How to make a greenhouse at home: proper construction of the structure

Almost every summer cottage has a greenhouse for growing vegetables. Building it at home will not be difficult if you follow all the rules and recommendations. The construction of a greenhouse consists of several stages that must be followed. How to make a greenhouse at home?
Content:
- Greenhouse: design description
- Necessary conditions for creating a greenhouse
- Materials and tools for work
- Step-by-step instructions for making a greenhouse
- Compact greenhouse for home
Greenhouse: design description
A greenhouse is a structure in which you can grow vegetables, berries, and herbs all year round indoors. The structure is framed with transparent film or glass, which creates the necessary conditions for growing plants. A film greenhouse is easy to install, costs less and is more flexible and elastic.
Such a structure at a summer cottage will help maintain an optimal microclimate and protect the plant from precipitation. In addition, it is convenient to use. There are several types of greenhouse structures that can be built at home. It could be:
- Arched
- Gable
- Single-pitch
In an arched structure, the roof resembles the shape of an arc, and in a gable structure, it resembles a triangle. A lean-to greenhouse is made to save space on a personal plot and is often attached to a house, garage or bathhouse.
When constructing a greenhouse, it is necessary to decide on the size of the structure, whether it will be year-round, winter or summer. If you plan to place a mini-greenhouse on a balcony or window sill, then a structure of 3 tiers is constructed. Its size depends on the size of the room and the preferences of the owner.
Necessary conditions for creating a greenhouse
When building a greenhouse with your own hands, you must first select a location for the structure, prepare the soil and build a frame. The structure must be built according to all the rules, then it will last more than one season. The area must be level and dry. If the territory of the dacha is located in a lowland, on a slope, or in a swampy place, then it is not recommended to install a greenhouse in such an area.
Greenhouse should be well lit on each side. The place for the future structure should be sheltered from the winds. When assembling the greenhouse, the following point must be taken into account: the location of the structure should be from east to west. If this rule is observed, sufficient light supply to the plants is guaranteed, which has a beneficial effect on their development.
Materials and tools for work
The greenhouse frame can be built from wood, metal, irrigation hoses, pipes, etc. If you plan to install a wooden frame, then the beams and boards should be treated with an antiseptic. This material is popular due to its low cost and easy installation.
In addition, you should prepare:
- Nails and screws
- Fishing line
- Metal staples
- PVC pipes
- Polyethylene film 200 microns thick
- Lock and handles
- Joiner's and carpenter's set
The construction of a greenhouse can begin after preparing all the tools and materials.
Step-by-step instructions for making a greenhouse
First you need to prepare the site, make markings where the device is planned greenhouses. The construction of a greenhouse consists of several stages:
Preparing the foundation. At this stage, you should level the ground and dig a trench according to the future size of the greenhouse. Next, install the formwork and pour concrete. The foundation can be made from beams. You need to take beams 12x2 cm thick and install them around the perimeter of the future greenhouse. Material impregnated with tar is placed in the trench, and timber is placed on top. After installing the wooden foundation, the frame is erected. The supporting beam must be secured with special corners, which were installed during the work with the foundation.
The size of the supporting beam must be wider than the beams for constructing the frame. First you need to assemble the end walls. They are attached to the supporting pole using metal corners. Next, make blanks from the beams and secure them using the same technology.
Creating a roof. For a gable roof, beams 5x5 cm thick are required. First install the top beam and lay additional slats at intervals of 2 meters. Next build doors and windows. It is important to remember that windows for ventilation should make up about 25% of the total area of the structure. The optimal location is no lower than 2/3 of the entire height of the greenhouse.
Film fastening. Fastening is done using slats and brackets. In the doorway, the film must be wrapped inside. All excess neatly trim. You can treat a wooden frame with a special product both at the beginning of construction and after all work is completed. At the final stage, add fertile soil to the greenhouse.
You can use window frames as the walls of the greenhouse, then you will not have to make windows in the structure for ventilation.When building a metal structure, the cost will be slightly more expensive than building a wooden greenhouse. However, such a structure will be more reliable, stable and practical.
Compact greenhouse for home
If you don’t have a summer cottage, you can build a small greenhouse for your home. It can be placed on a balcony or loggia, where there will be enough lighting for plants. The technology for constructing a mini-greenhouse is simple and consists of several stages:
- Making the frame. Take bars with a cross section of 40 cm and make 2 frames. These will be the side parts of the frame. In each frame, at the intended level of the shelves, place and secure cross bars.
- Frame connection. Connect them and fasten them with horizontal crossbars, the size of which should be equal to the width of the structure. Fastening is carried out at the level of the crossbars of the side parts. Lay shelves on horizontal bars.
- Shelter for greenhouses. Cut a cover from the film onto the prepared wooden frame. It is important that it is easy to put on, so you need to allow a tolerance of 2-3 cm.
The front canvas should consist of two equal parts. They can be connected to each other with a zipper, then you can gain access to the plants without removing the film. The remaining parts can be taped together or sewn together. The back wall can be made of polycarbonate, but the front and sides should be made of polyethylene film.
This simple structure can be erected in 2 days and you can harvest vegetables and herbs at home. Such a greenhouse can be used not only for growing vegetables, but also for obtaining seedlings for further planting in open ground. In addition, a home greenhouse can be made from thick wire and a wooden base.
Video about creating a greenhouse on your own site:
Comments
I wonder if soft PVC glass is suitable for creating a greenhouse, or is film better? I just read recently that the service life of such glass is 10 years and they also need to be stretched like film.