Word Street Journal

Plants are food factories and make their food with just sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. With the help of energy from the sun, plants photosynthesize their water and CO2 into glucose molecules. Glucose provides energy to carry out the metabolic activities in plants to develop roots, roots, flowers, fruits, and seeds for progeny. Nutrients in the form of essential minerals help in thriving with resilience to combat natural pathogenic attacks that cause fungal, viral, and bacterial diseases.

The earth’s orbit around the sun with its spherical shape naturally deprives a few continents of receiving abundant sunlight for optimum crop yields. Since there is no even distribution of conducive climate, it is difficult to grow food in a few vast expanses of the globe. One can use acrylic or polycarbonate for greenhouse to overcome climatic hardships and maintain enough heat, light, and optimum humidity levels for plants to flourish and nourish us. 

A greenhouse can be of different shapes and sizes with a frame that supports the structure. Like any structural design, it comes with columns and beams that are laid in the grid to support the glass, acrylic, or polycarbonate sheets. The frame does not just support the material but also withstands snow and wind pressure. Most times, the weight of climbing and hanging plants also has to be taken into consideration when looking at the tensile strength of the materials that will support the frame. The ideal structure has to be strong, lightweight, cost-efficient, easy to maintain, and scalable option. Polycarbonate sheets outweigh the pros in comparison to acrylic or glass. Here are a few advantages of polycarbonate use for greenhouse:

• Sturdy Material

Put up against acrylic, polycarbonate is stronger and lends robust, long-lasting structures to the commercial greenhouse farm. There is no need to keep replacing the perimeter every few months because of weathering wear and tear. Polycarbonate is a fifteen times stronger material than acrylic and a recommended choice in greenhouses. 

• Lighter Version

Polycarbonate sheets can be carried by people easily as they are fifty percent less weight than their acrylic counterparts. It is easy and efficient to carry from one place to another and can be lifted easily for the roof of a greenhouse. 

• Better Utility

Since polycarbonate sheets are lighter, they can be used easily as fabrication jobs become less tedious, and carrying around is possible without hassles. 

• Transparency

Acrylic scores over polycarbonate in transparency as the former develops a yellow tint over the period with regular use. Both materials can be repolished whenever they become dull and opaque. 

• Price

Polycarbonate is slightly more expensive than acrylic, but since the pros outweigh the cons, for long-term durability, it’s a preferred choice of many. 

Conclusion:

Greenhouse structural engineering, should be examined by experts in this field. Before commissioning, take the opinion of a consultant who will give you an unbiased opinion based on your requirements and available resources, at hand. Go ahead and enjoy your farming space.