What is Greenhouse Glazing?

Greenhouse glazing might seem like a foreign subject to many people, but the definition of it and its concepts are easy to understand when building a greenhouse. A greenhouse usually is an exterior building that is specially designed to grow plants. The greenhouse glazing is simply the coating that is applied to the outside of the structure to form the weatherproof seal while still allowing an adequate amount of sunlight into the building to allow the plants to grow.

The materials used for greenhouse glazing vary in design and price. When considering which type to put onto a greenhouse, one must evaluate the surroundings and his or her budget. Various levels of skill are required to install the various glazing materials as well, so this also has to be considered when one is building a greenhouse.

The first material that is used for greenhouse glazing is glass or acrylic glass. The majority of greenhouses are made with these materials not only because of the appealing look of them, but because of the long-lasting life that they provide for the greenhouse. The downfall to using them, however, is that these materials alone do not deflect the sun’s rays at all, which does not make for an ideal growing environment for most plants.

Polycarbonate materials are the second type of greenhouse glazing that can be installed. This translucent plastic is available in either a single-layer style or honeycomb styles, which is very similar to the way that corrugated cardboard is made. The single-layer polycarbonate is similar to glass and acrylic glass when it comes to filtering the harmful rays of the sun, but the honeycomb style does reduce the amount of the rays, which makes it more ideal for growing plants. Polycarbonate materials used as greenhouse glazing is much easier to install than glass or acrylic glass, but it can be more expensive.

The final material that can be used when installing greenhouse glazing is poly film. This film is a thick, flexible material that diffuses the light from the sun very well, so it makes one of the best growing environments for plants. This glazing material will last for six to eight years, so it will have to be replaced on a regular basis in order for the glazing to work correctly. Poly film is the easiest greenhouse glazing material that can be used, and as such, it can be installed by anyone who has basic skills in building. This material has a low cost, is easy to work with and comes in a kit that includes material that is already cut and ready to use.