Greenhouse made from plastic bottles

Gardeners and summer residents are unique individuals. They can use any materials they can find to create their gardens. If you take the well-known plastic bottle into consideration, you'll be amazed at what craftsmen can do with it. They decorate their front gardens with flowers and animals. All of this made of simple plasticThis material is considered one of the cheapest, most readily available, and safest. It's easy to work with and can be used to build various structures, such as a greenhouse.

We'll provide you with a detailed, step-by-step guide for assembling a greenhouse from plastic containers yourself. We'll say one thing: this will require a lot of building materials, so start stocking up today.

Advantages

There are a wide variety of building materials. Some gardeners choose ready-made structures, as they don't require the time and effort to construct them. However, plastic offers incomparable advantages over other covering materials.

1. The strength is very high. Polyethylene film, which is used in most cases as a covering material, is fragile and delicate compared to plastic. Bottle walls can easily withstand snow pressure, strong gusts of wind, and exposure to sunlight.
2. It perfectly transmits sunlight, which is essential for normal plant growth. Thanks to the additional volume of this building material, it diffuses the sun's rays, which has a beneficial effect on seedlings.
3. They have thermal insulation properties, as they have a cavity filled with air.
4. The price of this building material is low.
5. By collecting containers and related construction materials, you'll be cleaning up the environment. The material is easy to process.
6. Building a greenhouse from plastic bottles doesn't require complex tools or engineering skills. Even a child can build it.

The only thing that might be intimidating is the number of containers required for construction. Of course, this depends on the size, but at least 650 will be needed. On average, around 1,500-2,000 are used.

Pros and cons of a bottle greenhouse

A greenhouse built from plastic containers has many distinctive characteristics compared to other covering materials.

The structure is strong and durable. Compared to polyethylene film, plastic is 35 times stronger. It retains heat perfectly and requires no additional heating. It's important to consider the region of the country you live in and the local climate. The structure is lightweight. Bottles are a lightweight construction material. They provide excellent protection for plants from strong winds, hail, and heavy rain.

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Selection of bottles and their preparation

When constructing a greenhouse, you need to select containers that are identical in size and appearance. Two-liter bottles are ideal, but 1.5-liter bottles are also suitable for installation.

You can choose any container size, but the larger the container, the thicker the walls of the future structure will be. Consequently, the building's thermal insulation properties will improve.

Choosing a greenhouse design

Every gardener can choose the design they find optimal for construction. Bottle greenhouses come in two types:

1. It consists of solid bottles. The bottoms are removed. The containers are connected to each other using fishing line and fasteners located on the base.
2. It consists of a fabric created by stitching together rectangles cut from plastic containers. This type of construction requires slightly less material, but its thermal insulation is significantly reduced.

It's up to you to decide which type to prefer.

Materials for the frame

Any building material can be used for the supporting structure. You can choose a metal, wood, or plastic base.

1. A metal frame makes the greenhouse stronger and more durable. To prevent rust, paint the metal structure regularly.
2. Wood is an affordable building material. It's easy to install. The main thing is to treat it with rot and insect repellent.
3. Plastic pipes. They are lightweight. Their flexibility allows them to be shaped into any shape. They require reinforcement to withstand adverse weather conditions.

Equipment and materials

To ensure that building a plastic greenhouse is hassle-free, you will need the following building materials:

• plastic bottle from 650 to 2,500 pieces;
• beams or boards 3 and 4 meters long, two pieces of each type;
• mounting rail, the quantity is calculated based on the design calculation.

Equipment required for construction:

1. A stationery knife or cutter.
2. A thin awl. A hammer.
3. Fixing materials (nail, screw).
4. Meter.
5. Construction level.

Greenhouse made of plastic sheeting

The process of creating the canvas is based on cutting out the cores from bottles. That is, cut off the neck and bottom of the container. Cut the resulting cylinder perpendicular to the floor in one spot. You should end up with a rectangle. Do the same with all the containers you'll be using to build the greenhouse.

Walls

The second step is sewing the panels together. This is done using the "whip stitch" technique and a sewing machine. Use nylon thread for the stitching. For a stronger connection, create thin strips of rectangles. They should be aligned in the same direction.

As for the strips, they should be the same length as the height of the structure. Don't forget to leave about 30 centimeters (12 inches) extra for hemming.

Then, sew all the strips together into a single piece. The width of the piece should match the width of one wall of the greenhouse frame. Alternatively, you can make a single piece to wrap around the entire perimeter of the base.

