What Does Lean-To Greenhouse Mean?
A lean-to greenhouse is a type of greenhouse that is built against the side of another structure. Therefore, it has only one sloping roof and shares a wall with another building with a different intended use.
Lean-to greenhouses are considered traditional structures, dating back to the Victorian period. They are extremely tough and wind resistant.
Lean-to greenhouses can also be considered sun rooms when they are built against a residential property, and can be used for both edible crops and ornamentals.
Maximum Yield Explains Lean-To Greenhouse
Lean-to greenhouses go way back to the Victorian era and are considered very traditional. Back then, the people knew the value of placing a greenhouse against a wall in the walled gardens. The wall acts as a heat sink and absorbs the heat during the day and releases it over the cooler night to help keep the temperature even.
There are several factors to take into account with the lean-to greenhouses. The height must be carefully checked, along with any metal base plinth, to make sure that the ridge does not clash with any obstacles such as windows or drain pipes. If the lean-to greenhouse is going over a door on the house, it must be glazed with toughened safety glass. Another crucial point to remember is that if there is a flue from a boiler exiting the wall, it must not be discharged into the greenhouse.
Majority of lean-to greenhouses are built on a solid brick or concrete stem wall. They are often made with a stone veneer that helps to retain heat as night sets in. Leaning against a wall, which generally stores heat through the day and slowly releases it at night, helps reduce the range of temperature fluctuations inside the greenhouse, leading to a steadier overall temperature.
The property against which a lean-to greenhouse is built can also benefit from the insulation that the greenhouse provides, keeping the main house warmer during the cold months. For the lean-to greenhouses in cooler climates, painting any internal walls white will help reflect the light and heat back into the greenhouses and helps allay energy efficiency concerns. Otherwise, glass cladding can be used to add an esthetic touch. A brick wall offers extra growing space for vine plants to grow up the brick work.
