Maintaining Your Aluminium Greenhouse: A Complete Guide
Regular maintenance and care are essential if your aluminium greenhouse is to serve you well for years, or even decades. This guide covers everything from basic cleaning to replacing glazing clips, helping you keep your greenhouse in excellent condition.
Regular Cleaning Routines
Cleaning your greenhouse inside and out improves both its appearance and the growing conditions for your plants. Regular cleaning, including removing debris, washing the glazing and clearing algae and moss, ensures plants receive maximum light while reducing the risk of pests and disease.
Top tip: Temporarily remove all plants before starting your cleaning routine, so you can reach every area easily.
Removing Dirt and Debris
Start by sweeping greenhouse benches with a broom, removing cobwebs from corners and clearing dirt from the floor. If your greenhouse has paving or a cement floor, a Cleansweep brush head with tough nylon bristles can clean it thoroughly. Use it dry, or connect it to a Spiral Flow hose for straightforward washing with water. Also make sure the greenhouse gutters are clear of debris, particularly if you channel water into a rainwater barrel.
Cleaning the Frame and Glazing
Clean both the frame and glazing of your greenhouse with hot soapy water or a greenhouse disinfectant. This helps preserve the structure and ensures maximum light reaches your plants. Take particular care to remove algae or moss growing where glass panes overlap.
Disinfecting Tools and Surfaces
Wipe down the surfaces of all benches and shelves. Wash and disinfect empty seed trays, pots and other containers. Soak watering or capillary mats to remove algae or moss, and use perforated polythene over the mats to make cleaning easier.
Routine Maintenance
Carrying out maintenance and repairs keeps your greenhouse an effective growing space and helps extend its working life.
Repairing or Replacing Damaged Glazing
Over time, horticultural glass panes can crack or break. A simple crack can be repaired temporarily with all-weather tape, but a completely broken pane should be replaced promptly to prevent further damage. Replace it with the same type of glass or a polycarbonate panel.
Replacing Missing Glazing Clips
Replace a damaged or missing glazing clip to ensure the glazing remains securely in place. This is especially important during colder months, when wind and severe weather can affect the glazing. The modest cost of new clips is worthwhile compared with replacing a glass pane.
Checking Greenhouse Doors
Sliding doors on most greenhouses, including all Elite greenhouses, use wheels to open and close smoothly. Check regularly that the wheels run freely and replace them when necessary. Also make sure the tracks are securely fixed in place.
Checking Roof Vents
Make sure roof vents are fitted correctly and that nothing obstructs them. If your vents have automatic openers, check that they operate properly and replace the cylinders when needed. Roof vents are vital for better air circulation and should be used throughout the year to help prevent damp conditions and disease.
Seasonal Maintenance Tips
Ideally, carry out a thorough cleaning and maintenance check twice a year: once before your main growing season and again when the greenhouse is less full. In temperate parts of South Africa, the second check may fall in autumn, ahead of any winter insulation; elsewhere, follow local rainfall, temperature and planting patterns.
By following these maintenance tips, you can enjoy a clean, efficient and well-functioning aluminium greenhouse that supports healthy plant growth throughout the year. Contact Bloomcabin today for questions or further advice!
