How to make a dome greenhouse with your own hands

Friends, hello. The complexity of the topic of how to build a domed greenhouse with your own hands does not lie in the procedure, calculations, or even sawing of the material. And in another. Since the desire to erect this structure arises for several atypical reasons:

If you approach the matter seriously, then the first fundamental reason is knowledge about dome structures and dome construction.
A landowner who operates a film greenhouse or, at best, has switched to a polycarbonate greenhouse is unlikely to be interested in the new design without knowing anything about it. However, the advantages that a dome brings with it will move the most conservative farmer. All that remains is to obtain detailed information.
Next comes the spirit of experimentation. Everyone wants to try something new. And why not, if the land area allows it. However, here are two things:
1. The new is the well-forgotten old. More precisely, out of sight.
2. Again knowledge.
The third case, which can be limited to, happens to those who have already seen the domed greenhouse, entered it, and tasted the result. But again there is a division:
1. For someone who believed in the advantages over a conventional greenhouse.
2. And for those who didn’t believe it, but wanted, excuse the expression, to show off to their neighbors.
  So, building a domed greenhouse with your own hands is for brave farmers who know how to count and calculate well. For people using advanced soil cultivation technologies, as well as natural plant cultivation. There is more of a hint of vegetable crops here. Although exoticism with dome heat transfer characteristics is not far off. It's time to ask you questions:
3. Did you know that you can harvest crops three times a year in a dome greenhouse? For example, in central Russia with a period of pronounced summer from late May to mid-August.
4. Did you know that with minimal winter heat, it is possible to plant and harvest potatoes all year round? Moreover, electricity is not necessary.
But more on the secrets below. And for starters, a cannon salvo from the list of basic advantages of the dome.

About design and materials in a simple way

The dome represents the design of Fuller, an American researcher in the field of geodetic architectural structures. The mesh shell of triangles is nothing more than a self-supporting frame. Therefore, the principles for solving the post-war housing crisis were transferred to construction classrooms, warehouses, hangars and greenhouses. Our dome greenhouse is based on five elements:

Foundation. Here the opinion is divided into piles with subsequent cladding and a welded corner. The choice is yours. And I used the pile option. Building a foundation for a dome is a very tricky thing. There should be no miscalculations both vertically and horizontally.
Caracas. The fence board is used as the basis of the frame. It is of standard size 100x20 mm. This is enough for a one-sided summer film package.For the winter version with double skinning of triangles, a board thickness of 40 mm is required. Keep in mind that a smaller end size of 40x20 will require the use of scaffolding. And on a frame made of 100x20 boards you can move acrobatically.
Connectors. Just don't laugh. I used cuttings for shovels. The standard diameter size is 38–40 mm. The connection was medium-hard paper tape with one strip of holes.
Film. Why was Svetlitsa brand film chosen? The answer to this question lies in the analysis of film tests. In Russia, of the six types of film material, Svetlitsa shows the best results. Moreover, the evaluation criteria are different:
- Hydrophilicity. Drops of condensation do not fall from Svetlitsa.
- Rigidity. The film package maintains the surface tension on the nail under its own weight. A frame of 50x30 cm was taken as a sample.
- Transparency. Svetlitsa has the highest indicator. Light loss is 10%. And polycarbonate has 40%.
- Price. A square meter of film costs about 100 rubles, taking into account the thickness. My choice fell on a thickness of 120 microns. The cost per square meter from an official dealer with pickup is 47 rubles. The exact calculation of triangles with overlaps for soldering determines the linear meter option. It comes in different widths: three meters or four meters.
And most importantly, Svetlitsa is a perennial, year-round film for greenhouses. Service life 7 years.
Hardware group. I used self-tapping screws 4 cm long. There are recommendations to press the screws with a drill at the end. This will prevent the wood from cracking along the grain. But everything requires skill and experience. If you work carefully with a screwdriver at the right speeds, the percentage of cracking will be minimal. At least I chose screws with a fine thread pitch.

What tools are required to build a domed greenhouse with your own hands?

For sawing you will need a sharp hand saw with a fine tooth. Among circular saws, choose a stationary version with a rotation angle.
To cut punched paper tape, you need metal scissors.
A screwdriver is a universal device today. Although we need the function of tightening screws and drilling holes.
To cut the film, it is better to take scissors rather than a knife. And you will also need a cutting table.
Pile foundations differ from each other. The screw design requires a welding machine. It is also necessary if corners are used on the foundation. I decided to make do with little effort. To drive in a 40x20 mm metal profile, you only need a sledgehammer.
The entire success of dome construction depends on the accuracy of the hydraulic level. Although the hydraulic level itself is used in installing piles and nothing more.
Don't forget about the hair dryer. I specifically purchased a Chinese-made device for 800 rubles. And, you know, no complaints. He justified himself one hundred percent. But I gave 10 times more readings on the electricity meter. Because it was the first time I did it. Experience.
Particular attention should be paid to the measuring tool. A tape measure, building level or meter, ruler, angle and even a plumb line are not enough. You need templates.
Take care of the stairs. Preferably a stepladder.

