While the global community struggles to resolve the problem of polyethylene recycling, skilled craftsmen and inventors have come up with the perfect solution for its reuse – a DIY greenhouse made from plastic bottles.
By devising plans and collecting sufficient quantities of plastic bottles, they build greenhouses out of them. Such experiments are distinguished by their low cost and originality, which allows for a bountiful harvest at the end of the season.
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Advantages of plastic greenhouses
Among the clear advantages of such greenhouses, we can highlight:
- long service life if all operating rules are observed;
- ease of repair, since if a section is damaged, it can easily be replaced with another;
- Weather resistance: plastic frames are not affected by temperature changes or winds, so they do not need to be dismantled for the winter.
The only drawback to building a greenhouse from plastic bottles yourself is the time-consuming process of gathering the necessary materials and the painstaking work required to construct the greenhouse.
Making the frame
Despite the lightweight nature of the future structure, a foundation is essential to prevent deformation. It is constructed on previously prepared soil and can be made of brick, cinder block, or wooden beams (to maintain resistance to moisture and temperature fluctuations, they must be treated with special agents beforehand).
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After laying the foundation for the greenhouse with your own hands, plastic bottles, it is necessary to ensure that it is in contact with the soil along its entire perimeter, otherwise the stability of the entire structure will be compromised.
Initially, a belt is constructed on the foundation, the parts of which are carefully fastened with fasteners.
- Then, the installation of vertical walls begins at intervals of 1-1.2 meters to ensure the stability of the greenhouse and avoid problems in adverse weather conditions.
- After this, you need to make the upper belt, which should completely match the size of the lower one.
- And the final stage will be the production of the roof of the future building.
- After all the parts have been manufactured, assembly must be completed, securing all components with bars and fasteners.
A properly constructed frame had to be stable, not subject to mechanical vibrations and convenient for future work.
You may be interested in:Making walls
The longest and most labor-intensive process is the construction of the greenhouse walls, which will require a lot of effort and patience.
There are several options for using bottles in construction, so every experimenter can choose the one that suits him best.
- When working with whole bottles, you'll first need to remove all labels and then trim the bottoms. It's essential to use undamaged, clean bottles that haven't been subjected to any previous physical or mechanical impact.
- After removing the bottom, you should string the bottles on top of each other so that there are no gaps between them.
- After completing this procedure, you need to stretch two rows of thick threads across the frame, which will later serve as wall supports. This is because the rows of assembled bottles will be installed between them. The height of these pipes must be calculated so that the bottle necks fit snugly against the top of the frame.
- After this, all the plastic elements can be secured with thick, wide tape, which will not only ensure stability, but also fill any gaps that may arise when connecting the bottles.
Another option for creating walls is to use plastic containers, pre-cut into special sheets.
To do this, simply remove the bottom and top of the bottle, then make a longitudinal cut along the soldering point. Since the resulting sheets will be somewhat deformed due to their previous physical condition, they will need to be smoothed out with a garden iron, after securing the edges with something heavy. After these simple manipulations, all the sheets are joined into a single piece.
After producing the canvas of the required dimensions, it is necessary to attach it to the previously manufactured and installed frame, securing it with fasteners.
Adviсe
To ensure success in the creation and future operation of a homemade plastic bottle greenhouse, it's important to adhere to several essential rules:
- To ensure the structure is sealed and retain heat, any space between plastic elements should be reinforced with tape or a special sealant;
- Bottles of the same volume should be used, the optimal option is a 1.5 liter container;
- For experimental purposes, do not use a stapler or threads that are susceptible to rotting when making parts.
By taking on the labor-intensive process of building a plastic greenhouse once, you can eliminate gardening problems for a long time, enjoying high yields.