Do-it-yourself heating of the greenhouse in winter. Design and installation of a winter greenhouse

A winter greenhouse is the dream of many gardeners; you can grow vegetables and herbs, flowers and berries in it all year round. The construction of a winter greenhouse is not a cheap task; to ensure the necessary microclimate, it will be necessary not only to build the building itself, but also to take care of thermal insulation, install microclimate maintenance systems, and resolve issues of electricity and water supply. To learn how to build a reliable winter greenhouse, suitable even for harsh climates, read our article.

How are winter greenhouses different from summer ones? Why are they so much more expensive to build? To find answers to these questions, you need to consider the processes taking place in the greenhouse in winter.

Heating

In the summer greenhouse, the main heating occurs due to solar energy. During the day, the soil and structures of the greenhouse receive a large amount of solar heat, during the night they gradually give it away. Due to this, fluctuations in night and day temperatures are insignificant, and the plants feel comfortable. Even in cloudy weather, solar energy is sufficient for heating due to the long daylight hours.

In winter, especially in northern latitudes, the sunny day is short, and the sun itself is low above the horizon for most of the day. The sun's rays pass through the soil casually, practically without heating it. During the night, the soil has time to cool completely, and in cold weather it freezes. For this reason, solar energy is not enough to warm up winter greenhouses, and they have to be equipped with heating systems.

You can heat winter greenhouses: with the help of stoves, water heating radiators, electric and gas heaters. The choice of method depends on the resources available to you and the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe greenhouse. The main condition: the power of the heater should be enough to heat the winter greenhouse in the coldest months.

Warming

Greenhouse heating will be effective only with good insulation.

Ways to reduce heat loss:

• deepening the greenhouse into the ground;
• erection of deaf insulated walls;
• the use of double glazing or polycarbonate with a thickness of 10-25 mm;
• maximum sealing of joints and cracks.

Buried greenhouses have excellent thermal insulation characteristics, but have a number of disadvantages, which are listed below.

1. For good thermal insulation, it is necessary to deepen the structure below the freezing depth of the soil, which for temperate latitudes is about 1.5 m, and for colder regions - up to 2 m. Preparing a pit of such a depth increases the estimate.
2. Buried greenhouses should not be placed in areas with a high level of groundwater, otherwise a drainage system is required.
3. For the construction of walls of a buried greenhouse, high-quality moisture-proof concrete is required.

All these activities increase the cost of a buried greenhouse and complicate the technology of its construction with your own hands.

Deaf insulated walls can be made of foam concrete, heat blocks or wood. In this case, foam plastic serves as a heater - it is easy to mount it on the walls, it is not afraid of moisture and does not rot. For thermal insulation of the soil, an insulated blind area with a width of at least 0.5 m is used.

Note! Warming of the walls of the greenhouse is performed only from the outside!

The cover of the greenhouse also matters. It should transmit light well, but at the same time provide good thermal insulation. When using glass, double or triple glazing is required with a distance between the panes of 10-30 mm.

When using polycarbonate, you need to apply. They will allow you to isolate the internal cells and create a sealed air gap, the thermal insulation properties of which are quite high. Polycarbonate 10, 16 or 25 mm thick can be laid in one layer. With a polycarbonate thickness of 4 or 6 mm, a double skin is required.

Note! Film for winter greenhouses can only be used in regions with rare snowfalls. With a heavy snow load, it stretches and breaks.

Watering and humidification

Water is essential for the successful growth and fruiting of any greenhouse crop. With a large greenhouse area, the volumes of water used will also be impressive, so the source of water supply must be selected at the stage of laying the foundation.

If you plan to pull pipes from a water supply or well, you need to lay them at a considerable depth (at least 1 m for the southern regions and at least 1.8 m for the northern ones). For large greenhouses intended for growing products for sale, it is advisable to make a well right next to the structure or in the vestibule.

For heating water, you can use containers with a volume of 0.2 to 1 m 3. They are usually installed at some elevation - this is how the necessary pressure is created in the irrigation system. It is better to place containers in the northern part of the greenhouse so as not to shade the plants. The water in them is heated under the influence of sunlight, it is also possible to equip tanks with heating elements for artificial heating.

Note! A container of water is a good heat accumulator. Warming up during the day, it gradually cools down at night and gives off heat to the air, which helps to reduce temperature fluctuations.

Ventilation

A ventilation system is a prerequisite for the successful growth of most crops. Due to ventilation, excess heat and moisture are removed from the greenhouse, and oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. Air exchange in greenhouses is provided by forced or natural ventilation systems.

Most often, vents are equipped for ventilation in greenhouses. They are installed at the top of the walls or on the roof. The higher the window is located, the more effective the ventilation will be: warm air itself rises, giving way to cooler air. You can open and close them manually or with .

Lighting

During the summer, natural daylight is sufficient for most crops. In winter, plants need to be illuminated. For this purpose, gas-discharge lamps DNaT and DNaZ are used in winter greenhouses.

The norm of minimum illumination, and hence the number of lamps, depends on the plants grown. In most cases, it is possible to calculate the total power of the lamps based on the area of ​​the greenhouse - 100 W of electric power is enough for 1 m 2. For example, for a greenhouse with an area of ​​20 m 2, 2000 W or 5 HPS lamps of 400 W each, as well as starting equipment for them, are needed.

Sodium mirror phytolamps

Note! DNaT and DNaZ lamps get very hot. You need to place them under the ceiling in special lamps with reflectors.

Video - Building a winter greenhouse with your own hands (part 1)

Video - Building a winter greenhouse with your own hands (part 2)

Video - Building a winter greenhouse with your own hands (part 3)

How to build a winter greenhouse with your own hands

It is more expedient to order a greenhouse with an area of ​​more than 100 m 2 for growing vegetables or flowers for sale in a company. Greenhouse manufacturers offer ready-made turnkey solutions - hangars or block structures with automatic heating, irrigation and ventilation systems. Greenhouses made according to a standard project, in this case, are cheaper, moreover, they are adapted for mechanized maintenance.

You can build a small winter greenhouse for home use yourself.

Before construction begins:

• choose a place for installation, the shape and size of the greenhouse;
• draw a sketch, taking into account the location of the beds, the heating, irrigation and ventilation systems;
• perform the calculation of the necessary materials.

The winter greenhouse is located in a lighted place, sheltered from cold winds. It can also be attached to a garage, utility block or residential building from the sunny side. A separate winter greenhouse is oriented from north to south, while the northern wall is made deaf (made of insulated materials) or in the form of a vestibule.

The simplest and most reliable design that provides good thermal insulation is a gable greenhouse with main walls made of foam concrete with insulation. The southern end wall is covered with polycarbonate in two layers. The vestibule on the north side is designed to protect from the cold wind and at the same time serves as a boiler room and pantry for inventory, boxes and racks. The slopes of the greenhouse are covered with reinforced polycarbonate. The wooden truss system eliminates the appearance of cold bridges. The sketch of the greenhouse is shown in the figure.

