What to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on. How to locate a greenhouse on a personal plot. Greenhouse soil requirements

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 area 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 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 layer of soil. 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 made of 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 acquire 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 bar 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 is increased. 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 directly 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.

Polycarbonate greenhouses have long been successfully used by gardeners for growing vegetables and flowers. If you plan to use the greenhouse complex only in the warm season, you can do without the foundation.

Such an installation will save significant funds on the foundation, the complex can be moved to another place. A greenhouse without a foundation can be installed independently. How to properly install a polycarbonate greenhouse on the ground with your own hands - the answers in this article.

Greenhouse foundation: disadvantages

A self-built polycarbonate greenhouse is a real home for cultivated plants, where they can develop, bringing rich harvests. The foundation is the support of the entire greenhouse; in case of hurricane winds, a structure without a foundation can easily turn over or get serious damage to the frame.

The absence of a polycarbonate greenhouse foundation can lead to large heat losses, so the structure can only be operated in the warm season.

A greenhouse structure, without a foundation, will be exposed to an invasion of soil pests (moles, shrews, mice).

The construction of a polycarbonate greenhouse without a foundation does not guarantee complete protection of plantings from atmospheric precipitation (dew and fog), which can lead to fungal infections.

A polycarbonate greenhouse without a foundation: how to properly install and fix the structure

Material for a modern greenhouse - polycarbonate

Have you decided to use the polycarbonate greenhouse only during the warm season? Considerable savings will be achieved:

You do not need to arrange a foundation, you can install a greenhouse with your own hands without building a support base.
In winter, transportation costs for travel to the summer cottage will be reduced in order to timely remove the snow cover from the polycarbonate sheets on the roof of the greenhouse complex.
Achieved savings on heating the greenhouse in the winter.

Choosing a place for a portable greenhouse

For growing products in a polycarbonate greenhouse complex without erecting a stationary foundation, it is of great importance to choose a place for installing polycarbonate greenhouse structures with your own hands.

When choosing a site, you should be guided by the following criteria:

The soil on the site must be fertile. To determine the composition of the soil, it is required to first open a small hole (a depth of 70 cm is sufficient), which is easy to do with your own hands using a conventional shovel.

The right location for a good harvest

Having studied the soil taken out of the pit, it is worth making a conclusion about what composition of the soil predominantly occurs on the site. If there is a lot of sand in the test soil, this is the most successful ratio of the composition of the soil for planting vegetables. Irrigation water is not retained in such soil, the excess of which freely flows through the sand cushion into the deeper layers of the soil.

If the soil consists mainly of clay, or there is a strong salinity, it is required to change the top layer of soil throughout the entire area of the site, which is allocated for a polycarbonate greenhouse. To do this, they dig a foundation pit with their own hands, equal to the area of the greenhouse complex, and remove the mainland soil. At the bottom, a bed of coarse sand or fine gravel is arranged, on top of which fertile soil is poured, after which you can put the greenhouse in the chosen place.

The second important condition when choosing a site for a polycarbonate greenhouse is good illumination. The site should be evenly illuminated throughout the daylight hours; the presence of tall dense fruit trees that block the sunlight is not allowed above the greenhouse. The place for a polycarbonate greenhouse is best taken away from residential and utility buildings - the shadow from buildings can shade plants in a polycarbonate greenhouse at a certain position of the sun.

If the soil on the site is wet (with a close occurrence of groundwater), it is required to arrange reliable drainage in order to avoid soaking the root system of the grown plant products during rains.

Installation of a greenhouse in a selected area

When choosing a site that meets the necessary requirements, you can proceed directly to the installation of the frame elements of the polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands.

Preparatory work

To begin with, on the site, the boundaries of the site are designated on which the complex will be mounted. To do this, it is convenient to use wooden pegs or scraps of reinforcement, which are dug in along the perimeter of the future complex. A construction cord, twine or fishing line is pulled over the pegs installed in the ground. The surface of the site is leveled by removing the bumps and filling in the depressions. The surface should not contain drops and slopes of more than 0.05 m.

The outer side of the trench is laid out with roofing material, metal sheets, flat slate - this is necessary to protect against perennial weeds.

