Hobby greenhouses or commercial greenhouses – both need to
be built as a structure that lets in maximum sunlight to help the plants within
get the nutrition they require, while also keeping them protected from the harsh
environmental conditions around. Traditionally, from the earliest of times,
glass has been the most popular material used to build greenhouses. However, as
time have changed and evolved, so has the popularity of greenhouse material.
Today, many greenhouses are being built with polycarbonate roofing sheets. So, what is it that makes
polycarbonate so popular today? Or, let us ask whether it is glass or
polycarbonate that you must use for your next greenhouse project to reap the
best benefits. To bring an answer to this question, you first need to
understand the characteristics of both glass and polycarbonate individually, so
that you can make an informed decision as to which material is better to solve
the purpose.
Light transmission
Glass is so clear that it brings 100% sunlight into the
structure. On the other hand, polycarbonate distorts the light that it lets in.
Plants in fact do better with such diffused light, as direct sunlight can
scorch, overheat, or burn them. Diffused light can provide plants with the
required amount of light, and is also able to reach all around the plants so
that they are lit evenly instead of the majority of light going to the top
portion. In this way, plants actually tend to grow faster. Moreover,
polycarbonate also has a special UV protective later on one side of the sheet,
thus protecting the harmful UV radiations of the sun from entering the
structure. Therefore, with polycarbonate, not only does good amount of diffused
light come in to help the plants within to grow, but it also keeps them safe
and protected.
Durability
We need a greenhouse that can withstand all the harsh
environmental conditions. Glass, as we all know, is at risk of breaking.
Polycarbonate, on the other hand, has an impact resistance 200 times that of glass.
So, you can imagine how durable it can be in conditions of hail, snow, storm,
stone pelting, and the like. This resistance and strength helps polycarbonate
to stay durable and strong amidst all kinds of climates – summer, winter,
autumn, and monsoon.
Heat retaining
The whole point of a greenhouse is to bring in sunlight to
heat up the room, while also retaining the heat. Glass helps in bringing in the
heat, but it also quickly cools down, which means that it doesn’t retain heat
for long. Polycarbonate is also weak when it comes to retaining heat. But, when
two polycarbonate sheets are used together, with some space in between, the
internal buffer space help to retain the heat, which is better than that of
glass.
Installation
Glass is very heavy to carry and transport, and also
required utmost care while handling to avoid cracking or breakage.
Polycarbonate of the same size is very light in weight, thus making it easy to
carry, transport, and install. Moreover, it is also so highly impact resistant
that it can be easily handled.
Maintenance
Polycarbonate requires no maintenance at all. But, in the
case of glass, you will need to clean it regularly depending upon the usage.
And, because it brings in direct sunlight, you will also need to add to it some
sort of shading system, along with being more diligent about venting and
airflow, especially during the scorching summers.
Now,
it is for you to decide which material you should use for your greenhouse. As
far as the blog says, it clearly shows that polycarbonate is the clear winner.
And, if this is your choice too, you can approach Tuflite Polymers to get the
best quality polycarbonate roofing
sheets for y our greenhouse.
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