For a greenhouse of the indicated dimensions you will need:

• concrete grade M200 for the foundation - 3.6 m 3;
• fittings Ø10 mm - 100 m;
• fittings Ø6 mm - 130 m;
• edged board for formwork, 25 mm - 1 m 3;
• foam concrete block 200x300x600 mm - 170 pcs.;
• masonry glue (25 kg) - 9 bags;
• polystyrene S 100 mm - 3.3 m 3;
• board for rafters 40x150 mm - 0.5 m 3;
• polycarbonate 10 or 16 mm thick - 5 sheets;
• end profile L=2.1 m - 15 pcs.;
• ridge profile L = 6 m - 2 pcs.;
• connecting profile L=6 m - 12 pcs.;
• self-tapping screws with a thermal washer - 200 pcs.

Note! The construction of such a greenhouse takes an average of 1.5-2 months. Of these, 3-4 weeks are spent on the construction and drying of the foundation. At the same time, the air temperature should be positive, optimally - from 15 to 23 degrees.

Foundation for a greenhouse

For structures made of foam concrete, a solid foundation is required. The best option is a shallow strip foundation made of concrete with reinforcement. The foundation is necessary not only along the perimeter of the greenhouse, but also in place of the capital partition separating the vestibule and the greenhouse.

Step 1. Site clearing and marking. The area under the greenhouse is cleared of debris and vegetation, leveled if necessary. With the help of pegs and twine, mark the dimensions of the structure.

Step 2 Foundation layout. Cast-offs of bars and boards are installed at the corners of the future structure. They fix the twine on them and pull it around the perimeter of the foundation. Check the perpendicularity of the corners and the equality of the diagonals. With the help of twine mark the outer and inner contours of the foundation.

Step 3 Soil sampling and sanding. According to the markings obtained, they dig a trench 50 cm deep. The bottom of the trench is covered with a mixture of sand and gravel or just sand, tamped, periodically watered.

Step 4 Formwork installation. The formwork is made from a 25 mm edged board. If the soil is dense, the formwork can only be placed above ground level; on weak soils, it is installed at the bottom of the trench. The scheme of fixing the formwork is shown in the figure.

Step 5 Reinforcement. The foundation is carried out with mandatory reinforcement, otherwise, during seasonal ground movements, the foam concrete masonry may crack. For longitudinal reinforcement of the tape, reinforcement of the brand 10-A-III (A400) GOST 5781-82 is used, for transverse screeds - 6-A-I (A240) GOST 5781-82. Reinforcement at intersections is knitted with annealed wire. Particular attention is paid to the reinforcement of corners.

Step 6 Pouring concrete. For the foundation of the indicated dimensions, 3.6 m 3 of concrete will be required. It is quite difficult to knead it yourself - the process will turn out to be long and laborious, moreover, with layer-by-layer pouring, the strength of the foundation decreases. Builders recommend not saving and ordering ready-made concrete of the M200 brand. Concrete is poured into the prepared formwork, punched with a rod or a vibrating hose, and the surface is leveled.

Step 7 Ripening of concrete. The curing time of concrete depends on the temperature. Optimal conditions are 18-22°C, in this case the concrete will gain sufficient strength for construction in 14-21 days. Under a different temperature regime, it is recommended to withstand the foundation for at least 4 weeks. During drying, it is better to cover the concrete with plastic wrap to maintain constant humidity. When the top layer dries, the concrete is moistened with water.

Note! Formwork can be removed after 5-7 days. Formwork boards can be reused.

Foam concrete walls

For laying foam concrete blocks, it is recommended to use a special glue. It allows you to get seams of minimum thickness, and therefore reduce heat loss. Blocks can also be placed on cement mortar, but in this case additional insulation and plastering of the walls will be required.

Step 1. Waterproofing. It is performed using rolled materials (such as roofing material, stekloizol, bikrost or their analogues). A thin layer of cement-sand mortar is spread on a completely dried foundation (the ratio of cement and sand is 1: 4). Roll waterproofing is laid with an overlap at the joints and the surface is leveled with a rail and a level.

Step 2 Laying the first row. The first row of foam blocks is placed on a cement-sand mortar over waterproofing. The solution is applied with a trowel with a margin, blocks are installed and excess mixture is removed.

Step 3 Laying subsequent rows. All the following rows are placed on a special glue. It is applied with a notched trowel to all surfaces to be joined, both horizontal and vertical. The blocks are tightly adjusted to each other with light taps of a rubber mallet. The rows are laid with dressing for 1/2 block.

Step 4 Reinforcement. Reinforce the masonry with a welded masonry mesh every 2-3 rows. With a block height of 30 cm and an estimated wall height of 150 cm, 5 rows of masonry are obtained, so it is possible to lay a reinforcing mesh between the third and fourth row. Glue is applied over the grid, a block is placed on top. It is also possible to reinforce the masonry with the help of reinforcement bars laid in the grooves selected in the blocks.

Step 5 Doorways. Blocks for doorways must be cut to size. This can be done with a special hacksaw according to the template - the blocks are cut quite easily.

Step 6 Wall insulation. The walls are insulated from the outside with sheets of polystyrene. The thickness of the insulation depends on the region and ranges from 30 to 150 mm.

Table 1. The thickness of the insulation for the foam concrete walls of the greenhouse.

Step 7 Wall decoration. The walls of the greenhouse can be finished with any moisture-resistant material, such as decorative bricks, siding or plaster for facades. Finishing will not only improve the appearance, but also provide additional thermal insulation and wind protection.

Decorating the walls of the greenhouse with decorative bricks

Note! Polystyrene can be replaced with foam or polyurethane. The use of mineral wool is not recommended due to the high humidity of the room.

Greenhouse roof

Racks, strapping and rafters are made of a wooden board 40x100 mm. The rafters are installed in increments of 50-70 cm (depending on the expected snow load).

Step 1. South wall. On the foundation, on top of the waterproofing, a bottom trim board is laid, fixed to the foundation with anchor bolts. Side racks from the board are attached to the foam concrete masonry on anchors. Intermediate racks and the upper harness are fixed to the corners and self-tapping screws.

Step 2 Upper harness. Along the perimeter of the block masonry, a board of the upper trim is laid with its fastening to the anchors. The fastening step is 60 cm. The upper trim is needed to distribute the weight of the roof over the entire wall, if you put the rafters directly on the blocks, chiseled loads are formed, due to which the foam concrete will begin to crumble.

Step 3 Racks and ridge beam. To fix the rafters, it is necessary to fix the ridge beam. To attach it to the upper trim of the transverse walls, racks are installed strictly in the center, fixed with a corner and self-tapping screws, and then struts are additionally installed. The ridge beam is assembled from two boards 40x100 mm, fixing them on both sides of the racks.

Step 4 Rafter. The rafters are made from a board 40x100 mm. They apply the board to the ridge beam and the upper strapping of the longitudinal wall, mark the place washed down with a pencil. They wash down, try on the rafter leg in place and saw off the excess. The rafter legs are connected in pairs with the help of metal plates in the ridge, and are also fixed with the help of corners and self-tapping screws to the ridge beam and the upper harness.

