Glass is the traditional material used for constructing greenhouses. However, it can be easily damaged and has a tendency to break and shatter under extreme conditions. This is the main reason people started looking for a more effective alternative.

The most popular alternative material is polycarbonate. Polycarbonate greenhouse panels have become popular in recent years because of their ability to resist extreme conditions. And unlike glass, polycarbonate is shatter resistant. Edenlite shares some more advantages of a polycarbonate greenhouse.

1. Durable

Polycarbonate is designed to be 200 times more durable and stronger than glass, which means it’s not as susceptible to damages. It can also withstand the most extreme weather and temperature. Because of this durability, polycarbonate sheets also have a longer lifespan. You also don’t need to take extra precautions when handling polycarbonate, as it is not as delicate as glass.

2. Impact Resistant

Polycarbonate is strong and durable enough for it to be considered as almost unbreakable. It can withstand almost any kind of damage from extreme forces, such as impacts from balls, stones, snow, hail and strong winds without breaking. Polycarbonate is the best option, especially if you have kids playing near your greenhouse or if you live in a place prone to extreme weathers such as snow and hail.

3. Better Insulation

Another important advantage of polycarbonate is that it has better insulation properties than traditional glass. This means less heat is lost, which gives your greenhouse a higher average temperature than a conventional glass greenhouse. Better heat retention can benefit the overall effectiveness and performance of your greenhouse.

4. Better UV Protection and Light Diffusion

Polycarbonate allows better light diffusion since it’s much thicker than standard glass. This helps spread light more evenly throughout your greenhouse. Your plants will surely benefit from this because there will no longer be a need to move them around to receive enough sunlight. You also won’t need to invest in artificial lighting to light up the greenhouse. And on the plus side, polycarbonate provides protection from the harmful UV rays of the sun.

5. Longer Growing Season

Polycarbonate materials can greatly affect the overall performance of your greenhouse and even prolong the growing season of your plants, which means you get to harvest more fruits and vegetables all year round. The prolonged growing season of your plants will help you minimise your costs for artificial lighting and heating.

6. More Design Options

Polycarbonate is more easily moulded and bent than regular glass. This means you get more design options, as it comes in many different sizes and shapes. This way, you get to have a greenhouse shaped and designed any way you want.

Polycarbonate is fast becoming the favourite material for building greenhouses for very good reasons. It can help you save a lot of money in the long run, as it is very energy efficient because there is no longer a need for artificial heating and lighting that makes use of electricity. It’s an also impact and shatter resistant so you won’t have to worry about getting injured. Plus, it’s easy to install, which means lower installation costs for you.