The bottom of the trench is compacted, it is imperative to check the horizontal position using special tools. When installing the frame, it is very important that it is not skewed.

Installation of frame elements

It is not difficult to install the complex with your own hands, the main thing is to observe the technology of assembling a structure from individual elements.

The assembly of the frame begins from the end walls. The frame of the entrance door and windows is attached to the exposed arcs to ventilate the greenhouse complex.

The elements of the lower harness are interconnected by attaching the legs. The frame of the base of the greenhouse is lowered into the prepared trench, while it is very important that the support belt rises above the ground by at least 10 cm.It is imperative to check the horizontalness of the lower trim. A layer of roofing material is laid along the perimeter of the support base and under the timber - this will save the tree from premature decay. Wooden beams should be treated with bitumen mastic to further isolate the structure from moisture. Watch a video on how to assemble a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands.

When assembling on a bar, the profiles are fixed to the lower strapping with special steel corners. The arcs of the frame are sequentially strengthened to the strapping, after which you can proceed to the installation of polycarbonate sheets. The sheets are mounted first from the end sides, before removing the door and window blocks.

The assembly of covering elements made of polycarbonate sheets must be carried out observing the lower and upper sides.

The sides of the sheet differ in the color of the protective film - on the lower sides of the polycarbonate there is a white film (transparent), the outer side of the profile sheets has a blue protection.

The main advantage of polycarbonate greenhouses is their cost effectiveness. The savings are manifested in the possibility of installing greenhouses without creating a foundation. You can do without a base due to the lightness of the frame and transparent plastic, but because of these characteristics, the greenhouse must be tightly attached to the ground, otherwise gusts of wind can damage it. There are certain rules that allow you to make high-quality installation of such a structure. This article will look at how to put a polycarbonate greenhouse without a foundation.

The nuances of installing a greenhouse without a foundation

First of all, it must be borne in mind that the installation of a greenhouse without a foundation is possible only if the building is used seasonally. If you plan to grow year-round, this method will not work. The main disadvantage of this installation method is large heat loss, which can reach up to 20%. This means that you will need to use more electricity, gas or firewood for artificial heating.

The second drawback is the absence of a basic barrier in the upper layers of the soil, due to which rodents or insects can freely enter the building and harm the grown products. This is due to the fact that an empty space of 10 cm remains between the surface of the soil and the harness of the building.

You can get rid of this disadvantage by using special technologies.

Benefits of installation without foundation

For summer residents who plan seasonal cultivation, the method of installing a greenhouse without a foundation will provide a number of advantages, including:

Great savings in time and effort. The installation of the structure can be done in just a few days.
Savings on building materials that must be used to create the foundation.
All procedures for preparing and installing a greenhouse can be performed on your own.
A simple process of dismantling the structure, which will need to be done after the end of the season.
Mobility. Thanks to this characteristic, the structure can be moved to another place at any time without much difficulty.

Assembly and installation without a base is the best solution if the size of the terrain does not allow you to build 2 greenhouses for combining greenhouse crops in them. It is easier to move the structure on legs, after which there will be no traces of concrete or piles on the ground, therefore for summer residents this installation option is an excellent way out, an alternative to which can only be installation on a buried support base made of timber. But this method will take time and financial investment.

Choosing a site for installing a greenhouse

Choosing a place for installation is a rather serious process, regardless of how the installation is performed. But the method without a foundation has a plus, since the location of the greenhouse can be changed at any time.

When choosing a location, you must be guided by the following rules:

The interval between a one-story building and a greenhouse must be at least 3 m, otherwise the shadow from the building may impede the growth of cultivated plants.
It is better to place the long walls of the structure in the west-east direction so that the plants receive the maximum amount of heat from the sun. The ends should be facing north or south.
The greenhouse should be located at a great distance from large trees. Otherwise, their extensive root system will take a lot of moisture from the grown plants.

It is best to find an area protected from drafts. The breeze can significantly reduce the temperature of the polycarbonate, which will prevent heat from being stored in the greenhouse.

For protection from the winds, you can use a corrugated board fence, but it has a rather high cost. The best solution would be to find a place protected from the winds by neighboring buildings.

