Contents
Today, the most popular way to speed up the appearance of a crop in your garden is to use special structures – greenhouses. But few people know that such a design should have vents. This article will tell you what kind of window for the greenhouse you need, and how to make it yourself.
Is it necessary
Many people today prefer to build polycarbonate greenhouses. Therefore, in our article, more emphasis will be placed on how to assemble the windows in a polycarbonate greenhouse.
A device such as a window allows you to provide the necessary environment in order to make the greenhouse the most favorable conditions for the growth of crops on closed ground. Please note that properly organized do-it-yourself ventilation will provide your plants with the most comfortable microclimate, and will also prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms, as well as insect pests, on plantings.
Properly equipped windows in polycarbonate greenhouses (manual or automatic) will make growing plants more comfortable, efficient and of high quality. Experts say that for any greenhouse with your own hands, at least two windows should be made. Moreover, if the dimensions of the structure are larger, then the number of vents can be increased.
How to choose a place under the window
If you are making windows in a polycarbonate greenhouse, remember that they should be located vertically at the extreme points – one below, while the second is under the ceiling.
In a greenhouse made of polycarbonate, under the ceiling there is the most suitable place for a window – a rectangular area, which is limited by the intersection of two transverse and longitudinal load-bearing beams. At the same time, it is better to choose the location of the window on the side that is opposite to the blowing winds in order to avoid strong drying of the air in the greenhouse. This arrangement will help to make natural air circulation. This ventilation device will allow you to ventilate a small room.
But in the case when there are tall plants or the greenhouse itself is elongated, this type of ventilation will be ineffective. This can be judged by the abundance of condensate on the walls of the structure. In the presence of such a situation, the greenhouse is being modernized – installing additional windows.
In this case, the device for ventilation can be made of two types:
- Manual. This is a simpler solution;
- The machine is a device. Automatic air vents will make the ventilation process more efficient. Automatic windows at a certain air temperature inside the greenhouse structure open independently to create ventilation, and when the temperature drops, they gradually close. But making automatic windows is more difficult than manual ones.
It is believed that the most efficient ventilation will be possible if you make do-it-yourself windows (automatic or manual) in ¼ of the total area of the greenhouse.
What will be required
In order to make a device for ventilation in a greenhouse with your own hands, you will need the following tools:
- screwdriver;
- knife – cutter;
- file for processing the edges of the profile;
- hacksaw for metal;
- self-tapping screws. It is better to take with wide hats, as well as an o-ring;
- conventional fasteners for the profile. They can be replaced with several pieces of mounting perforated tape;
- scotch. It is allowed to replace it with a transparent sealant;
- U-profile;
- polycarbonate sheets.
After you have acquired all the necessary materials, you can get to work.
Video “How to choose the right screwdriver”
The video discusses the issue of choosing a screwdriver. Which company to choose: Makita, Black & Decker, DeWalt, Arsenal.
Choose the type of fastening
An important point in the arrangement of vents for a greenhouse is the choice of the type of attachment. For windows placed under the ceiling or elsewhere, you can use the following types of fastening:
- On swivel mechanisms;
- On the hinges located on the top side of the device.
At the same time, it is worth remembering that the choice of the type of fastening will not affect the ventilation of the greenhouse in the future. But if you plan to make automatic windows, then this moment must be carefully considered in order to avoid further difficulties with ventilation. After choosing the mounting method, it remains only to mount the vents into the existing greenhouse structure.
The installation process
The procedure for assembling a window leaf for a greenhouse involves the following sequential steps:
- carefully cut a piece of polycarbonate from the wall at the location of the window. You need to cut exactly along the internal bearing contour. You should end up with a rectangle of the right size;
- then we take a profile (you can use the product a little thinner than was used to assemble the greenhouse itself) and saw off a piece of the required size. Please note that you need to leave a rectangle on a flat surface, having sides 0,5 cm smaller than the side of the hole cut in the greenhouse;
- for greater strength, stiffeners can be added to the design. Instead, you can make a stitch in the corners made of mounting tape;
- we apply the resulting frame to the place of the cutout in the greenhouse;
- if the home-made design coincides with the dimensions of the cut hole, we process the edges of the profile with a file;
- then we cover the resulting form with an anti-corrosion light primer. You can simply paint it, this will save the open places of the metal from the negative influence of climatic conditions.
After you have received the finished frame, we fasten a piece of polycarbonate to it. Its parts protruding beyond the frame should be carefully trimmed. All joints must be sealed with sealant or tape. Particular attention in this situation should be given to the bottom edge of the device. If necessary, the edges of the window made can be pasted over with rubber. It remains only to attach the hinges to the structure, as well as the lock – the turntable and the limiter. We install the entire assembly device in place and get a manual or automatic window.
Following the instructions above, you can easily construct windows in a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands.
Video “Installation of an additional window in the greenhouse and an automatic ventilation machine”
This video clearly shows all the steps for installing an additional window in the greenhouse.
