Greenhouses are important structures for shielding plants from extreme weather conditions, offering a controlled environment that promotes the growth of plants. Nevertheless, when violent storms arrive, they can be a real problem for the greenhouse structure. Wind, hail, and heavy rainfall can destroy not only the greenhouse itself but also its equipment, and the crops as well. Making your greenhouse stormproof is vital to its longevity and your investment safety. Here, we are going to explain some of the most essential strategies that will help you in turning the greenhouse into a preferable construction for storm-resistant.
Choose a Strong Frame for Your Greenhouse
The frame of a greenhouse is the first line of its defense in a storm. To ensure the greenhouse’s durability even in harsh weather, you should select a frame that is of high quality. A wholesale blackout greenhouse that is comprised of sturdy materials is the best option to withstand harsh weather. Materials like galvanized steel, aluminum, or heavy-duty PVC pipes are the best choice when it comes to resistance to wind forces. As you choose the frame, you should have the following considerations in mind:
- Galvanized Steel Frames: These are the best as they are not only corrosion-resistant but also strong, and can therefore serve the purpose of being storm-proof greenhouse frames.
- Reinforced Aluminum: This material means lightness and strength, therefore, reinforced aluminum frames offer stability to the structure while weighing less in total.
- Proper Frame Design: Go for a professionally engineered frame that is designed to resist forces and is capable of handling the combined loads both from wind and heavy snow. Make sure all the links are secure to avoid having any weak spots that might be vulnerable and cause the frame to fail under pressure. Some of the commonly encountered bad weather types are hurricane, tornado, typhoon, etc.
Strengthen the Structure with Additional Bracing
If you really want to make your greenhouse more resilient, think about installing additional bracing or diagonal supports. The overall effect will be a better-distribution of the wind pressure, which will help to keep your greenhouse intact. currently, many buildings are equipped with a bracing system; however, if this is not available in your case, you can make use of other means to provide a better stability.
Use Storm-Resistant Glazing Materials
The glazing material that covers your greenhouse is another necessary condition apart from the strength of the construction when it comes to a really strong wind. It is quite common that only storm-resistant materials can be equal to the challenges of such freak weather as the former should be able to absorb blows caused by the former without cracking. Although the traditional glass is quite weak under these circumstances, nowadays we have a lot of sustainable materials we can choose from.
- Polycarbonate Sheets: The wall is designed by double wall or multiwall of polycarbonate and they are just right for keeping out the wind. Light weighing and insulating, these sheets are highly resistant to impacts and are also UV resistant. Thus, the plants inside the greenhouse will not be affected by either the storm or the harmful rays of the sun.
- Polyethylene Film: An alternative to the glass of the greenhouse, which is polyethylene, is a good option because it is flexible and has good absorbing properties for the impacts compared to the glass. But you should be aware that this material might not be strong enough if used singly, therefore, to ensure the full protection of the glazing material, you had better add a few more layers of it. In addition to that, polyethylene film should be UV-treated for it to endure the harsh sunlight for a longer time and prevent the UV-rays from reaching the plants.
Secure the Greenhouse with Anchoring Systems
In places that are known for frequent typhoons or hurricanes of extreme velocity, you should be very careful to fasten your greenhouse with strong anchoring systems. Ground anchors, reinforcement using concrete foundations or any other anchor bird that fits the ground should be employed together to anchor the structure to the ground to have the best of results. The only time that we can foresee the greenhouse lifting off the ground is when the anchors are put, and wind picks up so do the greenhouse anchors. These are the places we need to have our windmill anchors stationed, that is at the corners and at the foundation of the structure.
Install Roll-Up Sides for Wind Protection
One intelligent way of stopping winds from devastating your greenhouse is a good idea. You probably have a “flip-lock” latches system in your swing windows, now you can modify your greenhouse by adding roll-up sides to keep your greenhouse secure. The best part about roll-up sides is that they can be rolled down, as well as rolled up, to respond to the changing weather conditions. On a stormy day, one can open the sides of the greenhouse to allow the air to flow smoothly in the structure, thus reducing the stress on the walls. Additionally, the design also has a direct impact on heating and cooling, and if structured correctly, it can save one a lot of money in the heating process and still cool the plants.
Add Storm-Resistant Greenhouse Benches
Greenhouse benches are good for keeping the plant beds in an orderly manner and also help to prevent your plants from being damaged by the storm. A greenhouse benches factory usually makes galvanized steel or heavy-duty plastic greenhouse benches, which can withstand the strong winds. These benches should be tied to one or more secure points on the floor to prevent them from being overturned or moved during a storm. The hardware and any such equipment used like watering systems or lights should also be anchored firmly to their positions so that no damage can be caused to them.
Implement Proper Drainage Systems
Storms often come with the added calamity of floods and heavy rain which tend to be devastating to the plants. By installing a proper drainage system, the inside of the greenhouse will not be prone to floods and thus the plants will be kept safe. This practice should be good if there are also the usual things that are added to improve the drainage of the soil such as the greenhouse equipment like gutters and downspouts in which the rainwater will pass through quickly. Besides the gutters, if they are installed in a location where severe storms occur frequently, you can choose to also have a French drain or sump pump for a fast removal of the excess water.
Reinforce Doors and Vents
During a violent windstorm, doors and vents are the major vulnerable parts of the greenhouse seriously threatened. To make the doors and vents become the weakest points that are no longer favored by the storm, the easy way to do it is by the use of latches sufficiently and frequent checks to ensure they are in good working condition. Heavy-duty latches and locks should be applied and they, in addition to preventing the doors and vents from being opened by force, will also guard them against being hit by flying pieces of debris. For the same, even the vents or the doors could be protected by storm shutters earmarked for this particular time or just covering them with wire mesh is the simplest and most economical way.
Final Thoughts
The selection of materials, the use of complementary structure-building elements, and the installation of safety systems are essential steps in preparing for and withstanding the stormy weather. Your choice of a wholesale blackout greenhouse, the fastening of the greenhouse with anchors, the use of strong glazing materials are the ones that you should rely on for the full safety of your greenhouse all the time, and not just during the storms. Besides, with good preparation, you can ensure that both your tools and plants are safe so that they can continue to serve the purpose it was meant to even without being forced into a prolonged stoppage.
For more information about greenhouse solutions that are durable, please visit our greenhouse equipment supplier and browse through the wide range of products available to get more insights on how to build a greenhouse resistant to storms.