation of the frame:

First you need to make the strapping using anchor bolts. It is imperative to lay roofing material under the timber, which will provide the necessary waterproofing. The spacing between the bolts is 50-60 centimeters.
The installation of a greenhouse on a timber is done using steel corners. First, you need to mark the timber so that on both sides the frame is fixed at the same level. When installing arcs, their vertical position also needs to be controlled using a level.

Polycarbonate sheathing

Polycarbonate for greenhouse cover is durable and resistant to atmospheric precipitation material. The material is flexible, easy to cut and easy to assemble.

In order for the installation not to cause difficulties, you must first arm yourself with a tool and information about the upcoming work, so that the structure will serve for a long time and flawlessly:

The installation of the coating should be started from the ends. For convenience, rectangular sheets must be screwed as they are - without cutting out semicircles. Then cut out the already fixed sheets, bypassing the frame from the outside. Cut a hole for the door and for the window.
Then install the cellular polycarbonate on the frame. Sheets must be laid across, without overlap. For the tightness of the joints, they must be fastened using a connecting profile.
To mount the material on the frame, use special hardware with a sealing gasket and a thermal washer. Sheets need to be pulled in several places to each arc.

In winter, the surface of the greenhouse must be constantly cleaned of snow. Otherwise, many cracks will appear on the polycarbonate.

In order for a greenhouse in central Russia to endure wintering and withstand the weight of the snow cover, the metal frame must be at least 1.5 millimeters thick. The section of the pipe is 40 x 20 mm.

The door to the greenhouse should be kept open in winter so that the soil is well frozen. This procedure destroys all pests in the soil.

Each arch must be secured with special reinforcements.

Greenhouses made of polycarbonate get very hot in hot weather. This leads to the appearance of gaps in the structure. To avoid this, it is necessary to implant polycarbonate into the structure in the areas of contact between the walls and the roof using small strips of polycarbonate 10 centimeters long.

In summer, the maximum temperature is set in the greenhouse, so you need to ventilate it regularly. In addition to opening the transom and doors, you also need to water the polycarbonate with water.

Video

The video shows the process of building an arched greenhouse from scratch. Demonstrates how pipes can be bent using a hand-made pipe bender.

There are several options for installing a polycarbonate greenhouse on the site. WITH It is not difficult to install a polycarbonate greenhouse, but first you should study the theory the installation manual depends on whether the foundation for the greenhouse will be laid in the garden, or the greenhouse will be placed directly on the ground. For each of the methods, there are certain rules that guarantee a reliable fixation of the building and the absence of problems with the harvest in the future.

- Installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse: preparatory stage
- Instructions: how to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on the ground
- How to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on a concrete foundation
- Greenhouse on a bar: how to properly install a polycarbonate greenhouse
- Pro tips: how to install a polycarbonate greenhouse
- Do-it-yourself polycarbonate greenhouse installation (video)

Competent installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse on a site depends on many factors. In addition to the convenient approach to the greenhouse and the possibility of supplying communications, the features of the site should also be taken into account.

To properly install the greenhouse, you need to make sure the soil is suitable. It is not recommended to install the greenhouse on clay soil: clay does not absorb water well, therefore, excess moisture will accumulate in the greenhouse during irrigation.

The first step is to carefully study the instructions for assembling the greenhouse.

Sandy soils are best suited for setting up a greenhouse. If they are not on your site, then you will have to create conditions artificially: dig a hollow, lay a layer of gravel and lay a sand cushion.

In addition, you need to choose a sunny place not shaded by buildings or trees, make sure that the greenhouse does not stand in drafts. Even polycarbonate greenhouse walls can freeze in cold weather. You can protect the greenhouse by placing it near large trees or buildings.

The greenhouse should be located at least 3 m away from large objects that can shade it.

In addition, you should consider in what latitude your garden plot is located, the cardinal points.

The location on the cardinal points can be latitudinal and meridional, and depends on the type of greenhouse (seasonal or year-round).

A seasonal greenhouse can be positioned relative to the sides in any way, but the slopes of a year-round greenhouse should be located from north to south, skates - from east to west.

Instructions: how to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on the ground

After the ideal place for placing the greenhouse has been chosen, you need to clear the site of weeds, debris, level the soil. The easiest to do-it-yourself installation is a factory-made arched greenhouse, which comes with all the necessary fasteners.