Step 5 Wall cladding with polycarbonate. Polycarbonate with a thickness of 10-25 mm can be fixed in one layer, this is enough for good thermal insulation. Begin sheathing from the end of the southern wall. Cut out polycarbonate to the size of the wall so that the stiffeners are directed vertically.

The upper sections of polycarbonate are isolated with a special aluminum adhesive tape. For the lower sections use. The cuts are closed with an end profile. Polycarbonate is fixed with self-tapping screws with a thermal washer. Similarly, the top of the northern wall and the wall between the vestibule and the greenhouse are sheathed.

Step 6 Sheathing slopes with polycarbonate. To connect the sheets on the slopes of the greenhouse, connecting profiles are used. For polycarbonate 10 mm, a one-piece profile is suitable, for 16 mm and 25 mm an aluminum split profile with a seal is required. They fix the coating through the profile so as not to violate the integrity of the polycarbonate.

The lower ends of the sheets are processed with a perforated tape and an end profile. From above, the slopes are connected using a ridge profile.

Note! After the installation is completed, it is necessary to seal all the gaps between the strapping boards and foam blocks with mounting foam or frost-resistant sealant.

Finishing the greenhouse

In the above project of the greenhouse, there are two doors, one leads from the street to the vestibule, the second - from the vestibule to the greenhouse. The street door must be insulated with polystyrene or other materials. The intermediate door can be made transparent - made of polycarbonate on a wooden frame. The door frame is attached to anchors with a length of at least 10 cm. The door is hung on hinges and equipped with a lock or lock.

Equip the greenhouse with the selected heating system, for example, a boiler and a radiator system. It is convenient to install the boiler in the vestibule, and bring the chimney through the main wall. Radiators or registers made of large-section pipes are located along the perimeter of the walls - with such an area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe greenhouse, this is quite enough.

In a winter greenhouse, drip irrigation is convenient - it is suitable for most crops. The container is located in the vestibule and equipped with a heating system. Drip irrigation hoses lead to plants. For beds it is more convenient to use perforated hoses, for shelving - a system with droppers.

It is not difficult to make such a system in your personal plot. will provide you with detailed step-by-step instructions for designing and arranging drip irrigation using polypropylene pipes.

Lighting lamps are placed under the ceiling, while keeping in mind that some types of lamps get very hot and can damage polycarbonate. The use of lamps with reflectors increases the illumination of plants. The wiring is laid in a plastic or metal corrugated pipe and suspended from the greenhouse structures.

DNat lamp connection diagram

For growing plants in a winter greenhouse, beds or racks are equipped. When laying beds in a cold climate, the technology of biological, electric or water heating of the soil is used. In the southern regions, effective heating of the soil can be achieved with the help of sunlight. To do this, the main walls of the greenhouse are sewn up with foil or other reflective material, as a result, the illumination of plants and soil increases by 1.5-1.7 times.

Read more Mini greenhouses 20825 0

Have we answered your question?

The road is a spoon for dinner, and a green cucumber for the new year. Such an addition to the Russian proverb does not cause controversy. No conservation can replace vegetables grown in our own greenhouse.

However, the mere desire to create a "vegetable island" on the site is not enough. Heating a greenhouse in winter is the main stumbling block that causes difficulties for beginners.

Which method of heating is easy to perform and not too expensive? What technical innovations do greenhouse owners use to grow seedlings, vegetables and flowers? What are their pros and cons? We will answer all these questions in our review.

Types and methods of heating in greenhouses

All methods of heating greenhouses can be divided into auxiliary and main ones. Auxiliaries include solar radiation and biofuels. Everyone knows about the energy of solar rays that create the greenhouse effect. The use of biofuels should be considered in more detail.

The decomposition of organics is accompanied by the release of a large amount of heat. Knowing this, experienced greenhouses in the cold season lay horse, cow or pig manure under the beds. To slow down the rate of decomposition, it is mixed with straw or sawdust. From above, a home-made "bioaccumulator" is covered with fertile soil and plants are planted. A week later, the process of heat release by organic matter begins. It lasts for several months. As a result, the earth warms up evenly, and the seedlings start growing together.

Economical and environmentally friendly methods of solar and biomass heating have their drawbacks. In early spring, the energy of sunlight is not enough to fully warm up the greenhouse. Biofuels start to “work” only at a high enough temperature that another heat source must create. These reasons explain their auxiliary status.

The main sources of heating greenhouses

Effective heating of a polycarbonate greenhouse can be created in several ways:

• solid fuel stove;
• gas boiler;
• Electric cable;
• infrared heater;
• Heat gun;
• heat pump;
• Solar liquid collector.

Stove heating

Heating a greenhouse with a stove is an “old-fashioned” way to maintain a positive temperature. Despite its considerable age, it is still relevant. The idea of ​​the method is to lay a long channel from a furnace buried in the ground, through which hot gases move. They warm up the soil, and the red-hot body of the stove radiates heat into the air.

This method has several advantages:

• Low price and availability of solid fuel;
• Autonomy of the system;
• Minimum maintenance costs.

Furnace heating also has disadvantages:

• The process is not amenable to automation;
• The soil warms up in a narrow area along the smoke channel.

A modern option for heating greenhouses with solid fuel is the Canadian stove Buleryan. In her firebox, the process of burning firewood is slow. Due to this, the frequency of fuel filling is reduced (2 times a day), and the heat output becomes uniform.

The Buleryan stove is a good budget solution for heating a greenhouse

A gas boiler

This heat generator is used in winter greenhouses very often. There are two ways to transfer heat from gas boilers:

• Radiator;
• Channel (the principle of "warm floor").

The first option is implemented by installing heating registers along the walls of the greenhouse - steel or aluminum radiators. The heat from them circulates in the room, warming the soil, plants and creates the air exchange necessary for their life.

Heating the greenhouse with a gas boiler (radiators and "warm floor")

The second way will be understood by everyone who has encountered the installation of a warm floor in their home. The gas boiler in this case is connected to a system of plastic pipes laid over the entire floor area of ​​the greenhouse. From below, the pipes are insulated with dense polystyrene foam. A layer of sand and fertile soil is poured on top of them.

Laying a pipeline for underfloor heating in a greenhouse

The gentle heat from the water circulating through the pipes warms the roots of the plants and the air above them to a height of up to 1.5 meters. Energy in this case is spent more economically and efficiently than with the radiator method.

The two options for heating with a gas boiler that we have considered are equivalent in terms of operating comfort. Automation maintains the required temperature regime around the clock, without requiring human intervention.

Electric cable heating

A fairly new method of heating the soil. Works on the principle of "warm floor". The installation of a heating cable is similar to the installation of a liquid ground heating system powered by a gas boiler.

The advantages of this heating method include:

• low installation costs;
• simple control;
• automatic temperature control;
• even distribution of heat over the soil surface.

The total recommended cable power for ground heating is low (from 75 to 120 W per 1 m2). This means that the load on the power grid from a small greenhouse (up to 24 m2) does not exceed 3 kW and does not require a powerful power cable.

