Glass Greenhouses
Glass greenhouses transmit almost 100% light and glass maintains that clarity for a lifetime or more, compared to 80% light transmission with double wall polycarbonate, which will gradually fade over time as the polycarbonate becomes more opaque.
Many growers believe that 1% more light equals 1% more potential production. A glass greenhouse covering allows the most sunlight to enter your greenhouse, giving maximum potential photosynthesis. Glass provides the highest amount of natural light for year-round gardening, whether you’re producing a bouquet for mom or a bounty for market.
* Due to the weight of a glass covering, glass greenhouse structural framing is generally stronger than other greenhouses, so it is an excellent greenhouse investment and adds lasting value to one's property, home, or farm.
* With glass greenhouses, you can choose from several types of glass options to improve insulation and help with solar heat gain, helping your greenhouse to use less energy and to provide better crop protection.
* Glass is quite inert, in contrast to other materials, and it can function for 40 to 50 years without failure. It is non-combustible, resistant to UV radiation and air pollutant degradation, and it maintains its initial radiation transmission if regularly cleaned.
* Although glass is a more costly initial investment, its durability and long life make it an excellent choice. Lessening your dependence on supplemental lighting by selecting a greenhouse covering with the best light transmittance will also save money long-term.
* The greatest drawback of glass is its vulnerability to catastrophic losses caused by hail and other weather extremes; however, individual panes are easily and often quite inexpensively replaced.
Glass Types
There are many types of glass that are especially desirable for greenhouse use. Our single layer glass has been treated for safety and durability, while double glass has the additional insulation power of two panes of safety glass pocketing a thin air barrier to reduce solar heat gain. This same barrier will also help with heat loss and condensation from the ambient temperature difference in winter.
Some of our greenhouses are available with a low-e glass glazing option. Low E stands for low emissive, which means that it is coated to further reduce the transfer of both heat and cold. This coating reduces the amount of radiation able to be transferred through the glass. In winter, heated air (long wave radiation) is prevented from escaping because the coating reflects it back inside, but in summer, the sun’s visible spectrum heat (short wave radiation) is reflected away from the structure.
Select Glass Greenhouse models incorporate diffused glass, which is a newer technology which has been shown to benefit crops. Diffused class can increase the uniformity of the greenhouse climate in regards to light and temperature. A recent study showed a 5 to 10 percent increase of fruit production in tomato and cucumber crops, and an increase in flowering of potted plants such as chrysanthemum and anthurium.
Diffused glass is a more expensive covering option, but the benefits to production may balance the initial cost expenditure.
Gothic Arch Greenhouses offers the best glass greenhouse kits for sale, including residential hobby greenhouses, greenhouses for spa enclosures, commercial glass greenhouses, research facilities, educational and vocational greenhouses, and luxury custom made greenhouses and conservatories in all glass or a combination of glass and polycarbonate to suit your climate, growing needs, and resources. Our expert greenhouse consultants will help you choose the finest glass greenhouse and growing supplies for your space and your budget.