The greenhouse should be installed on the ground if it is well rammed

We are starting to install a polycarbonate greenhouse:

Using roofing screws for metal (size 32x5.5 or 32x6.3, if polycarbonate is 4mm) or fasteners that come with the greenhouse, we fix polycarbonate sheets on the end elements.
We install the base of the frame on the ground, connecting the elements with each other using the thorn-groove method.
We mount the arc on the base of the frame and connect the structure with longitudinal elements. It is better to use seals for installation, which can guarantee a reliable and sealed fastening.
We connect the frame with the end elements and cover the finished structure with polycarbonate. It should be remembered that polycarbonate should be sprinkled or buried 30-50 mm into the ground.
We cut out the vents and doorways and put fittings (handles, latches, stoppers, etc.).
We fix the frame using the T-clasps that come with the greenhouse. Fasteners can be made by yourself from pieces of reinforcement (manufacturing will not take much time and money). To do this, you need to purchase reinforcement of the appropriate diameter, cut it into pieces of at least 50 cm in length, stretch them through the hole, hammer into the ground and bend the free edge as close to the attachment point as possible.

The greenhouse is ready! Now you can start internal work: prepare the beds, organize convenient paths for the passage, install, if necessary, automatic systems.

How to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on a concrete foundation

Year-round greenhouses must be installed on the foundation without fail. After all, heat loss through the soil can reach 20%. In addition, a greenhouse without a foundation is an easy prey for moles and shrews.

The foundation for winter greenhouses is best constructed from durable materials. Concrete or brick is the ideal choice. The fasteners are mounted in the foundation at the level of the future greenhouse foundation.

You can make a concrete foundation for the greenhouse by installing formwork from wooden boards

The type of fixings for the greenhouse depends on the type of foundation:

For monolithic concrete bases, anchor bolts are used, which are inserted into the concrete along the perimeter of the future base immediately after the concrete has begun to set, but has not yet hardened.
A construction steel corner is stuffed onto the point foundation.
In a brick base, along the perimeter, holes are drilled for bolts. The frame is fixed with nuts.

Installation of a greenhouse on a timber has several options. At the same time, experienced builders are advised to put a layer of waterproofing on the foundation before installing the greenhouse. And cover the tree with an antiseptic.

Greenhouse on a bar: how to properly install a polycarbonate greenhouse

The tree is often used as an independent strip foundation, strapping over a concrete, brick base, support pillars. The foundation strapping made of timber greatly facilitates and speeds up the process of installing the greenhouse.

You can mount the base of the greenhouse with a wooden frame using:

Anchor bolts. They are used if the base of the greenhouse is made of steel profiles.
Reinforcement sections. If the timber lies on the ground, then the reinforcement is inserted through it (holes are pre-drilled) and passages at the base of the greenhouse. At the same time, the ends of the reinforcement are bent. This method can also be used for greenhouses on a frame made of PVC pipes.
Galvanized corners. The corners are mounted on self-tapping screws, if the base of the greenhouse is made of steel, wood (suitable for installation for corner posts).
Flexible mounting plates if the bottom piping is made of PVC pipes. They are also suitable for the installation of ordinary arches of an arched greenhouse.
Galvanized self-tapping screws. They are suitable for the installation of greenhouse front sides, ordinary stands of a wooden greenhouse. In this case, the screws are screwed in at an angle of 45 degrees.
Cutting method. Suitable for timber framed greenhouses.

It is worth installing the greenhouse on a timber if it will not be heated

On a wooden base, you can install both factory greenhouses and home-made buildings. Mounting options can be combined.

Pro tips: how to install a polycarbonate greenhouse

Errors in the construction of a polycarbonate greenhouse can lead to early deterioration of the structure. In order for the greenhouse to turn out to be durable, reliable and last several decades without doing repair work with your own hands, it is necessary to take into account certain nuances when working with polycarbonate.

So, when installing a greenhouse with their own hands, experienced assemblers advise:

Place the greenhouse only on a level surface. The greenhouse installation instructions recommend placing the frame on the ground without a slope. Otherwise, there may be problems with sealing the greenhouse, opening and closing the vents.
Place fasteners at a distance of at least 0.3-0.4 cm to the edge of the polycarbonate sheet. Otherwise, the sheets may crack.
Cut polycarbonate with a metal jigsaw file. After the piece has been cut, it is necessary to check all its edges for burrs.
Arrange the sheets so that moisture trapped in the honeycomb can easily escape.
If the sheets have a thickness of 8 mm or more, then they need to be fastened end-to-end, and not overlapped.

A polycarbonate greenhouse is best installed in a place where it will not interfere with the free movement of the site.

To make the greenhouse aesthetically pleasing, you can close the ends of the polycarbonate with an aluminum tip or a U-shaped elastic seal.