Scheme of installation of a heating cable for greenhouse beds

It should be noted that in severe frosts, the electric cable may not be able to cope with the heating of the greenhouse. Large heat losses through glass walls require the installation of an additional heat source - a Buleryan solid fuel furnace or a gas boiler.

infrared heating

Using the same types of energy (electric and gas), this type of heater transfers it to plants not by circulating heated air or water. The bulk of the heat reaches the soil and plants instantly. It is carried by infrared rays.

Emitters are placed under the greenhouse ceiling or mounted on the wall frame. The option with electric infrared panels is suitable for private winter greenhouses with a small area (12-25 m2). If you want to put them in a larger room, then there may be problems with the power supply. A dozen panels with a capacity of 1.5 kW each will create a heavy load on the network. Without laying a powerful cable, it will not be possible to fully use them.

IR emitters with gas burners are better in this sense. Their total power is unlimited. For stable operation, the presence of a gas network or bottled gas is sufficient.

Infrared gas heater

Advantages of infrared heating:

• Uniform heating of the room is achieved.
• The air does not dry out.
• The growth of dangerous viruses and bacteria is suppressed.
• Optimal conditions for the development of plants are created.
• Reduces circulation of dust.

Heat guns

Despite their formidable name, these units are ordinary fan heaters that supply heated air to the greenhouse.

Depending on the type of energy used, heat guns are divided into electric, gas and liquid fuel (diesel, oil, gasoline). According to the method of heat transfer, direct and indirect heating devices are distinguished.

Direct heat guns are powered by electricity. The fan blows through the heated spiral, directing the air flow into the greenhouse room. Indirect heating is used in installations that burn diesel fuel or used motor oil.

Indirect heat gun

Since a minimum of soot and soot is formed during the combustion of natural gas, gas heat guns, like electric ones, operate according to a direct-flow scheme.

A winter greenhouse with heating only with heat guns is a rare phenomenon. The reason is the high power consumption. In the reviews of greenhouse owners, special attention is paid to this fact.

Therefore, in practice, these heat generators are used as backup. They turn on heat guns in severe frosts and in case of an emergency breakdown of the main heating system.

Heat pump

Heating plants with heat accumulated over the summer by soil or a reservoir is not a very common topic. The main reason is the high cost of the heat pump and its installation.

If the owner has found funds to purchase such equipment, then it is used in a complex way: for heating the house and heating the greenhouse.

The heat pump is included in the liquid subsurface heating system. It is not suitable for supplying radiators with hot water.

Heat pump for a greenhouse - environmentally friendly, convenient, but still expensive

Working from low-grade ground heat, it cannot heat water to a high temperature. It is used as the main source of energy in the spring. In winter greenhouses, the heat pump is paired with more powerful heat generators: gas boilers or slow-burning stoves.

solar collector

Let's say right away that it is impossible to heat a greenhouse with photovoltaic panels (solar battery). The main task of this equipment is the generation of electricity. Therefore, in practice, another type of equipment operating from radiant energy is used - a solar collector.

The principle of its operation is to heat water pumped through vacuum tubes laid inside a glazed panel. The water in them warms up to a high temperature and is discharged into a multi-pipe line laid under the soil.

On a sunny day, regardless of the ambient temperature, the solar collector provides heat to the greenhouse. At night, you have to turn on another source of energy - a gas boiler, a solid fuel stove or a heat pump.

The scheme of joint operation of a solar collector and a heat pump in a greenhouse:

1. solar collector
2. Greenhouse room
3. Boiler
4. Heat storage tank
5. Heat pump
6. Circulation pumping unit
7. Control valves
8. Soil heating circuit
9. Hydraulic accumulators
10. Soil temperature and moisture sensor
11. Controller
12. Automatic stopcocks
13. Security automation
14. geothermal circuit

As can be seen from the diagram, the operation of the solar plant in tandem with the heat pump is fully automated. Thanks to this, the set temperature and humidity are maintained in the greenhouse.

Rating of greenhouse heating options

In conclusion, we will make a comparative analysis of the considered options for heating greenhouses.

The easiest way to organize heating is with gas boilers and solid fuel stoves. Gas installations are easy to automate and create a comfortable microclimate for plants without auxiliary heat sources.

Buleryan stoves are not very convenient to use (the need for periodic manual loading of firewood). Their main advantages are low fuel cost and high heat transfer.

Infrared emitters, cable heating systems and solar collectors can be put in second place. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to install and operate automatically. However, in terms of the cost of energy spent on generating a unit of heat, they are significantly inferior to gas and firewood.

Heat guns occupy the third step of our rating. They are easy to maintain, can function automatically, but are not economical. Heat pumps are in the same niche. Despite the minimum cost of energy, the price of these installations is high and pays off for a very long time (8-12 years).

If you plan to use your greenhouses in the winter, consider arranging heating before the first cold weather approaches. The easiest way to solve the problem is when a heating main is laid under the site. In such a situation, it remains only to choose a place to connect and install suitable batteries in the greenhouse.

In other cases, the problem of heating has to be solved on its own. There is nothing difficult in this. A wide variety of systems are available, so you can easily organize the most efficient heating that best suits your particular greenhouse.

Before proceeding with the arrangement of any kind of heating, the greenhouse must be properly insulated.

First step. Dig a hole about 15 cm deep over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe greenhouse, or at least in free places.

Second step. Cover the bottom of the pit with thermal insulation material. Usually foam boards are used.

Third step. Cover the insulation with a waterproofing film, polyethylene is usually used.

Fourth step. Fill the resulting "pie" with a small layer of sand, and then the earth dug at the very beginning.

Thanks to such a device, satisfactory conditions will be maintained in the greenhouse even at a temperature outside the window of -5-10 degrees. However, this solution cannot be considered as a full-fledged heating. This is elementary thermal insulation, which must be used in combination with other heating methods.

Small greenhouses can be heated with primitive air units. All the necessary elements are available at any summer cottage or are sold at a hardware store for a penny.

First step. Buy or find an unwanted steel pipe on the farm. A product with a length of about 250 cm and a diameter of about 60 cm is suitable.

Second step. Insert the end of the pipe into the greenhouse room. The other end of the pipe must be brought outside. A fire is made under the "street" end of the pipe.

The outdoor air will be heated by the flame of a fire and get into the greenhouse through a pipe. Heating is really very simple in its organization, but you can’t call it convenient. First, for the system to work, you need to keep the fire burning. Secondly, it will not work to regulate the intensity of heating and the temperature in the greenhouse.

Heating with gas

Gas-based heating has many advantages. On the modern market there are a wide variety of units and devices with which you can organize the most efficient heating in accordance with the needs of a particular user. In addition, gas is one of the most cost-effective sources of energy.

If you plan to constantly heat your greenhouses with gas, you will have to buy a boiler and lay the necessary pipes. This will require a relatively large amount of money. Additionally, you will have to spend money on the installation of a high-quality ventilation system.

If there is no need for a full-fledged gas heating device, buy several cylinders of fuel and equip the heating system based on them.

Traditional stove heating is characterized by high efficiency and relatively simple arrangement. For example, you can build without special financial investments oven with a horizontal chimney.