Working with soil

The soil in the area where the work will be carried out will need to be examined. The process looks like this:

A small hole breaks out. Its dimensions should not exceed 70 × 70 cm, and its depth should not exceed 1 m.
The composition of the soil is determined at a distance of 0.2-0.8 from the surface. There is no difficulty in determining dry sand. It is crumbly and slightly damp. Sand is the best underlayment for setting up a greenhouse. It will not retain moisture, which will prevent the plants from rotting.
Groundwater is fixed. You will need to check if there is water at the bottom of the pit. If there is a lot of it, you will need to dig ditches to drain.

Geological research will help to avoid negative factors and protect the crop from excessive moisture and other problems.

Choice of installation time

Greenhouse installation experts recommend installing the structure at the end of the summer season. In the fall, it will be possible to easily work with the beds while the structure is being assembled and installed on the selected area. Also, installation can be done in early spring, but not later.

Installation manufacturers also recommend installation in spring or autumn, since the optimum temperature for a polycarbonate coating is 10 ° C. The material at this temperature has good ductility, which avoids cracking when tightening the bolts.

Greenhouse installation procedure on the ground

After choosing the location and time, you can proceed to the installation of the greenhouse. The procedure for such a procedure is as follows:

Site preparation.
Assembling the lower trim with support products.
Installation of the lower frame trim.
Greenhouse assembly. Installation of polycarbonate cover. Facing vents, side parts and doors.
Fastening a structure that will protect the lower part of the greenhouse from the penetration of insects or animals.

The general procedure can be adjusted in the process, taking into account the peculiarities of the building and the characteristics of the soil. Some of the procedures can be excluded. When installing on the ground, only the T-supports are buried.

They can be welded to the bottom of the greenhouse or bolted to it.

Terrain preparation procedure

The process of preparing a site for a greenhouse is as follows:

With the help of pegs, an area of the required size is divided. They are connected to each other with a rope.
The marked area is leveled. The sod and visible bumps are removed and the evenness is checked with a spirit level. The maximum permissible unevenness should not exceed the 5 cm mark. The entire perimeter of the plot, as well as the 0.7 m strip along the layout, must be taken into account.
About 0.3 m retreats from the breakdown, after which a line is drawn on the ground using any improvised object. This line will be the outer edge of the pit.
A hole is dug, the width of which is calculated based on the size of the greenhouse. The depth of the pit will depend on the supporting legs of the structure, usually an indicator of 0.3 m is chosen. The lower trim of the structure frame should rise by about 0.1 m.
The bottom of the pit is trampled down. Due to the fact that polycarbonate greenhouses weigh 70 kg, and the mass of the structure is distributed over the entire area, there is no need to strongly ram the bottom of the pit.

To avoid possible irregularities, the horizontal is checked with a spirit level. If irregularities were found, they will need to be eliminated. Then you can proceed to the assembly.

To prevent the appearance of weeds, the outer wall of the structure can be overlaid with slate or roofing material. This method is quite efficient and economical.

Frame assembly process

You can purchase an already assembled structure, but moving it around the site will complicate the work and take time. In order to assemble a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, you only need to use a wrench and a screwdriver. Usually, all fastening elements are included with the structure, as well as a diagram that will help fix the greenhouse on the ground. According to this scheme, you will need to act. Usually the work consists of the following stages:

The ends are being assembled. The door frame, window counterpart and reinforcing strips are attached to the end arcs. In some cases, the ends are supplied by the manufacturer already welded, then this step can be skipped.
The lower harness is fastened with bolts, after which a special leg is attached to it. Before installation, all parts in contact with the soil will need to be pre-treated with bitumen.
The assembled structure with all the details is moved to the location of the greenhouse and installed. In this case, the structure should rise above the surface by about 10 cm.
The evenness of the placement is checked with a spirit level. If necessary, it can be adjusted by lining the bricks.
The frame is assembled according to the instructions that come with the kit. Polycarbonate is attached and automatic vents are installed, if they are included.
The gap between the assembled structure and the soil is filled with soil. In this case, the edges of the sheets should be closed by about 3-5 cm.