Do-it-yourself polycarbonate greenhouse installation (video)

Today, there are many ways to install a polycarbonate greenhouse in a garden area. The building erection technology depends on whether the greenhouse is installed directly on the ground or on the foundation. In one case or another, before installation work, you should responsibly approach the issue of choosing a place for a greenhouse. Only then can the installed greenhouse be able to bring maximum benefit. And the above recommendations will help to install the building.

The key to a rich harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers and other heat-loving crops in autumn is a good quality greenhouse. For many years, structures made of metal profiles and covered with polycarbonate have been in great demand in the horticultural market. Many summer residents, after reading reviews and looking at plant houses built on the plots of other gardeners, acquire such structures for their garden. But it is not enough to buy a structure - it still needs to be properly assembled. How is a polycarbonate greenhouse assembled? Fortunately, things are not as complicated as they seem.

The key to successful operation, the benefits of buying and the possibility of self-delivery / assembly of the greenhouse will largely depend on the correct choice. Therefore, before going to the store and purchasing a greenhouse, we will get acquainted with the basic principles of choosing this design.

First, decide for what purposes you need a greenhouse and what you are going to grow in it, in what quantity - the type of construction and its size will depend on this. If you have a small summer cottage, and you plan to cultivate only a few bushes and "for yourself", then there is no point in acquiring a huge structure - you still do not fully use it. If you decide to start a vegetable growing business, then you will have to buy not only a large greenhouse, but also an insulated one. And this will affect both its price and the complexity of the installation - it is not always possible to assemble such a structure on your own.

A good greenhouse must be durable - every gardener knows this. But I don’t want to spend a lot of money either. Therefore, consider what climatic zone you live in. If you do not have strong winds and snowfalls in your region, then you should not purchase a reinforced structure, which is much more expensive than the standard one, moreover, it is also difficult to assemble due to the large number of additional parts. In a region with strong wind and snow loads, on the contrary, it makes no sense to buy a standard greenhouse - here you just need a reinforced one so that in winter it does not collapse under the weight of snow on it. By the way, the strength of the greenhouse depends largely on the shape of the roof.

Table. Greenhouse roof types.

Form	Characteristic
	The arched roof familiar to us. Allows snow to roll off the surface relatively easily (but sometimes it can still linger on the roof). The frame of such a greenhouse is often assembled from solid, rather than composite arcs.
	Such a roof was used to constantly make ordinary wooden greenhouses. And the larger the slope angle, the better the snow rolls down in winter. However, if the slopes are too steep, the greenhouse turns out to be either very high or with low side walls, which makes it difficult to carry out work inside it. Arcs, as a rule, consist of two abutting parts.
	A combination of arched and gable roofs. The best option. On such a roof, reminiscent of the shape of an arrowhead, snow rolls down easily. Such greenhouse structures are less likely to be damaged due to strong snow or wind loads in winter. Arcs usually consist of several parts that fit together.
	More exotic forms of greenhouses. One resembles a ball of honeycombs, the second repeats the shape of the Egyptian pyramids. Difficult to assemble with your own hands, but very durable and beautiful.

When choosing a greenhouse, do not forget that the strength and durability will be influenced by such factors as the thickness and coating of the metal profile, density and, the distance between the main arcs and much more. Do not forget to pay attention to the quality of the polycarbonate.

Cellular polycarbonate prices

cellular polycarbonate

On a note! Polycarbonate greenhouse coverings are often sold separately from the frame itself. When choosing polycarbonate, be sure to ask the seller if there is a layer on the material that protects against ultraviolet radiation. If there is none, do not take polycarbonate, as it will deteriorate very quickly under the influence of UV rays.

Also, if possible, try to choose a greenhouse, in the frame of which there are fewer components - the more solid parts, the stronger the structure. And do not forget about the frame coating - metal galvanizing is much better than painting. If you believe the reviews of experienced gardeners, then the paint often peels off (especially at the joints of parts) and it has to be tinted annually to avoid premature corrosion.

Site and foundation preparation

Before assembling a greenhouse at your summer cottage, you should think about where and how this structure will be installed. First, you must choose a location for it. The greenhouse should be located in a well-lit area at least a few meters away from houses, sheds and other structures. It is also undesirable for tree branches to hang over the structure. Otherwise, during the winds, something from above may fall on the greenhouse and damage it.

Be sure to level the surface of the soil - it is best to even remove the top layer. This will also get rid of the weed seeds. And for the convenience of work, remove soil in an area that is about a meter wider on each side of the rectangle you need.

On a note! If the greenhouse is uneven, then due to distortions it will collapse and wear out much faster than installed on a leveled site. And on a crookedly installed frame, there will be no possibility of correct.