First step. Lay out the firebox of the stove in the vestibule of your greenhouse. Performed traditional brickwork.

Second step. Lay a chimney under the beds or along the length of the greenhouse. It can also be laid under the racks.

Third step. Lead the chimney through the greenhouse wall. Consider the placement of the pipe so that it can effectively remove the products of combustion of the fuel, while passing over areas that need heating.

Place the stove in such a way that its firebox is at a distance of at least 25-30 cm from the end wall of the greenhouse.

You can also make a furnace from a metal barrel.

First step. Prepare a metal barrel with a volume of about 250 liters. Cover the inner walls of the container with two layers of paint so that the material does not rust.

Second step. Mark and cut holes for the stove, chimney, drain cock (installed at the bottom) and expansion tank (placed at the top).

Third step. Weld the stove (usually they make a rectangular structure of sheet steel in accordance with the dimensions of the barrel) and install it in a container.

Fourth step. Remove the chimney from the barrel. The length of the "street" part of the pipe must be at least 500 cm.

Fifth step. Attach the expansion tank to the top of the barrel. You can buy a ready-made container or weld it yourself from sheet metal. A tank of 20-25 liters will suffice.

Sixth step. Weld heating units of suitable length from profile pipes with dimensions of 400x200x15 (focus on the dimensions of the greenhouse). The pipes themselves must be laid on the ground with a step of about 120-150 cm.

Seventh step. Buy and install a hydraulic pump. The system will be heated using water, so it will not be possible to do without a pump.

Any firewood is suitable for the firebox of such a stove. For maximum efficiency, install an electronic temperature sensor in the greenhouse, and for greater convenience, place a digital control panel in the house or other suitable place.

A simple and fairly effective greenhouse heating can be built on the basis of an empty fire extinguisher with a cut off top.

First step. Fix on the bottom of the case a heating element (heating element) with a power of about 1 kW. Usually, heating elements of electric samovars and other similar devices have the same power, so there will be no problems finding the necessary part.

Second step. Attach the cut off top of the fire extinguisher to its body with the help of loops.

Third step. Connect two water pipes to the fire extinguisher body. The second ends of these pipes will be connected to the heating battery. Use nuts and rubber seals to fasten pipes.

Fourth step. Install the necessary automation tools. The optimal scheme is using a relay. For example, the MKU-48 model is suitable.

When the temperature in the greenhouse drops below the allowable value, the temperature sensor will close contacts K1 and water heating will begin. The liquid will give the generated heat to the greenhouse. When the water reaches the required temperature, the relay will be powered off and the heater will turn itself off.

You can try to make heating from a heating element and a number of pipes. Even used pipes will do. Recommended pipe sizes are given in the previous section.

The arrangement of such heating will require you to have skills in working with a welding machine.

For heating, a 50 l boiler with a 2 kW heater is suitable. When heated, the liquid will rise into the expansion tank installed above, and from there it will be fed into the laid pipes. Pipes should be laid with a slight downward slope.

First step. Prepare the base for the boiler. The functions of the base can be performed by a piece of pipe of a rather large diameter. A bottom with a flange must be welded to one side of such a pipe.

Second step. Connect the heating elements with an electric wire to the working plug. The wires must be insulated.

Third step. Install a sealing gasket at the joints of the boiler body with the flange.

Fourth step. Make an expansion tank out of metal sheets. A capacity of 25-30 liters will suffice. From both end sides and from the bottom of the tank, weld couplings through which the tank will be connected to the heating system and the riser of your homemade boiler.

Fifth step. Cut out a lid for adding water to the expansion tank.

Sixth step. Prepare the threads at the ends of the heating pipes and connect the pipes into a single system.

Seventh step. Ground the boiler. Grounding is carried out using a copper cable with 3 cores. Two of its cores are connected to the phases of the heating element. The remaining core is launched onto the body of the heating unit.

This heater, as already noted, can be placed in a convenient corner of the greenhouse. You can also allocate a place for the boiler in another room.

Heating with underfloor heating

If you have sufficient funds, you can organize the heating of the greenhouse with the help of a “warm floor”. Modern designs of heated floors are presented in several variations. Choose a suitable system, taking into account the area of ​​​​the greenhouse and the main conditions for the further operation of heating. The most commonly used systems are made in the format of a waterproof heating mat.

First step. Remove about 40 cm of soil.

Second step. Fill the bottom of the resulting recess with a layer of sifted sand. A 5-10 cm layer of backfill will suffice.

Third step. Place insulation in the hole. It is best to use moisture-resistant materials such as polystyrene foam, polyethylene foam, etc.

Fourth step. Lay waterproofing material on the insulation. Usually polyethylene film is used.

Fifth step. Spread about 5 cm of sand over the waterproofing. Moisten the filling with water. Wet sand must be compacted with high quality.

Sixth step. Lay the "warm floor" wire on top of the compacted sand backfill. Usually the heating element is laid in a "snake". Lay the cable in increments of about 15 cm.

Seventh step. Fill the installed heating system with a 5-10 cm layer of sand.

Eighth step. Lay a chain-link mesh on the backfill.

Ninth step. Fill the resulting "pie" with previously dug soil.

To ensure better and safer operation of the heating, it is recommended to connect a thermostat and a temperature control sensor to the warm floor.

Thus, there is nothing complicated in self-arrangement of heating a greenhouse. You just need to choose the appropriate option and do everything in accordance with the instructions.

Successful work!

Heating the greenhouse is the key to a rich harvest

Video - Do-it-yourself heating of a greenhouse in winter

Winter greenhouses are designed mainly for growing plants throughout the year. As we know, vegetables, berries and greens are very expensive in winter, so many summer residents build structures on their site with their own hands in order to always have fresh salads and compotes on the table. But before starting construction work, it is necessary to think carefully about the design of the future greenhouse, its heating system and make an accurate drawing.

Construction device

Today, winter greenhouses can be built from various materials. Therefore, each owner of a summer cottage can choose for himself the most suitable and cost-effective options.

Forms and sizes of greenhouses:

The design of the winter greenhouse must withstand severe frosts, snowfalls and other atmospheric phenomena. The most durable, reliable and environmentally friendly material for building a greenhouse frame is wood. But such a design can stand for no more than 15 years, and then it will have to be updated.

The most durable and profitable design is considered to be a greenhouse with polycarbonate sheathing, as this material is of high quality, long service life and affordable price.

Any winter greenhouse must have a foundation, a frame and a glazed roof. It is best to build such a structure from north to south. The room should be equipped with a good ventilation system to regulate the thermal and air conditions for the proper functioning of plants.

Ventilation can be supply or exhaust. The tightness of the greenhouse is the main condition for its effective functioning. The temperature is maintained artificially.

The greenhouse can be shelved, in which the plants are located on shelves with sides, and rackless, where the plants are planted directly in the ground. The racks in the greenhouse should be approximately at a height of about 60–80 cm from the ground, and the passage between them should be at least 70 cm. The racks are made of wooden boards, plastic or reinforced concrete, depending on the design features of the greenhouse.