So, let's move on to the calculations. They seem complicated to you, but all the dimensions are in your hands, or rather, in the memory of the calculator for calculating the dome.

Calculation

With the increasing popularity of dome building, the automatic calculation algorithm has become widespread in many languages and servers in different parts of the world. A query in an Internet search engine will return several options.In fact, these are the same calculator. To compile the data, you need to specify the radius of the sphere. The remaining parameters reflected in the three-dimensional drawing are intuitive:

Triangle frequency.
Partition class.
Axial symmetry.
Part of a sphere.
Connection method.
Connector diameter.
Width and thickness of ribs.

It looks like a children's construction set, only in an interactive form.
The measurement results will reflect the area of the covering and base, as well as the volume of lumber and the total length of the ribs. Below you will see drawings of edges, triangles and vertices. As you study the calculations of the calculator, you will understand that you need to build on the standard sizes of materials:

Board lengths.
Lengths of the handle for the connector.
Area and dimensions of the film.
Pile lengths.

The main thing is to fit the main elements of the structure into uncut material with the least amount of residue. The number of screws is counted to plus/minus five pieces. Although it wouldn't hurt to have some extra. Film triangles can be glued together from leftovers. But here I do not recommend doing this:

Many people forget about overlaps.
Gluing two halves together is time-consuming.
Glued triangles are inferior in safety margin. Especially in winter.

I glued them together from halves. Saved money. But not time and nerves. Now let's move on to the main part of the description. This is a do-it-yourself dome greenhouse assembly.

Assembly order

Purchasing materials is a business matter. Where, how and how much is up to each individual to decide. Therefore, I will miss the information. But there were nuances. I bought most of the consumables at a hardware store. I purchased the boards at a sawmill. But the film was delivered to me from Moscow to order. Your option may be more practical. Still, the dome is an object of economy. If you have all the elements ready, all that remains is to assemble them. And now it’s time to describe the order of construction actions:
1. Foundation. Ten piles required one six-meter rectangular profile. After cutting, the length of each pile was 60 cm. The supports were deepened by 40 cm. It may seem that this length is not enough for reliability. However, the dome, as a self-supporting structure, redistributes the weight proportionally. Moreover, the stress on the piles remains to some extent within the frame elements. The main thing when installing piles is to set the level. Even millimeter deviations will be noticeable. Which is exactly what happened to me. Three support points of the dome were in limbo. But this did not affect the strength of the greenhouse in any way. Still, a lot depends on working with a sledgehammer. As for vertical alignment, it is much more complicated. I initially did not fill the construction site and built the greenhouse on a landscape with natural unevenness. The accuracy of the installation of the piles was checked using a perimeter assembled from the bottom row of ribs. The mistake was obvious. Differences in height caused an error. The ribs didn't meet. I had to re-hammer half of the supports. Please take this into account.

2. Installation of the frame on piles. There are many installation methods. As far as your imagination goes. But reliable, strong options have an obvious advantage. I'll tell you how I did it. In the connector with four petals, I cut two grooves to the size of the end of the square pipe.

I placed the connector on the pile. Next, I mounted the first row of ribs in order. The assembly of triangles has its own sequence.

You cannot collect the next row without finishing the previous one. Do not tighten the screws all the way. Since to align the ribs due to their natural unevenness, play in the connector is required. Each petal is screwed onto two self-tapping screws. Near and far from the center of the connector.Two points where the far one is fixed at an angle give rigidity.

Frame installation is a very exciting activity. But the beginner faces the difficulty of connecting the extreme points of the ribs at any level. Therefore, I can advise this: do not overdo it with tightening the screws. They will probably have to be weakened, and more than once. But the tree doesn’t like it. To assemble the top, you will have to use additional forces to pull or push the connection points away from each other. Don't be alarmed if the ribs don't meet.

With proper sawing, the problem is easily solved. It is necessary to loosen the previous coupling nodes. The process of installing the wooden part of the dome is difficult to describe, since it is understandable only with direct contact with the object. Remember, keep the exact dimensions when cutting the material. Otherwise the dome will not assemble. The method of moving along the frame under construction is individual. The choice is between scaffolding and acrobatics along the triangular segments. The second option is available to builders with low body weight.

3. Side trim. The assembled frame is very tough and strong. A further question arises: should I glue the film or create a side by sheathing the piles around the perimeter? Adding soil to the greenhouse is possible only in the second case. I sheathed the perimeter with strips of galvanized iron 20 cm wide and 200 cm long. The only inconvenience was that I had to sit or kneel. The sheets were sewn into two fastening lines:

On a pile in pre-installed brackets.
Into the lower ring of ribs, which at that time was reinforced with an additional longitudinal rib.

