Greenhouse Glazing Maintenance

There are two factors that are critical to maintaining a correct amount of solar heat that is maintained inside the greenhouse. The first is the orientation of the greenhouse to the sun; the next is the efficiency of glazing that is used.

While the orientation of the greenhouse as it relates to the sun enables it to have the potential solar heat that could be used, the glazing on the other hand is what allows and keep heat and light in the greenhouse. In choosing a glazing material then, the rule of the thumb is to choose a material that could let solar heat in while preventing heat loss as much as possible. Heat loss and control are managed by the ventilation system and its components. Glazing is what absorbs and keep it.

Minimizing energy loss has been a subject for greenhouse developers and designers that there are several choices and variants that you could use for this purpose. Typically glazing materials should allow natural photo synthetically active radiation to be absorbed into the greenhouse. For this, treated double-layered plastics, rough glass, and fiberglass are used. While plastics are the most common, the component that makes all the materials even more effective are enhanced weather ability, ultraviolet degradation inhibitors, radiation transmission properties, and infrared radiation absorbency.

In some areas, greenhouse growers add additional glazing for the greenhouse during winter. Materials that are used are thermal films that create additional insulation to retain the heat. In areas where winter cold could be severe, double and sometimes triple layer of films are mounted for added heat retention.

The manner of mounting the glazing material too will determine the amount of the heat conserved or lost. Holes and cracks during the mounting will allow heat to escape while spaces in between the mounting will affect energy retention.

In the installation of glazing, it is well to note that while plants grow well both in direct and diffused sunlight, the glazing of the greenhouse must allow adjustments so that there is an even distribution of diffused light to all the plants as much as possible. The structural supports of the green house could often get in the way of sunlight, that the result would be plants that are healthier and more developed in most areas while those where the supports of the greenhouse are obstructed by the frames are stunted.