Photo gallery: a selection of project options

Greenhouse drawing with dimensions
Scheme of a rack greenhouse
Variant of the winter greenhouse project

Types of designs: advantages and disadvantages

There are several types of winter greenhouses, depending on their design features, the type of material used, the type of lighting, heating system, and foundation.

• Capital greenhouses are built on a strip foundation. A trench is dug in the center, which is designed to "collect" cold air, which should not get to the roots of the seedlings. Thanks to this design, the greenhouse inside warms up quickly enough and therefore seedlings can be planted a few weeks earlier than usual.
• Capital types of conventional greenhouses are collapsible structures that can be dismantled and moved around the site. For the construction of such a greenhouse, a metal or plastic profile, polycarbonate, as well as bolted connections are used. Piles serve as the foundation.

The remaining types are prefabricated structures. Only in a capital structure can a full-fledged heating and artificial lighting system be installed.

Greenhouses may differ in such parameters as:

• Functionality. They allow you to grow not only ordinary vegetables of the region, but also exotic ones.
• location in relation to the ground. There can be three types: in-depth, surface and equipped in the upper part of the barn, garage, closet, etc.
• architectural solution. They can be with a single-pitched, two-pitched, three-pitched roof, as well as arched, wall-mounted and combined.

Also greenhouses differ:

• By type of building materials. They can be built from bricks, wooden beams, metal profiles or PVC pipes. Polycarbonate or glass is used as a coating. Today, combined greenhouses are in great demand, in which the walls are lined with polycarbonate, and the roof is made of glass.
• Type of heating system. Winter greenhouses can operate on biofuel, solar panels, and also have stove, air, gas, water or electric heating.
• By type of planting seedlings and plants. They are planted in the ground or in specially knocked down boxes placed on the shelves.

Depending on the design, greenhouses are divided into the following types:

1. The thermos greenhouse, or as it is called the "Patia greenhouse", despite the complexity of its design, is one of the most popular among summer residents. Its main part is underground, due to which the effect of a "thermos" is achieved. It can also be above ground, but at the same time it must be covered from the inside with any heat-insulating material. In such a greenhouse, it is recommended to install a water heating system, as it will evenly distribute warm air flows throughout the room.
2. A greenhouse with a gable roof is the most common design due to its convenience and versatility. The height of the greenhouse reaches 2-.5 meters to the ridge, so a person can walk in it without bending his head. Also in it, seedlings can be grown not only on the ground, but also in special boxes on the racks. The advantage of a gable design is that snow and rainwater do not accumulate on the roof surface, but quickly go down. Disadvantage: high cost of materials, construction complexity and high heat loss through the north wall. Therefore, it must be additionally insulated with various heat-insulating materials.
3. An arched greenhouse is considered a complex structure, as it often causes problems with the construction of the frame and cladding. Without a special device, it is almost impossible to bend metal pipes to make a frame (but you can take PVC pipes). It is not possible to use glass for sheathing the frame, so only polycarbonate or various types of greenhouse films remain. The disadvantage of an arched greenhouse is the real risk of cracks in the polycarbonate during heavy snowfall, since if the layer is too large, the roof will not withstand the load. Inside this design, there is no way to arrange racks and shelves, so plants can only be grown on the ground.
4. Greenhouse with inclined walls. The design of such a greenhouse in its appearance resembles an ordinary "house", but only with walls built at a certain angle, going outside the room. The advantage of such a greenhouse is the possibility of construction from wood, metal, plastic. Glass, polycarbonate, film can serve as a skin. The biggest plus is the "self-cleaning" gable roof. Minus - restrictions on the installation of racks and shelves along the perimeter of the walls due to sloping walls.
5. Greenhouse with mansard roof. A variation of the structure with vertical walls and a mansard roof, which copes well with mechanical loads such as snow. Thanks to the special roof, more space is formed above the head, and a large number of multi-tiered racks and shelves can be placed on the walls.
6. Single greenhouse. In terms of its design, the walls are no different from a gable, but here the roof is installed at a certain angle so that snow comes off it and rainwater flows without getting inside the room. Glass and polycarbonate can be used for sheathing. Polyethylene film is not suitable for a winter greenhouse. Along the walls, you can install shelves and racks on top of each other for multi-tiered growing plants. It is practically devoid of shortcomings, except for the complexity of construction and the installation of a strip foundation.

Preparatory work: drawings and dimensions of the structure

We will consider the construction of a winter greenhouse 3.34 meters wide, 4.05 meters long. The total area of ​​​​the premises for growing crops is 10 square meters. meters.

The greenhouse is a square room buried in the ground with shelves and a roof made of durable two-layer polycarbonate.

If groundwater is present on the site and they are close to the surface, then the greenhouse is built without deepening, and the outer sides of the structure are sprinkled with soil.

If necessary, the length of the structure can be increased by adding additional sections to the frame.

The device of the racks and their dimensions

Where the beam connects, a triangular support is constructed. Dimensions are shown on the drawing below.

Skate racks are needed to support the beam at the junction point. Also, the support should not come into contact with the polycarbonate sheathing.

A strong support system will not interfere with the movement of a person through the greenhouse. It is necessary if the length of the greenhouse is more than 4 meters. If the length exceeds these parameters, then the supports are installed every 4 meters.

Corner supports are made of timber 100x100 mm, intermediate from boards 50x100 mm.

Wall and thermal insulation

The pillars on both sides will be sheathed with a board, and insulation will be invested in the interior.

To save money, you can take round timber Ø 120–150 mm, hewn to 100 mm. The walls are sheathed with slabs.

For wall insulation, slag, sawdust or fine expanded clay are used. Quicklime is added to sawdust as a protection against small rodents.

When choosing timber and boards, it must be taken into account that this structure will be used throughout the year, so the lumber must be of high quality.

• For the construction of supports and other parts of the frame, it is recommended to purchase pine boards and timber (rounded or glued). This is the most affordable, durable and cost-effective material for the construction of greenhouses in our region.

You can also choose larch or oak, but such lumber is quite expensive and therefore it is not rational to use them in this case.

Polycarbonate has excellent heat and sound insulation characteristics. But the more complex its structure, the greater the mechanical stress it can withstand (snow and wind).

When choosing polycarbonate, you need to know its thickness.

• For sheathing the walls of the greenhouse, it is best to take sheets with a thickness of 6 to 25 mm, depending on the intended design.
• For roofing, polycarbonate with a thickness of 16 to 32 mm is recommended, since this part of the greenhouse will have the largest load.

Calculation of the required amount of material and tools

• A bar with a section of 100x100 mm;
• Board with a section of 50x100 mm;
• Slab;
• Round timber Ø 120–150 mm;
• Boards for the manufacture of shelving;
• insulation;
• Foamed polyethylene (aluminum foil);
• Polycarbonate sheets;
• Self-tapping screws and thermal washers;
• Hardware;
• Screwdriver;
• Hacksaw or saw;

Do-it-yourself step-by-step instructions for building an in-depth winter greenhouse

We dig a pit 60 cm deep. Its length and width should be several centimeters larger than the perimeter of the future greenhouse. At the bottom we make markings for the installation of support pillars. We dig supports to a depth of about 50 cm.

