Scotch tape

Most often, the material cracks in the direction of the bend, that is, vertically or slightly obliquely in the most common, semicircular greenhouses. If you do not notice and repair the crack in time, it will quickly spread, which will lead to the sheet splitting. When there are no reliable means at your disposal, as an urgent measure, it is permissible to use ordinary wide scotch tape for repair. This is better than nothing – at least the damage will be recorded.

The polycarbonate surface must be thoroughly washed, dried with a rag, degreased with an alcohol solution, the crack must be sealed with tape, heated with a construction or household hair dryer and carefully smoothed out.

sealing a crack in a polycarbonate greenhouse with tape

Adhesive tape

Special tapes are produced for repairing glass and plastic. They can be reinforced or completely transparent, which allows you to maintain the attractive appearance of the greenhouse. The standard width is 5 cm, the length in one roll is 10-20 m. Unlike office tape, construction adhesive tape is not afraid of rain, frost and scorching sun. It will certainly not fall off for several years.

The tape is used to seal cracks in polycarbonate greenhouses in the same way as scotch tape, but for the best result it is necessary to heat it.

reinforced adhesive tape

Silicone sealant

The second most common after cracks are holes around screws that were overtightened during the construction of the greenhouse. The problem appears after a few months – polycarbonate sheets tend to straighten and break, being unable to pull out the fasteners. They need to be unscrewed and equipped with a plastic washer with a diameter of 5-8 cm before returning to their place. And the damage will help to eliminate the sealant.

The hole in the polycarbonate is cleaned, the edges are aligned with fingers, filled with silicone, wait for complete hardening, and then repeat the installation, but without unnecessary effort.

Hot gun

The next problem for owners of polycarbonate greenhouses is hail, which can leave micro-dents on the body or even pierce it. In the first case, you can resort to the already mentioned silicone sealant, and in the second, it is better to use a hot gun. The heated glue bonds securely with the polycarbonate, allowing you to seal a small hole tightly.

Apply a generous amount of adhesive to the cleaned damaged area, and when it sets slightly, carefully remove the excess.

sealing a dent in polycarbonate with sealant sealing a hole in polycarbonate with a glue gun

Patch

If a heavy object falls on the greenhouse, someone bad threw a stone, or the owner accidentally hit it with a garden tool and made a large hole, it will have to be patched. To do this, you will need polycarbonate, a cutter, tape and glue, ideally polyurethane.

There are two ways:

  1. Cut out a round or rectangular fragment from the new material that will cover the hole by at least 5 cm on all sides. Clean and degrease both surfaces, stick the patch on the outside of the greenhouse and fix it along the edge with tape for several days. To be on the safe side, you can attach it with self-tapping screws.
  2. Cut a round or rectangular hole in the greenhouse body at the site of the hole and glue the prepared fragment of the same dimensions there. This method is only suitable for flat walls. It is also recommended to seal the joints with tape for a while.

cellular polycarbonate patch

When a cellular polycarbonate greenhouse becomes cloudy abnormally quickly, becomes covered with a network of cracks and becomes perforated from the slightest touch, the reason may be in the incorrect position of the sheets. They are better protected from UV radiation and mechanical damage on one side, which should be facing outward. If an error is made, the sheets must be dismantled, turned over and installed back.