A greenhouse is a great addition to your property especially if you are a keen gardener and love to grow your own fresh fruit and veg. They are also great for storing your gardening tools and other outdoor supplies when they are not needed.
Some of the most common materials that greenhouses are made from are plastic and glass and depending on the material used, panels may need to be replaced often. Glass is a more fragile material and is prone to breakages especially if there are bad weather conditions.
At Cut Plastic Sheeting, we get a lot of customers come to us asking how to replace their greenhouse panels with cut to size plastic, so we thought we would share some helpful tips and tricks.
Why Would You Need A Replacement Greenhouse Panel?
Greenhouse panels will need to be replaced due to a number of different reasons. If your greenhouse is made from glass, it is more likely that damage will occur and that your panels will end up smashed. Due to the fragility of glass, this can easily be done by anything from being hit by a ball or by a branch falling from a tree. If you do have glass panels, getting them cut to size can also be expensive, especially if you are needing to replace them often.
Another reason why greenhouse panels might need replacing is their age. If you have had a plastic greenhouse panel for 10-15 years, you may want to look at getting it replaced. The older a piece of material gets, the less efficient it becomes in keeping out draughts & moisture and its UV resistance my start to decline.
Lastly, you might just want to freshen it up! Panels over time can become dirty and may not fit as well as it used to, so it might be easier to replace the whole panel instead.
How To Replace A Greenhouse Panel
1. Get Yourself & Your Area Ready
As you will potentially be dealing with broken glass or plastic, it is important that you have the correct protective gear on, including gloves and eye protectors. You also may want to lay a sheet down on the floor in case you have to break the panel yourself. That way, it is easy to clean and no pieces of glass or plastic will fall onto the ground.
2. Remove The Old Panel
As there are all different types of greenhouses, your panel may be fitted differently. Typically greenhouse panels are fitted in with either clips, screws or fasteners so you can remove the greenhouse panel by removing these fixtures and fittings and then you will be able to slide out the old panel.
3. Clean The Area
The inserts where your panel might have been may have built up dirt around the inside and edges. It might be a good idea to clean the space first to ensure your panel fits in and so it looks newer for longer.
4. Install The New Panel
Place the new panel into the frame, making sure that it is level and square. Secure the panel in place using the same fasteners or hardware that were used to hold the old panel in place. If your old ones have become damaged or rusty themselves, you can get some usually for under £5 at your local hardware store.
5. Seal Around The Panel
Use caulk or weatherstripping to seal around the panel to help keep out drafts and moisture.
6. Test The Panel
Check the panel to ensure that it is securely in place and that it is functioning properly.
Ordering A Greenhouse Panel
At Cut Plastic Sheeting, we offer standard-sized Acrylic Greenhouse Panels or custom-size panels in either Acrylic or Polycarbonate. Choose between the cost-effective and shatterproof Acrylic or our strongest clear sheet material, Polycarbonate.
Use our online custom calculator today to get an instant quotation.
For more information on Acrylic, Perspex, MDF, Dibond and Polycarbonate please visit our Guide and Blog sections of the website.
Cut Plastic Sheeting are based on the south Coast in Ivybridge, Devon UK. We have a full manufacturing facility which enables us to offer Cut To Size Acrylic as well as Cut To Size MDF. Shop our full range of products, including our Clear Acrylic, coloured acrylic and more recent MDF Wood Sheet ranges.
Our Team are always here to help with any enquiry, please send us an email or for more urgent needs give us a call – Contact Us
