I would like to erect a greenhouse at some point in the future and wondered
what experiences people have had with the different types ie glass vs
polycarbonate.
Any advice/tips would be gratefully received.

"Jo" wrote in message
...
I would like to erect a greenhouse at some point in the future and wondered
what experiences people have had with the different types ie glass vs
polycarbonate.
Any advice/tips would be gratefully received.
Whether you decide on glass, polycarbonate or any other type of glazing, do
yourself a big favour and go for a greenhouse that is double-glazed, so that
you will never have to fiddle about year after year with trying to install
bubble-wrap all over the inside of your greenhouse for the winter. I
suggest Googling double-glazed greenhouses for a start.

someone

"Jo" wrote in message
...
I would like to erect a greenhouse at some point in the future and wondered
what experiences people have had with the different types ie glass vs
polycarbonate.
Any advice/tips would be gratefully received.


If you live in a windy area, forget polycarb, unless you want to keep
fetching the panels back from your neighbours and replacing those which have
broken :-((

Mike

--
Base for a Botanic visit to the Isle of Wight?
www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk

On 9 Apr, 21:59, "Jo" wrote:
I would like to erect a greenhouse at some point in the future and wondered
what experiences people have had with the different types ie glass vs
polycarbonate.
Any advice/tips would be gratefully received.

I have a large heavy-duty polytunnel and have found that the light
levels do not allow me to grow some things successfully here in the
far north. This year I have invested in a RHINO greenhouse from
Greenhouses Direct ( www.greenhousesdirect.co.uk ). The Rhino is a
heavy duty affair with extra bracing, extra thick aluminium frame
material and glass held by glazing beads instead of clips. It was
half-glazed when we had a severe gale force wind; the wind moved the
greenhouse, which at this point weighed around about 250Kg, to the
edge of its foundations and when I returned home from work it was
hanging over the back edge, having moved about nine inches. Not a
single pane of glass was broken and the only structural damage was a
slight bend in the baseplate where the structure had been blown
physically along the concrete footings. Even the manufacturers were
surprised that it withstood a severe gale when unanchored and half
glazed! The Rhino comes with 4mm toughened glass - like that of a car
windscreen and is 1mm thicker than ordinary glazing and 2mm thicker
than horticultural glass. I am very happy with the structure and the
excellent fit of the doors - a common problem with greenhouses. This
is only my first season with this greenhouse but I know that the
service and advice backup from the company are second to none ( used
them several times already) and so I am confident of a good season,
whatever the weather.

'Mike' wrote:
"Jo" wrote in message
...
I would like to erect a greenhouse at some point in the future and wondered
what experiences people have had with the different types ie glass vs
polycarbonate.
Any advice/tips would be gratefully received.

If you live in a windy area, forget polycarb, unless you want to keep
fetching the panels back from your neighbours and replacing those which have
broken :-((

Twinwall polycarbonate when properly locked into a frame is a heck of a
lot more resistant to damage than glass. I keep a sheet with a plank and
a pair of bolts through it for emergency storm repairs. Glass shatters
when hit by flying branches and chunks of roof - it bounches off
polycarbonate.

If you intend to heat the greenhouse then twinwall polycarbonate glazing
is the way to go. The frame needs to be made more rigid when plastic is
used - the corner diagonals on the prevailing wind side must be made
stronger at the very least. And you have to make sure the stuff cannot
spring out even if the flexure from wind loading is significant.

I have never had a polycarbonate panel break. I have had one go into
orbit in a major 100mph storm and it flew a couple of fields away before
it trapped in a hedge. Chunks of corrugated iron off a neighbouring farm
were flying around that night. Glass just shattered totally on impact.

Regards,
Martin Brown