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Standard greenhouse plastic VS bubble wrap for making a greenhouse.


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Hi everyone!

A long time ago I din´t post here except for a few words!

Well, the thing is, I got the oportunity of renting a piece of land for a very little money. (I don´t have any garden, and I badly need a place to expand my overcrowded collection!) So, I think I´ll take avance on that and go for it.

So, I want to make a greenhouse on my own, to save same money. The area of the greenhouse will be arround 40 square metres or so. So, the use of polyicarbante panels will be very expensive for me I guess. (Even though would be the best choice for me, because I think they have the best light transmitance)

So, another posibility, is use comercial greenhouse plastic (low density polyethilene) it´s reasonable cheap. However, I saw on the net, and here in the forum, greenhouses wrapped with bubble plastic.

So, my question is. Could be the bubble wrap be a good substitute of the greenhouse plastic? O even more, could be a better choice than this plastic, because with all those bubbles, would be a better isolator?

I hace lots of cloudy days here, so my goal is take advantage of every photon aviable, but trying to not renounce of all the warm-keeping effect I can keep!

I don´t know if those plastics are good transmiting ligth. (Specially the plastic secially designed for greenhouses" It´s allways seems too white and opaque for me... Some light amount is beeing wasted. Even bubble wrap looks more translucent)

Any advice?

The bad side of using soft plastic inestead rigid polycarobante panels is that will be more difficult to install a pipe to collect rain water, but I hope I will occur something.

Thanks!

Edited by The body snatcher pod
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Sorry! What´s a basher?

Another concern is the winter windstorms and the integrity of the structure.

And, I had the doubt about overwintering my Dionaeas outside or inside the greenhouse. (Because I don´t know if will be to warm inside the greenhouse even in winter, in a sunny day for them.) But I see on the forum most of you having them inside the greenhouse without problem.

Another question I have is how good is a greenhose rising up temperatures when the day is cloudy. Because here I have lots of cloudy days... I live between the Cantabric Sea and the Cantabric Range, and when the North wind blows on, we get day after day of sad and overcasted skies due to low level clouds..

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bubble wrap will not survive severe weather, and even in sheltered positions will not last more than a couple of seasons.

I think your cheapest and best option would be a poly tunnel, the standard films are available clear and I understand you can even get a double layer type too.

(You can easily build a bubblewrap house within a poly tunnel if you need some better insulated space.)

There are liquid treatments that can be applied to these poly tunnel films I believe, and they provide a slight opacity when dry (to give a reduction in transmittance during bright weather)but when damp or wet they become clear thus allowing better transmittance during dull weather.

Google some poly tunnel suppliers and checkout the sundries and you should find some info.

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Thanks a lot for your answer!

The problem with the polytunnel is I was thinking about collecting rainwatter with the roof of the greenhose. This is no so easy with a polytunnel. But, I think I can make a wood structure (whit a sloping "roof" and one or two gutters) and use greenhouse plastic to wrap it up.

May be I can bulid a little greenhouse inside this greenhouse, with bubble wrap and use it for the warm plants as Neps. (A greenhouse inside a greenhouse!) So the bubble wrap wouldn´t be exposed to the strong winds.

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As far as bubble wrap goes you will need UVI stabilized or the sun will just break it down and in no time you will be able to put your finger through it. The cost of this makes it a bit expensive and if not UVI stabilized you will be rebuilding it every year. A lot of greenhouses you see wrapped in bubble wrap are only done so to give better heat in the winter it is then taken off when the weather warms up, it saves on heating more than anything.

If you don't mind the spend then the low density polyethylene is the best way to go and as is commercial greenhouse plastic I'm sure it would be UV treated.

Oh and if go for a polytunnel by far cheaper than a greenhouse you can get stick on gutters :) Like this <-- (Link to example others are available.)

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Thanks for your kind answers!,

Yessss!!! I like those self stick gutters! I din´t know abouth them but this could be a very good option for me! This way I can built a polytunnel (a lot cheaper than a greenhouse) and also collecto rainwater!

Thank you!

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