Local climatic conditions are not always conducive to good crop cultivation. This is why greenhouses were invented. With their help, you can extend the season or get the harvest earlier. One option is a greenhouse made of arcs and film. The final stage of construction is the attachment of the covering material to the frame. It must be secured so that it cannot be torn off by wind of any strength.
Rack type of fastening to the greenhouse
Owners of wooden greenhouses often resort to this type of fastening. In this case, the film is secured using wooden slats. Nails or self-tapping screws are used for fastening. You can also use packing tape secured with a staple gun. This method is quite popular because it is the simplest. You should be careful when attaching: rack fastening damages the integrity of the film, so its service life is reduced. To avoid this, it is recommended to make a layer between the film and the slats.
Recommendations for covering a greenhouse
A good greenhouse for high-quality cultivation of crops will be obtained if you follow some recommendations. First of all, it is important to correctly calculate the length of the coating. As a rule, it is sold in rolls. Therefore, it is enough to know the parameters of the greenhouse and the width of the roll.
If the greenhouse will be used for a long time, from early spring to late autumn, then the coating must be durable and reliable. However, if the nailing method is used to fix it, then inexpensive material is quite suitable for this. And when purchasing it, it is better to take a little more so that you can repair damage that may occur during operation. The coating is applied only after the arcs are firmly and securely dug in and secured into the ground.
On a note! The best time for construction is warm weather without wind.
Clip or clamp method of attaching the film to the greenhouse
Clips and clamps are used in the presence of plastic pipes and fittings. Clamps can be purchased or made yourself using plastic pipes. It is important to note that the metal clips get hot and therefore cause damage to the film. To avoid damage, place protective material under metal clips.
What are the advantages of a clip for film on a greenhouse?
The clips used to attach the film have many advantages. They were highly appreciated by greenhouse owners.
It is important to secure the film with clips so that it fits tightly to the frame
The main advantages of clips for greenhouses:
- Reliable fastening: very simple, does not require much time, knowledge, or special skills, and reliably performs its functions.
- Stability: designed to secure the greenhouse film from the outside, while the film can be corrected if it is not secured correctly, or if it needs to be tightened again.
- Universal use: can be used on curved and straight sections of the greenhouse frame, on arches, for attaching single or double film;
- Low cost;
- Long service life.
Operations to secure the greenhouse film should be performed when absolutely necessary, since during each installation the clip partially loses its elastic properties.
Mesh method of attaching the film to the greenhouse
A film is applied to the greenhouse, and the top is covered with a special mesh, which is tied to the frame. In this case, the film is not damaged in any way, but there is one drawback - you will have to tighten the film more often, especially after rain or if there is no additional fastening.
Mounting methods
Arc-shaped structures are easy to build, which is why they are popular and more common than other greenhouses. One of the installation stages is attaching polyethylene to the frame.
This is one of the difficult but important stages. This is done in several ways:
- Using special clamps.
- Using stationery binders.
- Due to homemade clamps made of plastic pipe.
- Using a net or cord.
- Using tape.
There is another method - burying plastic film with soil at the base. However, it has some disadvantages. Firstly, the film will get dirty, and secondly, less light will be allowed into the greenhouse. In this way, it can be secured on the north side, since there the covering material does not rise throughout the season. Instead of earth, you can also use bricks or stones.
Special clamps
This fastening method is used for structures made of PVC material. The fasteners look like snap clamps that are attached over the film and cover part of the arc. Thanks to such clamps, time is saved during the construction of the structure, polyethylene is not damaged, and it is also securely fixed to the frame.
Special fasteners can be used many times. For example, in the fall, when disassembling the frame, they are easily detached, and the next season they are reused. Instead of such clamps, pipeline clamps are also used. You just need to select the desired diameter.
Stationery binders
This type of fastening is used for reinforcement structures or small plastic pipes. It is best to use large clamps. To prevent them from damaging the integrity of the covering material during strong gusts of wind, a piece of fabric or rubber should be placed under each fastener.
