Without the help of builders, you can build a winter greenhouse with heating yourself, but how? There are several ways to install this type of structure yourself. These include the stages of preparation, collection of materials and the installation itself, but in general are feasible even for a person unfamiliar with construction.
A greenhouse is an important construction for gardeners and growers. Therefore, installation of a winter structure will be an additional plus for them and will give a chance to deal with plants all year round. Mounting a winter greenhouse, which will keep heat even in cold Russian conditions, is more difficult than it seems at first glance. Wall insulation and underfloor heating are required to achieve the goal.
Content
Building selection
First of all, you need to determine what type of building is suitable for the owner’s site. Large or small? Solid or combined? Depending on the free space, budget and goals of the owner, you need to choose which characteristic is most important:
- type of heating;
- functionality;
- planting paths;
- materials used;
- location of the building relative to ground level.
Depending on each characteristic, greenhouses are divided into several types. So, if the owner is going to grow citrus fruits and other heat-loving crops within the building, the functionality should be at its best: there should be an irrigation system to maintain air humidity. There are greenhouses with less functionality, which are intended only for northern vegetables and herbs.
One of the most significant characteristics is the location of the building relative to the soil level. Buildings can be partially buried in the ground to preserve heat, located on the surface, or transferred to the structure of another building. The latter type is rare for Russian conditions, but with proper construction it can turn out to be a functional and beautiful solution.
The type of winter greenhouse with self-built heating is highly dependent on the materials that are used for its construction. PVC is a cheap option that does not give additional advantages, but polycarbonate is considered a good heat-insulating material. Glass is a traditional material that must be used with care because of its fragility. The type of material can be selected regardless of the shape of the future building, which can be gable, single-pitch, flat, and so on.
The choice should be made on the basis of the financial and physical capabilities of the future builder. After determining the shape, materials, location, you need to pay attention to the most important part of the structure: the heating system.
Step-by-step video:
Choosing a heating system and place of construction
How to build a winter greenhouse with your own heating depends on the type of heating. If brick, opaque darkened sheets of polycarbonate were used, then less heat will come from the outside, but more will remain from the inside.
If sheets of glass are used, the greenhouse will heat up mechanically, even under the influence of the winter sun. The level of influence of the sun on the greenhouse depends on its location relative to the sun.
It is necessary to position the greenhouse so that the sun, passing its daily circle, constantly gets rays on the walls of the building.Otherwise, there will be not only a lack of heat, but also a lack of ultraviolet radiation, which is vital for all types of plants.
The best locations for winter greenhouses are glades, small elevations and hills. Only elevations will have to be additionally prepared to level the surface for the installation of the foundation of the structure. The lowlands for the greenhouse are extremely undesirable, and to surround such structures with trees is a gross mistake.
The heating system depends on the location. She may be:
- partially dependent on the sun;
- completely independent.
A partial dependence on the daylight is expressed both in the absorption of heat from the sun through the walls that enhance this heat, and in the collection of energy through the solar battery.
This type of design is cheaper, because you do not have to spend extra money on strong heating, but less functional. In winter, you can not rely on the sun.
It is better for independent construction to choose warm buildings with electric heating, which would maintain the necessary level of heat at any given time. Less popular, but also effective ways are heating with gas, water.
Preparation of materials
Having decided on the choice of design, heating, location, the owner proceeds to action - the purchase of materials and tools. For various designs you will need:
- frame beams (metal beams or durable plastic);
- transparent or translucent material for walls (polycarbonate, PVC, glass);
- finishing material for the lower part of the structure (brick, plastic, polycarbonate);
- screws, nails and other metal connecting elements.
The exact type and quantity of materials is specified depending on the type of construction of a winter greenhouse with heating.
[sc name = "info-attention" text = "After purchasing the materials, you need to start with a simple one - give those that swell from moisture, lay down and take their final form, and at this time do the clearing of the site.”]
Preparation of the area for the greenhouse construction
The place for the greenhouse should not be at least slightly uneven, because when the structure is tilted, the main moisture, as well as the heating substance, will be distributed unevenly. This will lead to slow growth of some plants. Therefore, before building a building, you need to level the land in one of the most convenient ways:
- Creating wood flooring. Driving piles into the ground and installing a small wooden flooring on them, you can get a stable platform for the building. Due to the increased humidity near the greenhouse, it will have to be constantly renewed or well treated in advance against decay.
- Creation of a pouring concrete site. This is the best type: resistant, simple, not responding to temperature changes and moisture. Sand and gravel are poured onto a level ground, and a cement mass is placed on top of it. Concrete hardens for about a day, after which you can begin the installation.
- Easy leveling. It is carried out using a rake, a shovel and other improvised tools.
Milestone: building a greenhouse
Now we can move on to how to build a winter greenhouse with our own heating. The greenhouse begins to be erected when space, parts and workers are definitely ready for construction. You can not stand idle during operation, because the greenhouse should be as tight as possible, and long delays during installation will reduce the level of thermal insulation.
There are several types of greenhouses, but here the construction will be considered on the example of the most popular - a gable greenhouse with a position deepened in the ground. The finish of the building is made of bricks.
The foundation may already be prepared if the site was previously flooded with concrete. If the owner did not do this, a strip foundation is created. It is necessary to place it deep, half a meter below the ground.
The walls of this building are also made of brick, which occupies 60% of the structure. It is built in one element with a thickness (about 20-30 cm).
Laying the first level of the brick is carried out to a level of 60 cm above the ground. In this place, you need to install windows that will give the plants natural light and create a pleasant look.
They are arranged at intervals of about 70 cm. The frames that will be installed inside the openings must be supplemented with vents for ventilation in warm weather.
The roof is made gable and transparent to provide additional heating. It is located at an angle of 20 degrees.
The tie rods are installed on the roofing, then the tie rafters are attached. The roof ridge is mounted to them. To protect the walls from penetration into the windows of water, visors are installed.
Step by step photos:
Advice
Building a greenhouse is not an easy task. It requires special care and consistency. Professional advice will help bring the building to perfection:
- To check the evenness of the site for the greenhouse, it is enough to use pegs and a long thread if there are no other meters at hand.
- It is best to combine heating systems: water heating is as soft as possible, but electric - stable. Water heating in cold weather can break, lose weight and not give the right level of heat. For such cases, you need to install spare heating systems.
- When building a structure, you do not need to disdain the assistants. They will accelerate the process by half, holding the assembled structures and helping to mount them together.
- If finances do not allow you to buy a metal frame, expensive polymers, you can save money by switching to wood and glass. If possible, it is better to use a brick in the construction. This is an inexpensive heat-insulating material that also gives your winter-time greenhouse with self-built heating a beautiful appearance.
Options for greenhouses:
Step-by-step videos:
https://youtu.be/avZNIZ5FHGs
Why is a greenhouse open top?
Greenhouse "Butterfly", is it worth it?
Do-it-yourself landscaping of an area of 8 acres: features of planning and zoning
Shed greenhouse, pros and cons