Greenhouse Structural
Components
Greenhouse Management
Structural Components
Greenhouses are made by assembling different
parts or components.
Each part has a specific role in the overall
greenhouse structure.
This slide shows the basic
components of a greenhouse
Side Posts
Support the trusses and bear the weight of the
greenhouse.
Set in concrete footings.
Typically spaced 10 feet apart.
Curtain Wall
The first several feet of sidewall above the soil line.
Usually made of some solid building material such as
poured concrete, concrete blocks, bricks, or treated
lumber.
Sill
The top of the curtain wall
Eave
Where the sides of the greenhouse join the roof of the
greenhouse.
The top of the sides of the greenhouse.
Truss
Structural component that supports the weight of the
greenhouse roof.
Consists of rafters, struts, and chords.
Purlin
Purlins run the length of the greenhouse.
Keep the roof trusses aligned.
Ridge
Where the roofs come together at the top of the
greenhouse.
Many greenhouses have a ridge vent(s).
Sash Bars
purlin
Run perpendicular to
the purlins.
Attached to the purlins.
Hold the glazing in
place.
Sometimes built with a
drip groove or channel
to catch condensation
that forms on the inside
of the glass panels.
sash bars
Wooden Sash Bar Close-up
Sash bar cap
Glass panels
Sash bar
Drip groove
Aluminum Sash Bar Close-up
Sash Bar Cap
Bar cap
Fastened to the sash bars
with screws.
Functions to hold the
glass panels in place.
Siting a Greenhouse
Topography
Select as level a site as possible.
Amount of land
The general rule of thumb is to purchase at least
twice as much land as the desired growing area.
For example, you desire to build a ridge & furrow
greenhouse measuring 50 feet x 150 feet.
7,500 square feet x 2 = 15,000 square feet = .34 acres
Greenhouse Orientation
N
W
E
S
Depends on latitude and whether the greenhouse is connected or detached.
Single, detached greenhouse:
In northern latitudes an east-west orientation is favored because light
can enter through the sides rather than through the ends of the
greenhouse where it would cast more shade.
Also, because our winds are predominately from the west (blue arrow)
this positions an end wall of the greenhouse into the wind.
Greenhouse Orientation
Connected Greenhouses:
South
An east west orientation is not ideal.
North
Greenhouse Orientation
Connected Greenhouses:
A north south orientation is BEST!
South
North
Windbreaks
Planted on the north and west sides of the
greenhouse.
Help reduce heat loss from the greenhouse.
Greenhouses should be located a minimum of
100 feet away.
Framing Materials
Two basic kinds of material:
Wood
Metal; primarily aluminum or aluminum alloys
Wood
Redwood, cedar, or some other rot-resistant
wood.
Treated wood.
Beware of mercury-based paints and preservatives
because fumes from these products are toxic to
plants.
Aluminum
Lightweight
Strong
Rust resistant
Framing materials can be manufactured
thinner and be spaced further apart allowing
for minimal shading.
Stresses on the Greenhouse
Weight of the framing and glazing.
Snow loads.
Wind pressure.
Temperature; fluctuating temperatures cause
expansion and contraction of framing and
glazing materials.
Headhouse
Head House
Service building with overhead doors.
Used for planting, media preparation and storage,
chemical storage, container storage and office space,
etc.
Headhouse, continued
May also include the heating plant (boiler) and
a cold storage facility.
Should be at least 10% of the total growing
area of the greenhouse.
The End
