| 5 things to Consider Before Getting the Perfect Greenhouse |
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| Written by Greenhouse Bonanza Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wednesday, 13 February 2008 10:08 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The perfect Greenhouse is a Greenhouse that covers your needs - so which one is the right model for you and what equipment do you need? This article covers basic things you should consider before buying your Greenhouse of choice Greenhouse Perimeter Base PlinthMost Greenhouses need to be built onto a perimenter base plinth. You can build this yourself using a single row of bricks and mortar or, a quicker, easier and cheaper method is to use a robust and competitively-priced galvanized steel or aluminium base plinth which you can order with your Greenhouse. Please note that some of our models have a base plinth included in the price, you should bear this in mind when comparing prices Simply stand the base plinth on firm and level soil and secure it by concreting the corner ground anchors into the soil. Alternatively, it can be bolted onto paving slabs or a concreted patio. The metal base adds strength and height to the Greenhouse and makes its installation much quicker and easier.What size of Greenhouse?Buying a Greenhouse that's too small is the most frequent mistake first-time buyers make.Choose a good quality Greenhouse of the right size and, chances are, you'll never need to buy another. Consider what you will use your Greenhouse for:
Another tip is to go for width rather than length because, that way, the centre walkway will take up a smaller proportion of the overall space. Our advice is to buy the biggest Greenhouse that space and money will allow - you'll recoup the outlay over and over again in the money you save on Garden Centre plant prices. As with most things, it's a trade-off. Do you want to grow extra-hign subjects in your Greenhouse, or are you more concerned with keeping winter heating bills down to a minimum? Extra internal volume costs appreciably more to heat - even if you are only providing frost protection. For most people, an eaves height of 4'9" or less is perfectly adequate and will make your greenhouse more economical to run Greenhouse GlazingExcept for the Eden Clearline, all the Greenhouses we sell are glazed with horticultural glass as standard.This is the least expensive option but, if broken, it stays in large, lethal pieces with sharp edges. For this reason, we recommend you to choose a safety glazing option, especially if the Greenhouse will be sited in a public place, or where young children will be playing. One option is toughened safety glass which, although more expensive, is stronger and less likely to break. If it does break, it forms into small pellets, which are less sharp and, therefore, less likely to cause injury. Alternatively, choose twin wall polycarbonate glazing which, in addition to offering the ultimately in safety, diffuses sunlight to give a more even illumination within your Greenhouse. It improves insulation, too, so your Greenhouse will be more economical to heat if you plan on using it through the winter months. Please note, that Eden Clearline models are plycarbonate glazed as standard and are not availiable with either horticultural or toughened glass. The Importance of Greenhouse VentilationFor healthy growth, plants need gentle and fresh air movement around their leaves and stem - otherwise they fall victim to the plant disease Botrytis Cinerea, more commonly known as Grey Mould. They also need to be prevented from overheating and small Greenhouses are particularly susceptible to this.In our view, and that of eminent Gardening Experts, most Greenhouses do not have sufficient ventilation in their standard form, so it makes sense to add some extra. Just how much extra ventilation you will need depend on how much is included in the standard specification. Our Eden Sherborne and Gardener, for example, are more generous on roof ventilation than many other Greenhouses and, so, should not require extra roof ventilation. You should bear this in mind when comparing prices. The best ventilation is provided by a combination of roof vents and louvred vents fitted low down in the sides so that, as warm air within the Greenhouse rises, it escapes through the roof vents, drawing in fresh air lower down, through the louvres. In this way, a gentle and healthy through-flow of air is maintained at all times and at all levels of the Greenhouse. Some specialists growing requirements, like orchids, will need more ventilation than this and, for polycarbonate glazed Greenhouses, the requirement will be less, because they have less of a tendency to overheat
However did Greenhouse Gardeners manage before Autovent roof and louvred vent openers were invented? Fit these inexpensive devices and they will open and close the vents in your Greenhouse, as and when necessary, to maintain a pre-set temperature - even if you are away on holiday or have gone out for the day. They are operated by expansion and contraction of wax in a cylinder and so, do not require batteries of mains electricity. Every Greenhouse Gardener should have them. |
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| Greenhouse Size |
Roof Vents |
Louvre Vents |
| 4'x6' |
1 |
1 |
| 5'x6' |
1 or 2 |
1 |
| 6'x6' |
2 |
1 |
| 6'x8' |
2 |
2 |
| 6'x10' |
3 |
2 |
| 8'x8' |
3 |
2 |
| 8'x10' |
4 |
2 or 3 |
| 8'x12' |
4 or 5 |
3 |
| 8'x14' |
6 |
3 |
| 8'x16' |
6 or 7 |
3 or 4 |
| 8'x18' |
7 |
4 |
| 8'x20' |
8 |
4 |