Greenhouse Building Materials: Should I Choose Glass, Polycarbonate, or Poly Film?

You will need to decide what transparent material will be best suited for the walls and roof of your greenhouse. Consider various types of glass, polycarbonate, greenhouse plastic poly film on rolls, or other materials. Each choice will have its own pros and cons regarding price, strength, durability, maintenance, and aesthetic considerations. Not all materials are practical in all climates or for all styles of greenhouse construction. The overview below will introduce you to the most common materials used for greenhouse roofs and walls while explaining which materials are best.

Greenhouse Materials Overview and Common Questions:

Glass

Glass is the highest-quality, highest-price option for greenhouses. It is the heaviest material and can be the most difficult to install, but if installed correctly and protected from shattering. Glass will outlast any other plastic option when considering the life of the product.

Do I Need Single-Pane or Double-Pane Glass?

You will need to consider your overall project budget, including your long-term heating and cooling costs for the greenhouse, to decide whether the single or double-pane glass is more appropriate. Single-pane tempered glass is a beautiful choice for low-budget greenhouse projects where heating and cooling costs are not major concerns. For projects where greenhouse heating and cooling costs are a concern, you'll be better off with double-pane tempered glass (or possibly triple-pane glass if you live in an unusually cold climate).To maximize the heat-reflecting properties of glass in hot climates, you may also consider Low-E tempered glass panels, which will block heat more effectively than regular glass. How difficult will it be to maintain these glass panels? If you're choosing double- or triple-paned glass, make sure that the panels are sealed properly to prevent condensation inside the panel. You should also be aware that a variety of glass coatings can be used to make your glass panels easier to maintain over time. For example, self-cleaning glass (SunClean brand) is coated with a material that uses sunlight to break down dirt accumulation on the panels and causes water to sheet off the panels, rather than bead up on them. Though these coatings increase the price of the glass, they may spare you a lot of glass washing over the years.

What Are the Safety Features of this Glass?

Annealed glass can be dangerous for greenhouse applications. When it breaks, annealed glass shatters into long, sharp shards which may cause injury. Tempered glass is four to six times more shatter-resistant than annealed glass, and when it breaks it breaks into small square pieces, making it unlikely to cause injury. Tempered glass is a better choice than annealed glass for greenhouses. There are different varieties of tempered glass  with various tensile strengths:

• Single tempered
• Double tempered
• Triple tempered

Polycarbonate Panels

Polycarbonate is a less expensive option than glass but has many features that may make it the best choice for some installations. Polycarbonate is lightweight and easy to work with, which do-it-yourselfers may find helpful, and when properly treated with UV stabilizers, you may get anywhere from 10 to 20 years of useful life out of the panels. Polycarbonate panels are also available in a wide range of twin-wall and triple-wall panels, so you can use polycarbonate in many applications where insulation is necessary. On the downside, like any plastic, polycarbonate will eventually degrade from UV exposure.

Greenhouse Polycarbonate Panel Specifics

Polycarbonate panels are made of clear, rigid plastic that transmits light almost as well as glass. Panels are typically available as flat twin wall panels, which contain two flat polycarbonate panes separated by an air space. The air space between panes improves the insulative properties of the panels. Polycarbonate panels are more expensive than poly films but cheaper than glass for greenhouse applications. The benefit of polycarbonate is that it approaches the durability of glass though it is about one-twelfth the weight, which makes it much easier to handle and install than heavy glass panels. On the downside, polycarbonate panels will begin to yellow over time, which may be an aesthetic concern for home greenhouse applications. Twin-wall polycarbonate panels include a rating, in mm, that indicates the size of the separation between the polycarbonate panels (e.g. 4mm twin-wall panels have a 4mm air space between the panels). The larger the gap between panels, the better heat insulation the panels will provide.

Poly Film and Poly Sheeting 

The lowest-price option, poly film, can be an excellent choice for greenhouses where budgets are small and long-term useful life is not as important. Poly films are easy to work with, but they are the least permanent option for greenhouses.

What's the Films Useful Life?

Poly films are often rated regarding the number of useful growing seasons (e.g. 1-year useful life, 4-year useful life). Consider whether it makes sense to replace your film every year or every four years, or if it would be more economical to spring for a more durable material, like polycarbonate panels or glass, upfront. The useful life of a poly film is determined by some factors, including the climate where the film will be used, film thickness, whether the film has been treated with a UV stabilizer, and how well the films were installed. If a UV stabilizer has been applied to the film, check whether the stabilizer was applied to both sides of the film or just one side. If the film was treated on just one side, you'd want to make sure you face the treated side toward the sun when installing it. When you install the poly film, try to minimize the chance of flapping, vibration, or tearing by placing greenhouse rafters close together, and sanding the rafters smooth where they come into contact with the film. Remember that poly film will expand when it's warm, so installing it on a warm day will help to ensure the film remains tight in both cold and warm weather.

Do I Need Woven Poly Film?

Woven poly film has a higher tensile strength than non-woven poly film of the same thickness, and woven films resist sagging, tearing, shredding, and puncturing better than non-woven poly film. Woven films may be appropriate if you live in an area where hail, snow, or the wind are a concern, or if you live with felines who like to claw the poly film.

What Film Opacity Do I Need?

Your climate and the plants you're planning to grow will determine the amount of light you need to allow into your greenhouse. Check the opacity rating of the film you're considering. Films are available in a range of opacities, often

 from 30% to 70% opaque. Consider the thickness of the film as it will cause it to become more opaque the thicker it is.

Do I Need Black or White Silage Film?

Black and white silage films help create the right conditions for flowering for particular types of orchids and tropical plants.