After that, the greenhouse is installed and completely ready for use.

It should be borne in mind that the assembly method may differ depending on the type of structure. In some types of greenhouse, the lower harness is connected to the walls, to which additional parts are attached. In this case, it is fixed in a different way.

You can learn more about how to install a polycarbonate greenhouse using the following video.

Insect protection mount

The gap between the surface and the bottom of the structure was filled in in order to provide protection from insects. You can protect yourself from moles and shrews with slate, if installed.

Instead of backfilling with earth, a strip of polyethylene or a metal panel can be used. The best solution would be another strapping of the beams. Wooden beams will also add weight to the structure, which will provide protection from strong winds. Fastening is done with a metal pin or staples, which are pre-treated with bitumen or drying oil to prevent decay.

As an alternative to T-pillars, square timber structures with dimensions ranging from 8 × 8 to 12 × 12 cm can be used.This method allows you to skip the process of digging a hole and place the structure directly on the leveled ground. A trench is only needed if the wood base begins to sink into the soil. In this case, the use of a wooden foundation will be used, which can be made of timber or logs. In this case, the pit is lined with tar paper, a base treated with linseed oil is attached on top, and a frame is attached to it.

It is quite simple to install a greenhouse without a base. It is quite possible to cope with such work on your own. The main thing is to adhere to the work technology and perform the procedures in order and without haste. This installation method allows you to save a lot and is perfect for novice summer residents planning seasonal plant cultivation.

Polycarbonate greenhouses are distinguished by their attractive design, strength and durability, but only if they are correctly assembled. This article is devoted to how to correctly and without errors assemble a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands.

Errors made when installing greenhouses

The advantages of polycarbonate greenhouses include:

resistance to mechanical damage and moisture;
the ability to mount structures of a certain shape;
high light transmittance;
long service life - up to 20 years.

Advice! To minimize heat and light losses in polycarbonate greenhouses, the north side of the structure can be made of reflective and opaque material.

The disadvantages include their complete transparency, which will make it easy to lose light and heat.

When installing polycarbonate greenhouses, the following mistakes are most often made:

Incorrect location of the greenhouse. In order for the greenhouse to warm up well and the plants receive a sufficient amount of light, it is recommended to install greenhouses taking into account the cardinal points. A correctly chosen location for arranging a greenhouse should be well lit during the day or at least in the morning. Tall trees and buildings located at a distance of 3 m from the future greenhouse will protect it from the wind.
The period of the year chosen for the greenhouse installation. To avoid deformation of the polycarbonate during installation, it is recommended to install the structure at an air temperature of 10-12 ° C.
Preference for a collapsible design over an all-welded version. A greenhouse with a collapsible frame has one advantage - it is easy to transport. A greenhouse with an all-welded frame is stronger, more reliable, lasts longer, faster and easier to assemble.
The use of lightweight structures reduces strength and shortens the life of the greenhouse. The use of a reinforced frame does not require mandatory maintenance of the greenhouse in the winter.
When arranging a greenhouse, it is important to take into account the angle of inclination of the surface of the polycarbonate sheet. If an arched greenhouse shines in the sun, this indicates that some of the light is wasted, reflecting from the surface of the polycarbonate sheet and not reaching the plants. Therefore, when choosing the type of greenhouse, it is recommended to give preference to structures with a flat surface.
Choice of low quality polycarbonate. You can check the quality of polycarbonate by weighing it. If a standard sheet, measuring 600 × 120 cm, weighs less than 10 kg, this is a low-quality lightweight material that is not suitable for the construction of greenhouses.
Saving on fittings - using self-tapping screws instead of polycarbonate thermo washers.

How to do the preparatory work correctly

To create a durable and durable polycarbonate greenhouse structure, a number of preparatory measures should be taken.

1. Select and clear a site for future construction. To install the greenhouse, you should choose open areas that provide maximum sunlight. The perimeter of the area to be cleared should be 1.5 m larger than the greenhouse itself on each side.

Attention! A properly installed greenhouse is oriented east-west, and its end walls face south and north.

