Hi All. Winter is coming and I am considering building a green house. I would like to pick the best material besides glass to use. I have trouble keeping glass in my house (kids), a green house stands no chance. Looking through Home Depot, there is polypropylene, vinyl, polycarbonate, fiberglass, and acrylic. Glass has the property of admitting near ir to uv and trapping long wave ir. It would be nice if some of the plastics would do something similar. Does anyone have information on the optical properties. Thanks in advance. Larry
Polycarbonate was depicted at a good source to let more wave lengths in. It is light but not that strong. So you would need many panes as I recall. Pricey too. Don't ask me where I got this info. I just trashed a cold frame of this stuff that lasted about 25 years. Metal supports failed first.
Your location would help. As would information about what plants you intend to keep over the winter. Are you planning on heating it? If so, then you need to consider how you will run electricity to the structure. Are you planning on trying to hand water everything? If not, then some sort of drip irrigation needs to be installed. Again, now you need to consider how to run water to the structure. If your water is on the "hard" side, you'll probably want to install some sort of softener or RO system, or you'll be replacing drip emitters on a regular basis. Are you looking for a rigid frame, or a hoop house? Are you planning on starting seeds? If so, a misting system will help. Are you planning on using it during the summer? Then you need to consider a way to cool it.
Hope you can see that putting up a greenhouse entails much more of a time/money investment than just simply erecting the structure. You need to first decide /what/ you want to grow (and when), and find out what you need to do, in order to accomplish those goals.
To answer your question about the covering: A *minimum* of 4mm, twin-wall polycarbonate would be best. Thicker is better, and triple-wall is available.
IMO, waiting until mid October to make a "spur of the moment" decision about erecting a greenhouse is not the way to go about it.
If you are going to use synthetic glazing material materials look for those treated with Ultraviolet protection. Ultraviolet deteriorates glazing materials.
Also look for the longest guaranty against UV deterioration.
You may want to build a chicken wire shield for your Greenhouse. Synthetic materials are not stone proof.
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True PC doesn't shatter from an impact as easily as glass does, but with age it turns opaque and brittle from UV. Once that happens, gale pressure or snow weight can lead to cracking then rapid disintegration. . Opacity can be a benefit in high-sunlight areas by protecting plants from scorching; but if you live where winter lightlevels are low, winter plants will do less well that they would under glass.
Beware of sparks/burning particles flying from garden bonfires or housechimneys, which will quickly burn holes in a polycarbonate roof. If you use twin or triplewall polycarbonate, be sure to seal the top and bottom ends because any damp that gets trapped betwen layers, will grow unsightly trapped mould which is impossible to clean out. Both happened to a polycarbonate roof on our leanto. In the same 20 year period, our (all glass) glasshouse had no deterioration or damage other than a small clean bullethole.
Then I don't suppose you'd much like to find an arrow projecting out of your fence at a 45 degree angle pointed upwards. It was shot out of a crossbow. Nice. I think we'll be moving deeper out into the country in the next several months. I can't stand being so close to neighbors. I also want horses.
On topic, though, I have a 10x20 greenhouse which you can see here:
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