At a height of one meter from the ground, we stretch the construction rope and check the evenness with the help of a level. We fill the supports with soil and carefully tamp them down.

We level the floor and sheathe the walls with boards from the outside and from the inside, starting from the bottom. We fill the space between them with the selected insulation. So we sheathe the opposite two walls.

After we have sheathed the walls, we need to saw off the extra ends of the boards that go beyond the pillars. At the corners of the structure inside on the boards, we nail bars of 50x50 mm. Next, we will attach the sheathing to the front and back of the wall. So we sew up all the walls of the greenhouse. But we nail the boards to vertical bars.

We seal the insulation inside the walls, adding the required amount of expanded clay, sawdust or slag to the top. Then we sew up the top of the walls with boards.

We also cover the inner surface of the walls with a special foil insulation. We put the insulation so that it comes out a little at the top of the walls, and bend it so that it can cover the boards covering the upper part of the walls.

We make the roof separately from the main structure, and then install it on the greenhouse. According to the schemes indicated in the drawing, we manufacture all other elements of the roof.

We connect the details of the rafters into half a tree, and nail the jumper so that the distance below is 3 meters 45 centimeters. Since the jumper is temporary, we must nail it so that it can then be dismantled. Nails should not be driven in completely, but 10 mm from the head should be left so that they can be removed well.

We collect the rafters and nail to the support as shown in the drawing below.

After we have nailed the rafters to the support, we remove the jumpers. We install the ridge beam under the rafters and bring the front posts measuring 88 cm under it. We nail the extreme rafters with nails (20 cm) to the ridge beam. To do this, pre-drill holes in the rafters. Then we install a jumper between the rafters, and on the side rafters, the ridge beam and on the front racks we mount the flashings as shown in the drawing.

Reference. The flashings are called wooden planks, which are designed to close various cracks.

We fasten two-layer thick polycarbonate to the roof frame using self-tapping screws with thermal washers. To do this, we drill holes in the sheets larger than the diameter of the screws themselves.

After fixing the polycarbonate, we need to install a ridge corner from galvanized sheet. We fix it with a gasket for insulation. On the side ends of the roof, we do not fix polycarbonate until we fix the roof on the main structure.

We install the roof on the walls and fix it with 4 metal brackets. They can be made from twenty-centimeter long nails. Then we install the side parts of the roof from polycarbonate triangles.

We install an insulated thick wooden door (at least 5 cm thick).

After that, you can install wooden racks and shelves for future seedlings inside the greenhouse. They are installed on the sides of the walls at a distance of about 60 cm from the floor. A layer of earth is poured on them or boxes with soil are placed.

Heating selection

The choice of heating system depends on the dimensions of the room. For winter greenhouses with an area of ​​more than 15 sq. meters suitable stove heating. Large areas are usually heated with biofuels, electric heaters or a water circuit.

Stove heating is an affordable and economical option for a greenhouse. In this case, a stove is installed in the room, which is heated with wood, coal, briquettes, pallets or gas. But since the walls of the furnace are very hot, plants should not be planted near it.

Water heating provides for the presence of a water-heating boiler, pipes and a tank. Pipes are buried in the ground to a depth of about 40 cm or placed immediately under the shelves.

Electric heating can be of three types: air, cable and infrared. Cable is a “warm floor” system, air is arranged with the help of fan heaters, and infrared is produced by special heating devices that are mounted under the roof of the greenhouse.

Biofuel heating is the most cost-effective heating option. Here, the indoor air is warmed by the heat generated during the decomposition of various organic substances.

The most used biomaterials are:

• Horse manure - able to keep the temperature from 33 to 38 ° C for 2-3 months;
• Cow dung - can keep 20 ° C for about 3.5 months;
• Overripe tree bark - keeps 25 ° C for about 4 months;
• Sawdust - maintain 20 ° C for only 2 weeks;
• Straw - can maintain a temperature of 45 ° C for up to 10 days.

Biofuels are placed in the ground under the top layer of fertile soil. When choosing the type of fuel, it is necessary to take into account the level of its acidity, since it significantly affects the quality of the soil. Cow dung is considered the best, as its acidity level is 6-7 pH. A more acidic environment is created by bark and sawdust, and an alkaline environment by horse manure. Biofuel after its use can be reused as humus.

The type of heating is selected individually for each specific case, based on such parameters as the climate of the region, the planned costs and the type of plants.

• Before starting the construction of the greenhouse, all wooden boards and timber must be treated with antifungal and antiseptic agents.
• Before installing the supports, after their treatment with protective agents, the lower parts must be tightly wrapped with roofing material and fixed with a stapler.
• It is also necessary to protect the external walls by fixing roofing material on them. And only then sprinkle them with soil.
• The roof frame, after applying a protective coating and primer, is covered with white paint intended for outdoor work.
• During the operation of the greenhouse, it is necessary to choose energy-saving lamps to create artificial lighting. They help you use electricity more economically. Their number and location depends on the dimensions of the internal space of the greenhouse.

Video: how to build a winter greenhouse with your own hands

If, during the construction of a winter greenhouse, all technical standards are strictly observed and the drawn up diagrams and drawings are followed, then such a design will delight you and your loved ones with excellent harvests of vegetables, berries and fresh herbs for decades.

There are places on our planet where the climate allows two or even three harvests per year. Of course, agriculture flourishes there and is much more profitable than in our temperate latitudes, where plants have time to grow and give us fruits only once a year.

But there is a technology that allows you to deceive nature and make the plant bear fruit all year round, even in winter, it is based on the use of a winter greenhouse that you can build (make) yourself.

Choosing a place to build a winter greenhouse

When choosing a place for a future winter greenhouse, you must first take into account three main factors.

Firstly, light mode. The greenhouse in winter should receive the maximum amount of sunlight. Therefore, the building is best oriented along the length from west to east. This is especially important for solar greenhouses.

Secondly, it is necessary to take into account the direction of the "prevailing" winds. If gusty cold winds are not uncommon in your area, be sure to consider wind protection. With the right approach, you will significantly save on heating.

Thirdly, position the greenhouse in such a way that the passage to it is wide enough and optimally convenient. This will make it easier for you to build the greenhouse itself, and the subsequent operation in general.

If you decide to build an additional fence or hedge to protect the greenhouse from cold winds, remember that the fence should not adjoin close to the structure. For example, with a greenhouse ridge height of 2.5 meters, the distance between the wall and the fence should not be less than 7-8 meters. This is due to the fact that the wind flow, having encountered a “monumental” obstacle, has a habit of rushing up and around the obstacle. And this means that “for dessert” you will get a zone of turbulence, which will actively take heat away from the walls of the structure. And the narrower the distance between the greenhouse and the fence, the stronger the turbulence will be. The ideal protection option is a hedge 15-20 meters from the greenhouse.

The choice of material for the winter greenhouse

Before you build a winter greenhouse, you need to decide on the material for the frame and cover.

The capital greenhouse must be durable, so the choice of material for the frame can be limited to metal and wood. And not thin profiles and bars, which barely hold their weight. Vertical racks and roof beams must withstand winter loads with a margin.