Roof

You can also make one for a greenhouse from plastic containers. Follow these steps in order:

1. The neck and bottom of the bottle are cut off.
2. The cylinder is cut into two parts.
3. Attach the pieces together. You should get a wave.
4. The roof is installed after the foundation has been built and the walls of the greenhouse have been erected.

Frame

To construct the greenhouse's foundation, a foundation is necessary. Since the building material and associated elements are lightweight, a shallow strip foundation is suitable. Old car tires are placed inside. They are filled halfway with soil and then topped with pebbles or gravel. When constructing the foundation, dig 55-65 centimeter holes for the wooden supports. The posts are reinforced with tie material and secured with a screwdriver and screws.

Now they move on to installing the doorway and vents. Afterward, the wooden elements of the greenhouse are treated with special agents that protect against rot and insects.

Frame sheathing

To speed up the process, hire an assistant. Attach the plastic sheeting to the frame using thin slats and screws. The covering material should be stretchy.

The joints are then sealed with construction tape or glue. The remaining 30 centimeters, originally intended for allowance, are folded around the slats at the top of the frame and secured to the inside. The underside of the canvas is secured to the foundation.

Greenhouse made from solid bottles

This type of greenhouse has enhanced thermal insulation properties due to the use of hollow bottle elements in its construction. These retain air, which retains heat and helps diffuse sunlight. A greenhouse made from solid plastic containers is built in stages:

1. The light weight of the entire structure makes it easier construction of the foundationFor this purpose, you can use cinder blocks, bricks, logs or timber.
2. Before constructing the greenhouse base, join 7 x 10 cm boards together. You should end up with a rectangle. Next, attach the supporting vertical beams. Space them 1-1.5 meters apart. Now assemble the structure up to the roof and secure it in the center with a beam. Keep the distance from the foundation approximately 2 meters. This reinforces the greenhouse and makes it more durable.
3. To assemble the base, take a saw, hammer and nails.
4. The greenhouse frame is assembled. Now we're starting to install the walls made from plastic bottles.
5. The bottom of each bottle is removed using a utility knife or cutter. This is necessary so that the containers fit tightly on top of each other. This is done with all plastic containers.
6. A bottle is placed on a nylon thread to form the base. This is the only container with a bottom. The top, however, is cut off. This is necessary to attach it to the frame. Then, the bottles are strung together, creating dense columns.
7. The same nylon thread is used to tie the bottles together.
8. To ensure that the structure is level and does not dance, a thread is pulled between the two supports for fixation or a wooden strip is nailed.
9. The resulting posts are then secured to the top of the frame on the side. They should stand level and be taut.
10. The roof is installed identically to the side walls. If a gable roof is chosen, two rectangles and two triangles are made and connected together. Once assembled, the roof is installed on the walls and securely attached to the greenhouse frame.
11. To prevent the bottle posts from sagging, place them as close together as possible and glue them together using liquid nails.
12. As for the doors, they will also be made from plastic containers. They construct a base for the doorway and stretch plastic bottle posts over it. The structure is assembled in the same way as the greenhouse walls and roof. Then, attach the door hinges and install the doors.
13. The greenhouse made from hollow plastic bottles is ready. All that's left is to create beds with nutritious soil and plant the crops.

Helpful tips

Additional recommendations for creating a new structure on your property – a greenhouse made from plastic bottles:

1. If you haven't saved up enough building materials, it's time to start making friends with your neighbors. Ask them for a few plastic bottles.
2. It is best to start collecting containers from the last month of summer.
3. The plates are held together not only by nylon thread, but also by fishing line or fire.
4. To make the structure even stronger, stretch a nylon or wire mesh over it. You can also use metal sheathing.
5. The roof doesn't have to be made from bottles. Polyethylene and polycarbonate are also excellent options.
6. You can do the same with the doors as with the roof.
7. You can use bamboo sticks to string the bottles together. They will add strength to the structure.

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A greenhouse built from plastic bottles is an excellent alternative to polyethylene film and polycarbonate sheets. It has all the qualities necessary for the successful growth of seedlings and mature plants. It retains heat and essential humidity perfectly. Another advantage is that plastic effectively diffuses ultraviolet rays.

You can build not only greenhouses but also small hotbeds from plastic containers. It all depends on the size of your plot and your taste.

Use this material to build greenhouses, and your garden's yield will increase severalfold. Don't throw away bottle necks and bottoms. They can be used to create landscape design elements that will add a personal touch and make your landscape more attractive.