If you are looking to buy a small greenhouse for your backyard, it is a good time to so do. There have never been as many greenhouse kit options available as there are now. The down side is it can be difficult to choose the best one for your needs. One thing is for certain. Polycarbonate panels have become the most popular covering for backyard greenhouse kits. This is because polycarbonate has many advantages over traditional coverings like poly greenhouse film and glass. The list below refers to multiwall polycarbonate specifically like twin wall, triple wall, and five wall variants.
3 Main Advantages of Greenhouse Polycarbonate:
- Polycarbonate has Better Insulation
Multiwall polycarbonate panels have insulating air space built into them which makes them one of the best insulated greenhouse coverings available especially for the price. Better insulation means the greenhouse kit will be easier and cheaper to heat.
- Polycarbonate is More Durable (Stronger & Longer Lasting)
Polycarbonate panels are much more duarble than glass and poly film. They can withstand hurricane force winds and impacts from flying objects that would shatter glass panels and puncture greenhouse plastic films. Quality UV protected versions have an average life of 12 to 15 years which will save you the time and cost of replacing your greenhouse's cover every few years like with polyetheylene platsic.
- Polycarbonate Provides a Better Growing Environment for Plants
Plants in greenhouses covered with multiwall polycarbonate panels receive a more diffused light which means plants will not burn from direct sunlight like in a glass covered backyard greenhouse. Instead the plants receive a more even amount of light to all of the plant's foilage.
When looking to purchase a small backyard greenhouse with polycarbnate panels, be wary of kits priced under $1000. Many of them come with a cheaper single layer polcarbonate referred to as corrugated polycarbonate which offers no insulation or light diffusion properties. We have also heard many tales of entry level small greenhouse kits coming with twin wall panels that need to be replaced within a couple years. To save money, some companies are using panels with very little if any UV protection. This can be an expensive repair because the cost of replacing all the panels on a greenhouse is usually at least half the cost of the whole greenhouse.
Multiwall polycarbonate is available in many different thicknesses. Thicker panels offer better insulation and increased rigidity allowing them to withstand higher winds and heavier snow loads. There is a trade-off though because of decreased light transmission into the greenhouse. Our Grow More greenhouses come with 10mm triple wall polycarbonate panels which offer the best mix of strength, insulation, and light transmission in the industry.