As for what to prefer, metal or wood, it is difficult to achieve a consensus here. Metal is more durable, but wood is more convenient to work with and easy to repair. But most importantly, the tree does not heat up in the heat. The microclimate in a greenhouse made of wood is better than in a metal one.

You can use the film to cover the winter greenhouse, but you will have to change it often. And although it is cheaper, it will take two to three times more than for a conventional greenhouse. "Eternal" glass also has disadvantages: fragility and heavy weight.

How does a do-it-yourself winter greenhouse begin to be built?

We figured out a little about the differences between winter greenhouses and their features. Now it would be nice to pay attention to such an issue as construction. It is quite obvious that any construction process begins with planning, with drawing up drawings. Before you start building a frame, laying a foundation and doing other work with your own hands, you need to have a clear idea: what are we going to do in general. Yes, modern technologies often simplify many things, but the need for planning does not go away. In order for everyone to understand more about how the construction of winter greenhouses takes place, in which the soil is warm, we will give some algorithm of actions.

• Design. At this stage, it is important to take into account all the details, from how the walls will be located and how the heating system will be arranged, ending with how the plants will be located inside. This also includes the selection of materials for construction. Fortunately, modern advances provide building materials in abundance;
• Foundation laying. Here, of course, what material you build from is of great importance. In any case, the foundation for the winter greenhouse must be very reliable;

• Heating work. It is quite obvious that the soil and bushes of fruits and vegetables need to be heated. Therefore, the heating system must be arranged even before the installation of the frame begins;
• Frame construction. Before building walls, it is important to install a frame, this, probably, will not surprise anyone either;
• Wall installation. In this process, everything depends on the material you choose.

Typical technology for the construction of a winter greenhouse

Do-it-yourself winter greenhouse is a very relevant topic for everyone who wants to eat fresh vegetables in winter instead of canned ones. If you approach this issue thoroughly, study the best projects from existing ones, consider different ways of organizing heating and additional lighting, building materials from which greenhouses are built, then it is quite possible to build a greenhouse yourself, without resorting to the help of professionals.

The frame of the greenhouse is most often assembled from a metal profile or a wooden beam, although metal pipes or a plastic profile are also used. Metal is stronger and more durable, but wood creates the right microclimate and is easier to work with. Before deciding on the material, it is advisable to know for which plants this greenhouse needs to be built. Cucumbers, for example, require very high humidity, which will shorten the life of a wooden frame.

For walls and roofs, film, glass or polycarbonate is used. Given the possible very low temperatures, the weight of snow, which can fall a lot in winter, then with a film there is more trouble than savings. Glass has proven itself in any weather, but its weight, increased by the weight of snow falling in winter, must be taken into account when erecting a frame so that it does not collapse under the weight of a snow-covered roof.

Light and transparent multilayer polycarbonate shows itself well, it must be taken with a thickness of 10 - 16 mm. When choosing polycarbonate, it should be remembered that if the thickness is 10 mm, it is necessary to take sheets no wider than 105 cm, and if 16 mm, no wider than 140 cm to ensure sufficient strength.

Be sure to make a solid foundation for a winter greenhouse, then a frame is erected. After the installation is completed, the heating system is installed. If you build a shed greenhouse adjacent to a residential building, then its heating can be done simply as a continuation of the heating system of the house.

To calculate the required amount of heat, you need to find the difference between the thermal conductivity coefficient and the glazing area. The difference between heating a house and a greenhouse is significant - in a greenhouse, not only air temperature is important, but soil temperature. Biofuel polycarbonate greenhouses are considered very reliable. When choosing heaters, aluminum convectors are usually preferred, it is believed that they are able to distribute heat evenly throughout the greenhouse.

A layer of sand is laid at the bottom of the pit, then a layer of soddy soil (or just sod laid with roots up), then humus. After laying all the elements of the heat accumulator and installing pipes for its ventilation, it is necessary to lay a PVC film so that the soil does not interfere with its operation. Cuts are made in the pipe film, and it is attached to the walls using a construction stapler. After that, fertile soil for beds and infertile soil are poured into the greenhouses, which can then be covered with tiles - for paths. So that the backfilled soil does not push the boundaries of the beds, they are pulled together every meter with a special wire with a cross section of at least 8 mm. This wire must be wrapped with plastic tape (or better still, hidden in plastic pipes) so that it does not rot in the damp ground.

Building a greenhouse on your own

A place for a winter greenhouse must be chosen very carefully, since it is built for years. It is desirable that it be a well-lit, flat area without buildings and trees. Also pay attention to soil moisture. It shouldn't be too high.

As a foundation for a winter greenhouse, you can use a shallow reinforced concrete tape. Since the foundation must be strong, it is necessary to fill it in accordance with the established requirements.

A frame is assembled on the finished base. If it is factory-made, you can use the photos and drawings attached to the design. Sheets of polycarbonate are fixed to the frame with rubber washers. To ensure tightness, their edges are glued with tape. To ventilate the greenhouse, it is necessary to make several windows. If you want to start growing vegetables and do not know how to build a winter greenhouse with your own hands, you can purchase a ready-made prefabricated structure or seek help from specialists.

The method of heating a greenhouse largely depends on its usable area. A small room can be easily heated with a conventional stove. For a larger farm, you can choose:

• Electric heating;
• Water heating;
• Biofuel.

For water heating, you will need a boiler, pipes and an expansion tank. Pipes can be placed under racks or directly in the ground.

Electric heating can be air or cable. Recently, infrared heating is often used. Cable heating resembles a "warm floor" system. A system consisting of heating cables is placed in a shallow pit. A layer of sand and fertile soil fall asleep on it. Air heating of the greenhouse is provided by fan heaters. For infrared heating, infrared heating devices are used. They are hung on the ceiling.

Biofuel is the most economical type of heating.

For these purposes, you can use:

• Horse or cow dung;
• Sawdust;
• rotten tree bark;
• Straw.

Biofuels are laid under the fertile soil layer. To properly heat it, it is necessary to provide air access and constantly maintain the required level of humidity in the room.

What type of heating to choose for the greenhouse is up to you. It should be noted that the choice largely depends on financial capabilities. You know how to build a greenhouse for winter growing. Now you need to figure out how to plan its interior space.

Internal arrangement of the construction of the winter greenhouse

After all the construction and sealing work has been completed in full, you can proceed with the arrangement. So, it is necessary to supply water to the greenhouse, electricity for lighting. It is important to take care of the valves, which will provide high-quality water supply.

When choosing sources of light scattering, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of growing the selected crops. Another important issue is the soil. The substrate is prepared, fertilizers and special additives (feeding) are applied. They will ensure the rapid and correct growth of all vegetables and fruits that have been selected.

Guided by the suggested tips, you can build and prepare a winter greenhouse in just a few days for growing various crops in the winter. It is enough to use all the available materials and purchase the missing ones. You can do all the work alone, but it is better to have an assistant, especially when it comes to installing the skeleton of a winter greenhouse.

Video "How to build a heated greenhouse with your own hands"