It is worth considering the presence of a foundation. As the producers say, now most greenhouses do not need it, especially if they are used (greenhouses) only in the spring-summer period. However, experienced gardeners still recommend making at least an elementary base from a bar. It is very simple - it is enough to connect four pieces of timber with a cross section of at least 10 * 10 cm with the help of metal corners and self-tapping screws. The size of such a foundation should be equal to the base of the future greenhouse.

Attention! Be sure to cover the wood with a protective agent that will keep it from mold and rot. Otherwise, the base will quickly become unusable. It is also advised to lay roofing paper under the timber.

You can also make a strip foundation of concrete. It is more reliable than timber, but requires more financial and labor costs. By the way, the greenhouse, which will be operated in the winter, cannot do without it.

Polycarbonate greenhouse foundation - which is better
Any construction starts from the foundation. But first you need to choose its design. And for this, in turn, you need to know what foundations are, how they differ from each other and how to make them. Read in more detail.

Assembling the frame is perhaps the most difficult and crucial stage in installing a polycarbonate greenhouse. Many details (and the stronger and larger the greenhouse, the more elements are present in the delivery set) often baffle even experienced craftsmen, let alone ordinary gardeners. But still, it is quite possible to understand the assembly process. Moreover, every delivery set of any industrial greenhouse must contain installation instructions.

Attention! Be sure to assemble any greenhouse purchased in a store strictly according to the instructions. Otherwise, you risk getting a structure that will either malfunction or collapse very quickly.

A few general rules for assembling any polycarbonate greenhouse:

first, the end parts of the structure are assembled, then they proceed to the assembly of arcs;
the parts of the main frame arcs (if they are collapsible) can be immediately connected conscientiously, and the individual elements of the greenhouse in the assembled frame are first "baited" with bolts and tightened only after fine adjustment and alignment of the structure; to level the structure, use the building level;
handles and other accessories are installed last;
the frame is dug into the ground or screwed to the foundation only after the final assembly and adjustment of the greenhouse;
if the greenhouse frame consists of a huge number of crossbars (both longitudinal and transverse), then first install the main, longitudinal, which will hold the end parts and main arcs.

Greenhouse cover

After assembling the frame and installing it on the foundation or fixing it on the ground, they begin to cover the greenhouse with polycarbonate. The material is cleaned of the protective film, laid on the structure with its front side (protected from UV rays) upwards and attached to the arcs using roofing screws and washers (usually at a distance of no more than 40-60 cm from each other). Sometimes galvanized tape can be used additionally.

On a note! The ends of the greenhouse, as a rule, are sheathed before being installed on the frame.

It is best to cover the greenhouse with polycarbonate in calm weather. This material is very light and “sails” well, so any gust of wind can damage it or simply prevent you from performing the fastening thoroughly.

Assembling a greenhouse using the example of an industrial model

For example, consider in detail the process of assembling the greenhouse "KU Estate" produced by the "Teplichny Vybor" company.

Step 1. The assembly of this greenhouse begins with cutting out the covering material. We cut one of the sheets lengthwise into two identical pieces with a knife.

Step 2. We fold the resulting segments face to face on top of each other and align. We mark with a marker according to the sizes indicated in the instructions, and cut the folded pieces. There will be six parts of the material with which we will cover the end parts of the greenhouse.

Advice! For convenience and in order not to damage other sheets that will be needed intact, you can use a board by placing it along the cut line under the material.

Step 3. We lay the one-piece welded end parts of the greenhouse on a flat surface. We put small wooden blocks under their upper part and drill holes for handles and their fasteners.

Step 4. Then we drill holes along the perimeter of the door and the end for attaching the covering material. A 4 mm drill is suitable for this.

Step 5. We remove the protective film from the material and evenly lay the rectangular pieces of polycarbonate on the door. We fix them with washers and roofing screws in the lower and middle parts of the sheet, do not touch the upper one yet.

Step 6. We cut the polycarbonate at the junction of the window and the door.

Step 7. We put the upper part of the polycarbonate (window) directly on the door (by 1 cm) so that the window closes with an overlap, and fasten it to it with self-tapping screws.

Step 8. We separate the upper part of the polycarbonate from the window. We put a part of it (1 cm) under the polycarbonate screwed to the window, and fasten it to the upper part of the end.

Step 9. We cut out polycarbonate on the protruding parts of the hinges on the doors and vents.

Step 10. We cut the material with a knife along the edge of the rack, on which the door hinges are attached. We also cut off the excess material at the top of the end.

Step 11. We take the pieces remaining for the side parts of the ends of the structure, clean them from the film, put them on the ends and align them along the bottom of the base. We attach to the end of the greenhouse. Cut off the excess at the edges.