Greenhouse Plastic Film

SolaWrap Greenhouse Plastic Test

Types of Greenhouse Plastic Films

What types of green house plastic films are available on the market

today, for you to cover your back yard or commercial greenhouse with?

There are three main types of greenhouse coverings: glass, polycarbonate,

and polyethylene.

Glass has been referred to as the gold standard of the greenhouse industry. Everyone wants

a glass house. Designer glassed in greenhouse spaces provide a beautiful area that extends the

living space of homes.

This protected, enclosed sanctuary can be very relaxing and allows you to experience the

outdoors, indoors with the beauty of plants and sunlight and a fresh exchange of oxygen that

invigorates your health. Most often this style greenhouse is not utilized to grow year round food

for a family. However, trends maybe changing?

There are also stand-alone Glass greenhouses. However, if you do decide to go within a glass

house, you will be required to safeguard your plants from the summer sun’s harsh rays with

protective greenhouse covering materials, such as shade cloth. If your greenhouse is in a climate

where the winter months are cold, then you will also require insulated window treatments if the

greenhouse space is open to the rest of the house.

Unfortunately, out of all the greenhouse coverings, glass is the most expensive, least

insulating, and most dangerous, as in many cases it can break easily. This type of greenhouse

covering will also cause burning and shading, meaning that some plants under glass will get

burned and some plants will not get enough light, depending on where they are located in the

greenhouse. Glass roofing also does not offer any diffused light, which is required to foster the

kind of grow that food bearing plants thrive on in order to produce a rich harvest. There are

however tinted, specifically prepared and frosted glass coverings, yet they are not a preferred

choice for the type of green house covering that will enhance rapid food bearing plant growth.

Polycarbonate is a greenhouse plastic that is structurally rigid. It is a material designed with

walls or layers arranged in a corrugated fashion that will store air in between them. The

collection of air provides an insulating factor. Polycarbonate lasts a long time, however as it

ages, it yellows, gets brittle, cracks, and allows less light into your greenhouse. Plants require a

lot of light so they can be as productive as possible.

Polyethylene is a greenhouse plastic film. It usually comes as large sheets of a thin plastic

designed to easily connect to your greenhouse structure. Polyethylene allows for a lot of light

transmission. Since the insulation factor is so low with 4 mil or 6 mil poly, some people add an

additional layer or layers of poly and then blow air through the layers for added insulation. 4 or 6

mil poly can last anywhere from 1 month to 4 or 5 years. Unfortunately the damage or tear factor

of the poly can be of a concern and must be taken into consideration, as your covering is one

continuous sheet of plastic. In order to keep the air space inflated at the correct level between the

plastic sheeting, you will require a blower system, which will incur an additional monthly cost

for electricity.

Consider this…

What if… The air could be permanently trapped inside very thick layers of polyethylene

plastic, in bubble type pockets?

What if …Your greenhouse covering could provide the benefit of the trapped dead air space of a

multi layer polycarbonate without the yellowing effect?

What if …You could get this type of greenhouse polycarbonate covering with a keder bead

attached that would make it easier to install and more sturdy?

What if… There was a plastic greenhouse covering that could provide 83% diffused light

transmission without the short life span?

What if …you could purchase a geodesic greenhouse kit that is designed with the SolaWarp that

could withstand 130 mph winds and 4000 lbs of heavy wet snow 11ft deep?

This was the thinking of three scientists in Germany over 30 years ago. They engineered a

17-mil polyethylene greenhouse plastic film with trapped air spaces. The 17-mil polyethylene is

very strong and also very flexible. The trapped air bubbles are arranged in a honeycomb design

to lend strength to one another as the film stretches, so the tighter it is stretched, the stronger it

becomes. The transparent polyethylene allow for 83% light transmission, while the bubbles

create 83% light diffusion. Diffused light is the most beneficial light for your plants.

These scientists created a test facility in Kuwait. Four years after the material was installed on

the test greenhouse, those three scientists climbed up on the material to show its strength.

Typically, the lifespan of industrial greenhouse polyethylene would have long been spent after

four years in any climate, however this material also known as Polykeder ™ - SolaWrap™ held

the weight of those three grown men, who were jumping (literally) with out inflicting any

damage to the structure. This specially engineered greenhouse covering material lasted 25 years

in the brutal sun and heat of Kuwait. Tragically, the structure was destroyed by war.

This polyethylene greenhouse plastic film, called SolaWrap™ is now available in the US. In

Europe, no greenhouse covered in SolaWrap™or Polydress ®Poly Kreder has ever needed to be

to be re-covered in 30 years. We don’t actually know how long it will last. We do know that it

lasted 25 years in the desert of Kuwait and 30 years in all types of climate conditions across

Europe.

Covering your structure with a plastic greenhouse film that enhances the growing process,

year after year, without yellowing, cracking or disintegrating for 25 or 30 years is unheard of in

the US, until now. SolaWrap™ may initially cost a few more dollars to install; however through

increased crop production, longer growing seasons and exceptional endurance, the return on your

investment will be realized early on. Not only will you save money you will save time and effort

not having to deal with the reoccurring demand for replacement of your greenhouse covering for

many years.

If we consider the fact that every time a covering is replaced, we are bringing a piece of

plastic into the world, and discarding another. Since these greenhouse coverings are not

biodegradable, they are likely to remain somewhere on the planet forever. These days, we must

look for every opportunity to substitute a more sustainable alternative to plastic.

SolaWrap™ Polyethylene greenhouse film is a practical alternative for covering a large, small,

hobby, lean to, hoop and geodesic dome style greenhouses.

Contact us today 1-781-816-7811 or at info@greenhousedomekit.com to find out how you

can get the best quality greenhouse plastic for your growing needs, for commercial , hobby or

backyard greenhouses.

GreenHouse Dome Kit Co.

o Poly Keder SolaWrap

Poly keder – SolaWrap has 3 thick layers,17-Mil food grade polyethylene

greenhouse plastic of enclosed air: the best insulator. This insulating

lightweight poly film allows heat to transfer more slowly than polycarbonate

and diffuses and transmits light at 83%

o Greenhouse Plastic

High tech, cost effective Solawrap greenhouse plastic is strong, long lasting,

diffuses light at 83 and insulates. Get yours today. Your plants will thrive

better.

o Keder

Poly keder or Solawrap polyethylene greenhouse plastic is durable,

insulating, long lasting and diffuses sunlight at 83%, providing the best for

your plants. On geodesic greenhouse kits, growers receive many benefits.