For installation I used a metal drill with a diameter of 3 mm and a screwdriver.In those places where the sheets did not meet in a single line, I cut them and mounted them from new points. Between the piles I attached wooden cross members to enhance the strength of the sheathing.

4. Film. Bonding film is the most difficult process. And if you have never worked with a hair dryer or stretch ceilings, then you should practice before starting. My mistake was installing the upper pentagon from half triangles. They were glued together at home in advance. The fact is that I saved on film, taking into account the leftovers from which I assembled triangles. I don't advise you to do this. A solid triangular sheet is less capricious in sizing. And so on. Order film only for entire segments. Yes, there will be trimmings, but they are not worth it. With each new sizing I mastered a difficult art. After all, at maximum heating, the film shrinks or burns out. If it is insufficient, it will not stick. Experience comes quickly. Especially if you are limited in expensive material. The bottom row of triangles turned out great. In segments for vents, take into account the maximum overlap. The main thing is to try to be less nervous when gluing. It's a really difficult process.

5. Installation of windows and doors. The opening segments are the same triangles, but without connectors. The ribs in them are located in the same plane and are fastened with punched tape. Each door took three small awnings. To attach the windows on the second tier, I used a ladder. I did this carefully so as not to tear the film. I glued a strip of rubber insulation along the perimeter of the windows and doors to protect against heat loss and rainwater. There were no problems at this stage of construction.However, keeping the elements open to ventilate the greenhouse got me thinking. Your option is your imagination. Just remember, when the window is open, windage occurs. First of all, the window itself. The ventilation clamp must be very strong both on the windows and on the door.

Mistakes I've Made

Even without much experience in construction, the greenhouse was easy to assemble. But mistakes were inevitable. The insidious thing is that they showed themselves after assembly. I will list them:

Neglecting to set the exact level of piles. Unlike other structures, the dome does not like errors.
Excessive tightening of self-tapping screws when assembling the frame, which led to cracking of the wood or inconvenience in connecting the closing points.
Gluing triangular segments from scraps. I wouldn't do that now.

I forgot to say that the soil for planting is added before gluing the film. It is easier to distribute around the perimeter. Take care of the fasteners inside the greenhouse. They are required for gartering plants or hanging watering cans, bottles, and garden clothes. In fact, this version of the greenhouse is far from perfect. After all, the dome can be equipped with a storm drain around the perimeter, since the structure collects the maximum amount of water during rain. A drip irrigation system wouldn't hurt. But this topic intersects with the operation of the building. And there are indicators of temperature, humidity, illumination and characteristics of growing certain plants. You understand that this is a different story.

Advantages of a dome greenhouse

Their description is easier through comparison with the arched greenhouse made of polycarbonate and metal profiles, which are widespread today.The yield in a do-it-yourself dome is 4 times higher than under a polycarbonate arch. This occurs due to several factors:

You can start planting plants a month earlier.
The harvest season will end a month later.
If in a regular greenhouse the last tomatoes remain green and freeze, then in a domed greenhouse everything ripens.
If the number of tomatoes from the same number of bushes in a regular and domed greenhouse does not differ, then the size of the fruits in the second one is much larger.
The correct design of the dome collects light over the entire area, as well as along the entire length of the sun's movement. That is, for the entire sunny day. When, like a polycarbonate construct, the light only takes in at an angle of 90 degrees.
In an arched structure, the total heat due to the shape is at the level of 1–1.2 meters, and with a square base it is even higher. In the dome, due to the reduced volume of air, the heat is at a level of 0.8 meters and below.
The dome warms up faster and releases heat longer. Since the dissipation area and heat loss are lower than that of an arched structure. When the temperature in the arched greenhouse in the morning is +5 degrees Celsius, in the domed greenhouse it remains +20 at night.
On the economic side, the advantages are obvious. The material taken as an example is polycarbonate. It is also used in the construction of a dome. Although film remains a more practical material. So, for a domed greenhouse with a diameter of 6 meters and an area of 27 square meters it would take 4 sheets of polycarbonate. And for an arched area of 18 squares there are also 4 sheets of plastic covering. The dome structure is 30% cheaper in terms of materials.
By the way, the material for manufacturing is widely available in construction stores.
DIY assembly is quite simple. Construction is available to everyone. Even alone.All you need is the ability to work with a screwdriver. The film version involves the use of a construction hair dryer. Oddly enough, preliminary calculation takes more mental effort. However, today there are interactive calculators for calculating the dome.
Construction time. Assembly and preparation of elements takes 5 days. Manufacturing – 2 days. In total it turns out to be a week. That is, after a week of creative, fruitful work, you get a greenhouse with a round base with a diameter of, say, 8 meters and an area of 50 square meters.

Simply put, low mass and large internal space that follows the movement of the sun.

Conclusion

When assembling a dome greenhouse with your own hands, you should not rush or rush into cutting the material. Preparatory work should take more time. It is better to do the calculation several times in a row during the week. In any case, not a single mistake in calculations or construction will discourage you from building a dome structure.

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