2. Pour the foundation. To do this, dig a trench up to 25 cm deep, at the bottom of which make a 5 cm thick cushion of sand. Lay out the walls of the trench with waterproofing material, lay down reinforcement, broken brick or rubble, and then fill the trench with a cement solution.

3. After 2 weeks after pouring the cement, waterproof the foundation, after which you can start the construction of the basement.

Advice! Mounting the greenhouse on the foundation provides up to 15% heat savings, reducing the cost of heating it. The choice of the type of foundation is not critical.

Greenhouse installation without mistakes

As soon as all the necessary work on the foundation is completed, you can start assembling the frame. When buying a ready-made frame, an instruction describing the installation process is attached to it.

Attention! Using an unreinforced frame for the greenhouse, you need to be prepared for the fact that during a heavy snowfall, the structure may break. The greenhouse will last much longer if you use a frame profile with a section of 40 × 20 mm and a wall thickness of 1.5-2 mm for its frame.

The main stages of frame installation:

1. Assemble the end posts, fasten the door frame and the corresponding spacers. When installing the greenhouse, thermal washers should be used as fastening fittings.

2. Fasten the ends to the base of the foundation. When installing the greenhouse on a foundation, it is better to choose structures with fastening in the form of "dimes", which are mounted to the base using anchor bolts.

3. Connect all arcs to the ends, reinforce them with longitudinal struts. If necessary, install additional supports under the frame.

Attention! In order for the greenhouse structure to be as strong as possible, the distance between adjacent elements of the crate should be no more than 50 cm.

4. Check the tightness of all fasteners. Treat the metal profile at the joints and in the places of fasteners with anti-corrosion agents or paint. If there are wooden parts, they should also be treated with an antiseptic, and then varnished or painted.

5. Attach polycarbonate sheets to the profile using thermal washers, taking into account thermal gaps. It is recommended to lay the sheets with an overlap, overlapping up to 8 cm of the previous sheet and sealing the seams with an aluminum or galvanized self-adhesive tape. On the inside, the joints are recommended to be reinforced with a special perforated tape. The use of such a tape will prevent drafts and ensure the drainage of condensate.

Fastening of sheets to the frame is carried out taking into account the location of the surface with UV protection and the direction of the air channels. The protected side should be facing outward towards the sun, and the air ducts should be vertical.

6. Seal the edges of the polycarbonate sheets with foil with vapor-permeable inserts.

7. In order to use the greenhouse in early spring for growing seedlings, it can be equipped with heating by conducting communications from the general heating system or installing a stove and laying pipes under the shelves around the perimeter of the greenhouse, and bringing the chimney out into the street. For ease of use, a polycarbonate greenhouse can be equipped with an autowatering system and lighting.

In order for the greenhouse cover to last as long as possible, it is recommended to choose polycarbonate sheets with a thickness of more than 4 mm. The best option is polycarbonate sheets with a thickness of 6-8 mm, with UF-protection (protection against ultraviolet radiation) and a warranty period of at least 10 years.
Treatment of the lower part of the frame with anti-corrosion paint or bituminous solution will extend the life of the greenhouse structure.
Experts do not recommend using polycarbonate sheets marked Eco or Economy to create greenhouses, since they used crushed recycled raw materials, and not primary polymer, in their manufacture. And this affects the strength and quality of the resulting product.
When installing the frame, it is recommended to secure each arch with amplifiers. The stability of the greenhouse as a whole depends on the number of the latter.
In the summer, the polycarbonate coating of the greenhouse gets very hot, which provokes the appearance of gaps. To prevent their appearance, 10 cm strips of polycarbonate should be implanted in the places of contact between the walls and the roof.

Do-it-yourself greenhouse installation is not an easy task. Accurate adherence to the instructions for installing a polycarbonate greenhouse, taking into account the recommendations presented in this article, will allow you to correctly and without errors mount a strong and reliable structure that can last a long time.

Polycarbonate greenhouse installation - video

Polycarbonate greenhouses - photo

Do-it-yourself installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse on the site allows you to grow your own environmentally friendly crop - this is much safer than vegetables from the market, there is always a fresh abundance of vitamins on the table, and in winter it is a pleasure to open a rolled-up jar of cucumbers / tomatoes.

