Glass Green House

Natural Sun Shines Through Glass Green House

Building a green house can be a costly exercise with much of the expense being determined not only by the materials used and its size, but also by what its eventual intended use.

A glass green house, perhaps the most widely used, allows the greatest amount of natural light onto the plants, but also allows the most heat loss in the cold months. Insulation can be provided for a glass green house by placing a 4 mm thick piece of clear plastic on the inside of the glass. Allowing an air space between the glass and plastic will slow heat loss by about 20%.

The frame of a glass green house is close to the same as any greenhouse, regardless of the covering. Whether it’s wood, metal or plastic, the basics of construction are the same. They are designed to sit on a foundation with a floor installed to make working in them easier, more comfortable and to better control the climate.

With a glass green house you will need to think about the months when the weather is the hottest. If the temperature gets too high, it will damage plants and seedlings. The same will occur in the coldest months, especially in a non-insulated glass green house.

Consider Heating and Ventilation

Heaters are designed to keep your greenhouse at a constant temperature by use of a thermostat. Electric powered heaters are the most common as heaters using propane or heating oil would have to be properly vented to avoid damaging the plants. Conversely, venting will be required during the hottest months to avoid “cooking” the plants in high heat.

Another factor of a glass green house is it should be facing east to west so that it may accumulate the greatest amount of sun during the winter months. Also consider the prevailing direction of the wind. If it is primarily from the west, you will want to have the door facing to the east to avoid a sudden burst of cold air on the plants when you enter your glass green house.

There are roof vents available that require no electricity which is beneficial if your glass green house is far away from your power supply. As heat in the greenhouse builds up, the canister of the vent causes an arm to move, opening the vent. As the temperature drops, the vent will close.

The roof style of your glass green house is another consideration as it should be slanted enough to avoid snow build-up and allow for proper run off of rain.