Greenhouse Building – Glass Or Polycarbonate?

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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
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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 doesnt 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.