Glass or Polycarbonate Greenhouse?

PugLady_2

I'm looking for a small greenhouse to go in a sheltered corner of my garden. I'm not sure whether to go for a glass or polycarbonate one.
I think glass ones look nicer but I assume polycarbonate would be stronger.
It would be great to hear other peoples views on polycarbonate. Are they better or would you stick to glass?

Rainy-Days

There are pros and cons to both I suppose.
With polycarbonate it goes without saying it is safer, it doesn't shatter and you can in effect double glaze it adding extra insulation. It filters out harmful UVA rays form the sun. They are however slightly more expensive - so far from what I have seen - than glass.

On the flip side with glass, it does get a tad hotter than polycarbonate, it doesn't scratch like polycarbonate and allows better light penetration. Glass also doesn't pop out of the frame like polycarbonate can and it is a more stable material.

STOCKWIRE

I prefer polycarbonate as it is a lot safer and easier to keep clean. but like Rainy days says it can break at the edges where the clips go, but this problem can be resolved by moving the clips to a different position. My greenhouse is now five years old and still has all the original poly sheets.

matt987106

The twin wall polycarb ( the same stuff on conserv roofs ) is great

andyngary

I bought a polycarbon greenhouse on E Bay and returned it as it was so light it was in danger of blowing away Very flimsy contstruction Decided to save for a glass greenhouse

Orange_King

I have a polycarb one and the best advice I can offer is to buy an extra bag of clips to ensure the panels are extra secure!! This time last year there was a particularly stormy but sunny day and had to let air in. Unfortunately the wind got in and blew panels out!

alleycat`

The best compromise (imho) is using safety glass.
It is stronger than horti glass and just as safe as polycarb.
It also stands up to the weather a lot better than polycarb does and the strength in the glass helps to make the greenhouse stronger.

Does usually add about £100 to the total cost mind you.

matt987106

you do do as i have done

I got a 6 X 4 ft shed, removed some of the T&G boarding down the side's, then got some twin wall polycarb roofing, i then fixed this do the walls instead of the T&G, i then fitted the polycarb to the roof aswell

as strong as its ever going to be, it works really well

if you do not mind waiting, you could pop into your local conserv installers and ask if when they change a old polycarb conserv roof for glass ( fairly common these days ) can they keep you the sheets, they mightsay " yes it will cost a couple of quid

all very DIY'able

i was asked by a customer if icould get rid of his old shed, which i used ( the roof was rotten but that didnt matter as i didnt need it ) and then i asked around and got some old polycarb roofing of some guys who were fitting glass
so mine was completely free, i did have to buy a pack of metal washers to fix the polycarb, you can get specialist fixings

http://www.wickes.co.uk/fixing-button-pack/invt/164063/

but i just used some metal washers ( in zinc )

even if you purchased all the stuff it would

a shed for 100 - 125 quid

polycarb sheets ( this is only 4mm stuff though )

http://www.cabp.co.uk/acatalog/4mm_Polycarbonate_1220mm_610mm.html

for 10 mm stuff

http://www.cabp.co.uk/acatalog/10mm_Clear_Polycarbonate.html
2M x 696mm 10mm Polycarbonate Sheet
£15.98 (£19.18 IncVAT)

i had 6, i used 1 and 1/2 down either side and 3 for the roof , so for the 10 mm stuff it would be 120 quid

worth a consideration

tim_n

Polycarbinate (the twin wall) offers better insulation in cold temperatures, but personally glass is better and as another poster has mentioned, heavier and cheaper to replace. On allotments I'd go for polycarb as if someone falls into the glass (even if they're trespassing) you could be liable - some allotments don't even allow glass (though safety glass may be allowed, I was told on our plot it was outright banned).

Put a request on freecycle, many people don't like glass greenhouses and want extra garden space and if you pick up and take away it's a lot less hassle. Similarly places like B&Q, Argos etc do packs of the clips and screws so if they're missing anything you can sort it out cheaply!