After this unusually brutal winter in many parts of North America, people are finally starting to “pick up the pieces” and are getting hopeful with the first signs of spring. With that, many gardening enthusiasts start to think of the work that needs to be done outdoors. For some, that may mean greenhouse maintenance or a new greenhouse altogether and if so, twin-wall polycarbonate should be strongly considered for the wall and roofing material.
Twin-wall polycarbonate is a corrugated economy grade of polycarbonate specifically designed for use in greenhouses and awnings. Unlike standard “smooth” polycarbonate, twin-wall comes standard UV stable on one side, meant to be installed facing outwards. Traditional polycarbonate sheets do not come UV-stable in their general-purpose form, commonly stocked by plastic companies. In addition, the twin-wall sheet is actually made up of plastic cells which help trap heat: critical for a greenhouse! The product is most commonly available in clear (which you would want for a greenhouse) but can be brought in on special order in bronze (more popular for outdoor awnings).
One important misconception about twin or multi-wall polycarbonate is that “thicker = better”. In general, that’s not true. The reason being is that users sometimes do not take into account that while the thicker material does trap more heat, it also lets in subsequently less light. So while you might have a warmer greenhouse you will also have one where the plants may take longer to grow and crop yields might be disappointing. Customers tend to find that large-scale industrial greenhouses use thicker multi-wall polycarbonate and assume this transfers directly to their application but that is an oversimplification: industrial greenhouse operations often have the benefit of artificial lighting to compensate for loss of light transference through the plastic. Something that most small home greenhouses do not have. For more information on this you might be interested in this blog post: Multi-Wall Polycarbonate: Beware Tradeoffs
We have found that 4′ x 10′ x 6mm clear twin-wall sheets offer the best balance of properties for home greenhouse applications. We have had satisfied customers from the wet coasts to the frigid northern prairies of Canada – so we believe for the home consumer thicker multi-wall may not be cost-effective for what you actually need.
For a quotation on twin-wall polycarbonate please contact us today.
Please let us know how many sheets you need, what size, and where you’re located for the quickest response.