For those who are imbued with the value of such a perspective, we offer detailed instructions on how to install a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, we will show you how to properly prepare a site, which structure is better to choose, what to stake on, how to avoid typical installation errors.

Design features and materials

In the modern market for goods for a personal plot, various polycarbonate greenhouses are presented, how to choose and install directly depends on the materials and shape of the structure. The most popular types:

arched;
rectangular under a gable or sloping roof.

The frame of the structure can be made of various materials:

Prefabricated aluminum, powder-coated, assembled according to the construction principle - the narrow end of the profile is inserted into the wider one. The fastening method is strong enough to withstand the weather.
Galvanized steel with a reliable protective layer, the principle of fastening - special connecting parts: corners, strips, crosses, additionally fixed with a bolt connection.
Of plastic pipes - the most inexpensive frame for installing a greenhouse.
Prefabricated welded structures, consisting of valuable elements: gables, arches, covering.

Installation of the greenhouse on a foundation, double arches provide additional strength, structures are relevant for winter buildings

There is a budget way how to install a greenhouse on a site, for example, do it yourself to weld a frame from a profile pipe or make it out of wood. After installation and assembly, such structures are cleaned of scale and corrosion, primed and painted.

Good to know: The optimal pipe size for the manufacture of a frame of a medium-sized greenhouse is 40 * 20 mm with a wall thickness of 1.5-2 mm. For large structures, pipes 60 * 20-40 mm should be taken.

Finished products for self-installation are presented in different configurations, the price of a greenhouse depends on this. In addition to the frame with the entrance and the covering material - polycarbonate, the structure can have several transom vents for ventilation, with different fittings, as well as seals that ensure the tightness of the interfaces. Additional options help create and maintain a favorable microclimate for growing crops, so before installing a greenhouse, you should think about whether you want to save money or whether your goal is to get the highest quality, functional structure.

Finished products are accompanied by detailed printed instructions on how to properly install a polycarbonate greenhouse, assembly is carried out strictly according to the manufacturer's scheme. These are serial products designed for typical conditions, on site the owner has to improve the building himself, adapting the installation and assembly to the garden area.

Look at the expert's recommendations on how the selection and installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse is performed - assembly and installation, the video will help to avoid 10 mistakes typical for this process. Additionally, the video describes in detail how to choose cellular polycarbonate correctly, explains in which direction to install it on the frame.

Greenhouse site

The greenhouse site should preferably be located on a sunny, windless side. Width orientation - east to west. This could be:

separate area;
a place near the house, if the building will adjoin the building, usually these are arched asymmetric or rectangular single-slope structures of the cantilever (beam) support type, relevant for installation in small household plots.

Before installing a polycarbonate greenhouse, the site must be cleared of debris, uprooted, fenced off with pegs, pull a rope around the perimeter, remove a soft layer of soil, this is approximately 300 mm of top fertile soil.

Foundation - what to install a polycarbonate greenhouse

The choice of a foundation for a reliable installation of a structure depends on several objective factors:

geodetic conditions;
relief;
shape, size, weight of the structure.

The tape base is considered the most versatile for the installation of any type of greenhouse. Such a foundation can be done in several ways:

pour a shallow monolithic concrete tape;
install ready-made blocks and tie them with fittings and mortar;
lay out the foundation of bricks;
build a rubble pedestal of clay and stones;
to make a box-base from a thick bar treated with impregnations: antiseptics against decay and fungus, moisture-repellent compounds, for example, machine oil or liquid bitumen, so that the wood does not absorb moisture.

Temporary lightweight structures are usually installed on a columnar foundation. On uneven areas with large relief drops and swampy, shifting soil, on a slope, piles buried 200 mm below the freezing level of the soil in the region are preferable: screw, driven. Very rarely, a slab is poured under the installation of a greenhouse: floating or with adhesion ribs.

How to pour a monolithic concrete tape for installing a greenhouse

We dig a pit, 700 mm deep, pour crushed stone, sandstone, ram the pillow. We lay the reinforcing frame, install the formwork, check the geometry, strengthen it with slopes, pull it along the top so that the formwork does not disperse under the load from the mortar, pour concrete, and bayonet. We insert special fasteners or reinforcing rods with an outlet every 600-1000 mm, we will attach the frame to them. We leave it for a month, until the concrete is fully formed. We remove the formwork, make vertical waterproofing: glue it with roofing material, you can thickly coat it with bitumen mastic, perform backfilling with soil.

