Traditionally, greenhouses have been paned with glass. However, recently there has been an uprising in the use of polycarbonate sheeting amongst gardeners. This post demonstrates why polycarbonate out performs glass, and why you should be considering polycarbonate as an alternative to glass in your greenhouse.
Strength
Polycarbonate is a strong material. In fact, it is 290x times stronger than the glass usually found in greenhouses. This means you’ll find your panes will not need replacing as often. Footballs, tennis balls, birds & all manner of objects flying through the air will not break through the polycarbonate, keeping your beloved plants safe & sound.
Safety
Seeing as we’ve already mentioned children, it’s worth noting that polycarbonate is safer for the little ones, and for youself. As polycarbonate will resist shattering when pelted with balls, the risk of nasty cuts from broken glass is a thing of the past.
UV & Lighting
Polycarbonate is pretty UV resistant, meaning it will filter out a lot of the harmful UV rays that glass will not. This will provide your plants with the protection that they need. Sunlight (minus the UV) coming through the polycarbonate will also reach nearly every corner of your greenhouse. Unlike glass which is thinner, and does not diffuse the light as well.
Insulation
Plastic is a much more efficient insulator than glass, as it retains the heat for much longer. This will keep your greenhouse at a higher temperature. This in turn, will lengthen your seasons compared to what you may have seen before. As well as being advantageous to your traditional gardener, it also makes sense for commercial growers to invest in polycarbonate glazing.
Cost
Polycarbonate is cheaper to buy. It will also be cheaper in the long run as it will not need replacing as often as glass.