Greenhouses and greenhouses - what is the difference? The question of what is the difference between a greenhouse (stationary) and a greenhouse (seasonal) can be answered only after considering...
Plastic pipe or hose clamps
If the arches are made of plastic or reinforcement, then you can make the clamps yourself. For a small greenhouse, use a regular hose, which is cut along the length and divided into small pieces.
For a larger greenhouse, such fasteners will be weak. In this case, you can use an arc made of durable material, such as plastic. Its diameter should be slightly larger than that of the frame arc. The pipe is cut into small pieces (5 cm is enough), the side part is cut off so that it is convenient to fix it to the arc. To avoid damaging the coating with sharp edges, they should be sanded using sandpaper or melted.
On a note! If the greenhouse arcs are made of metal pipes, then gaskets should be placed under each fastener. They will not allow the film to overheat and tear.
Mesh or cord
You can attach the film to the frame using a special mesh. It is fixed to the base of the greenhouse. However, this method has its drawback - over time, the tension gradually weakens. Therefore, periodic tightening is required. Instead of a mesh, a cord is also used, which is attached in a similar way, only not only at the base, but also along the entire surface of the greenhouse.
Double-sided tape
Simple double-sided tape is used as a fixation. First, you need to clean the frame well so that the latch attaches well to it. Then tape is glued to the pipe, and a film is attached on top. The disadvantage of this method is that when dismantling such a structure, the covering material cannot be saved. Therefore, it is best to use an inexpensive coating. And since in the future the greenhouse needs to be ventilated, the tape should not be glued to the very bottom.
Choosing clips for greenhouses
One of the most commonly used types of clips for greenhouses are station wagon clips.
Fastening the film with a zig-zag clip will last a long time if fastened carefully
These clips are made from the following materials:
- Aluminum clip with a width of 25 mm;
- Galvanized spring wire, plastic coated, 2.00 mm thick (zig-zag).
The universal zig-zag clip attaches the film, without damaging it, to the supporting structure of the frame. Using these parts, the film can be fixed in different areas, curved or straight. The universal clip, which has a spring type, can also fasten other materials, such as awnings, tarpaulins, etc., with a thickness of up to 400 microns.
It is important to know that the element of the clip that carries the heaviest load is the plastic-coated spring.
It is easy to replace it with minimal cost with a new one if it breaks, since it is quite cheap.
Operation of the greenhouse clip
Clips made of galvanized material with plastic inserts are used quite often, as they simplify the installation and dismantling of the film covering the greenhouse. This is one of the cheapest fastening methods, which is effective when working with a single film on straight sections of the greenhouse.
Clips made of galvanized material with plastic inserts
This fastening element consists of:
- Galvanized steel profile;
- Inserts for fastening made of plastic.
These products are made from materials that are not subject to rapid destruction under aggressive environmental influences. Corrosion and wear of such clips occurs quite slowly when used correctly. The period after which it is recommended to replace used clips with new ones ranges from 6 to 10 years. It depends on the mounting locations, UV loads, etc.
Application of greenhouse arc clip
Clips designed for fastening greenhouse arcs reliably fix the covering material, creating a holistic and durable structure. The versatility of the clips allows them to be used not only on straight sections of the greenhouse frame, but also on curved sections, on arcs.
The versatility of the clips makes it very easy to attach the film to cornersTypically, it is necessary to use 3 to 5 clips per linear meter of frame to attach the film.
Often, plastic clips made of high-strength polymer material are used to fasten arches.
The process of attaching the clips is as follows:
- Before using polymer clips, it is recommended to warm them up in hot water;
- Place the film on the pipe to which you want to attach the clip;
- You need to start fastening from one edge, slowly stretch the film in breadth;
- It is not recommended to install the clips directly.
Due to the hardness of plastic clips, it is not advisable to install and dismantle them multiple times, as they wear out faster.