Good to know: To install winter greenhouses, the base should be insulated with polystyrene plates or made of thermal insulation by spraying polystyrene foam.

Installation of a polycarbonate greenhouse on a block foundation, it is more practical to lay out aerated concrete elevation on a strip monolithic base

Bar base

Installation of a greenhouse on a timber does not require a lot of time and money. We choose a bar with ribs 100 * 100, 150 * 150 mm from hard wood. We saturate it with protective agents. We level the site, sprinkle it with crushed stone and sand, this stage can be excluded, but it is he who will ensure the durability of the structure.

Photo-diagram of how to arrange a foundation from a bar for installing a greenhouse

Be sure to lay roofing material in 2 layers, overlap joints, glue with a blowtorch or bitumen. We assemble the base, the timber at the corners can be fastened:

on galvanized corners;
staples;
make cuts of ½ thickness and tighten with self-tapping screws or nails;
drill holes and tighten with anchor bolts.

Installing a polycarbonate greenhouse on a timber does not ensure the durability of the building

It is better to install the greenhouse on a concrete strip or timber, but it can also be installed on the ground. It is recommended to lay flat stones, bricks, aerated concrete blocks under the base. Watch the step-by-step instructions on how to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on the ground, the video will tell you how to assemble the structure and fix the frame.

How to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on a foundation

Before installing a polycarbonate greenhouse on a beam, tape and any other foundation, cover the base with roofing material - horizontal waterproofing.

Good to know: Serial arched greenhouses are produced with a height of 1900 mm, which is due to the technical parameters of the carbonate sheet. This height is inconvenient for working inside, because the height of the beds is added. For the installation of structures, a foundation with a high base of 300-400 mm is recommended. It is also advisable to install winter greenhouses on a high foundation.

There are different ways of how to properly install a greenhouse on a site, each manufacturer offers its own assembly schemes. Some recommend that you first assemble and install the frame, and then sheathe it with polycarbonate, others advise you to assemble and sheathe the main units, install it on the foundation, and then fasten it.

How to install a polycarbonate greenhouse correctly, a good idea for winter buildings

Assembly and installation - step-by-step instructions

Consider installing an arched structure. For a fast and high-quality assembly, two people are required, tools are also required:

roulette;
level;
corner;
screwdriver;
a knife for cutting polycarbonate, a stationery with a thick blade or a metal file is suitable;
fine abrasive for cleaning the ends.

Lay out the parts and assemble the key structural units before installation.

We collect the end parts. We put it horizontally on a flat area. We remove the protective layer from the polycarbonate, put it on the end piece, and attach it to the thermal washers. Cut off the coating along the contour of the element. We install the element on the foundation strictly vertically, fasten it to the base. Between them we install the transverse element of the base - the lower harness, we tighten it.

Further, the installation of arcs in specially provided mounts, we insert one side, then the other. We install and fix the cross bars for structural rigidity. According to this algorithm, we carry out the installation of the remaining elements.

Installation of arcs strictly vertically, we strengthen with transverse strips

Good to know: At the stage of assembly, the fasteners should not be twisted too tightly in order to correct the geometry of the building if necessary. After the final installation, all components will need to be pulled with force.

When the frame is installed and stretched, we cover the sides of the greenhouse with polycarbonate, screw it onto thermal washers. At the joints of the sheets, we make an overlap of 100 mm, or we connect through the docking profile, from the ends there are projections of 50 mm. Gaps between the frame and the covering material are unacceptable, the abutment must be tight. As practice shows, before installing polycarbonate on a metal frame, a special sealing profile should be strengthened or double-sided tape should be glued.

How to properly attach polycarbonate to an installed frame

Peel off the top protective film. We cut through the vents and doors along the contour. We install accessories.

Watch the master class on how to install a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, the video demonstrates the manufacture and installation of a homemade welded structure from a profile pipe on the foundation, under a gable roof.