subject: Create A Warm And Suitable Environment For Growth With Greenhouse Plastic [print this page] Greenhouse plastic is primarily liable for sustaining a hothouse effect within a greenhouse. Greenhouse plastic produces a warm and suitable growing environment that allows numerous types of plants to cultivate beautifully. It produces an enclosure that protects plants from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun while benefiting from its natural warmth and light. The filtered environment made by greenhouse plastic makes it possible for garden enthusiasts to grow luscious plants like vegetables and flowers in the cold dead of winter.
Greenhouse plastic is explicitly designed to resist wear and tear in contrast to conventional construction plastic that can't filter ultraviolet rays from the sun. Greenhouse plastic is sturdy due to its knitted design that permits it to be cut and sized to meet the needed length for a structure without fraying, ripping or tearing. The material can simply be framed around any greenhouse opening like a vent, door or windows.
Kinds of Greenhouse Plastic
Greenhouse plastic films are usually made of three kinds of plastics namely, PVC or polyvinyl chloride, PE or polyethylene and copolymers. Even though, you will find other kinds of plastic utilized, these 3 are most commonly used among all.
Polyethylene greenhouse plastic is obtainable in two types, the utility grade and the commercial grade greenhouse plastic. Utility grade polyethylene greenhouse plastic is sold at local hardware stores and usually stays in good condition for practically a year. Commercial grade polyethylene greenhouse plastic lasts for a longer time that utility grade PE up to 18 months and is treated with ultraviolet inhibitors that filter out ultraviolet rays.
Copolymers are much more durable and last up to 3 years. Innovative additives launched into greenhouse plastic allow it to imitate the same effects of a glass greenhouse at considerably reduced costs. Polyvinyl chloride is much more costly compared to polyethylene however this type of greenhouse plastic can last up to 5 years.
How to Attach Greenhouse Plastic to Frame
Once the frame has been constructed, it's time to put on the greenhouse plastic film to enclose the whole structure. The plastic film can either be made of polyethylene, copolymers or polyvinyl chloride according to the preference of the owner. But as much as possible, choose a greenhouse plastic that's resistant to ultraviolet rays to be able to maximize of the structure. Before laying the greenhouse plastic covering on the frame, it's important to mask the joints of the frames with a number of rounds of tape or a rubber material to prevent it from puncturing the covering.
The greenhouse plastic film could be secured in place using a staple gun. A more firm construction using 1" by 2" wood strips and wood screws can also be used to secure the greenhouse plastic film into position. The wooden strips are fastened to the frame so that the greenhouse plastic film doesn't come in direct contact with the frame.
Poly patching tape is constructed from UV protected acrylic along with the adhesive to protect the greenhouse plastic from weakening on contact with it. This type of tape could be utilized to patch holes and rips that might occur to the plastic film. Its excellent holding strength and wide tape make a perfect for securing the plastic film to the frame of the greenhouse. On the other hand batten tape could be attached the plastic film using staples or tacks to the greenhouse structure. It is also made from heavy gauge vinyl that is also UV protected.
