In some garden areas you can see unusual structures in the shape of a hemisphere. This is a type of greenhouse called a geodesic dome.
Design features allow you to create a special microclimate for plants. And the interesting appearance of the building serves as decoration for the garden area.
Advantages of dome greenhouses
A properly designed geodome has several advantages:
- allows light to pass through unhindered from all sides;
- It is durable and stable, resists strong gusts of wind, and does not break under a layer of snow;
- in cold weather retains heat inside;
- in hot weather it prevents overheating of growing crops.
Inside the hemisphere, the air is evenly heated and circulates freely.
Disadvantages of a geodome
An important disadvantage of dome buildings is their high price (compared to conventional greenhouses), especially if you purchase ready-made structures.
Self-construction will be cheaper, but in this case you may encounter another difficulty. Before building a geodome, it is necessary to correctly carry out calculations, create a drawing, and prepare materials. An inexperienced builder can easily make mistakes due to which the spherical structure will not work.
Sometimes, after finishing work, problems arise with maintaining internal heat.The main reason is poor quality sealing of joints and other openings.
Another disadvantage of a hemispherical greenhouse is certain restrictions when filling the internal space. For example, difficulties when installing additional shelves.
Some gardeners notice that not only planted plants grow quickly under the geodome, but also weeds, so they have to do weeding more often.
Design options
The frame is made of wood, plastic or metal; polyethylene, polycarbonate, and glass are used for coating.
A film greenhouse is one of the budget options.
A wooden frame will add impressiveness, but creating it will require a lot of time and physical effort.
The most optimal coating is polycarbonate.
It goes well with any material (it’s more convenient to take metal - it’s easier to work with).
Less commonly, plastic pipes are used to create a frame.
It is also taken into account that plastic is inferior to wood and metal in terms of durability and strength.
The traditional combination of glass and metal (aluminum or steel) is a more expensive option.
The glass coating is easy to care for and does not lose its properties over the years. But it also has disadvantages - fragility and high thermal conductivity.
The labor intensity and high cost of some building materials are not reasons for refusing to build such a structure. You can always choose a budget-friendly and uncomplicated version of a domed greenhouse that will cope with its tasks just as successfully as expensive structures.
