A winter garden in private house, apartment, cottage or balcony is a piece of summer all year round. Creating a cozy place of beauty and relaxation involves the implementation of a serious engineering solution and requires scrupulousness at all stages from the creation of a project to implementation. If you take into account all the nuances, the home greenhouse will become the highlight of home ownership, and caring for it will be your favorite hobby. This article will help to correctly design, create and equip a garden indoors.
What is a winter garden : main characteristics and features
The winter garden is a room with a specific purpose. It serves to accommodate exotic, indoor and heat-loving plants, requires special heating, water supply and lighting systems with the most rational use of natural solar heat and light. Usually this is a glass structure in a metal, aluminum, wooden or metal-plastic frame. It can be a continuation of the living room in the form of a terrace.
The winter garden is not a separate building, but an integral part of the house. It is protected from atmospheric influences (rain and wind) by a glass roof and walls.
The beauty and aroma of flowers have a positive effect on the human nervous system. The green zone performs a number of positive functions, in particular:
- enriches the room with oxygen;
- prevents the penetration of dust into the living room;
- caring for plants becomes a useful and original hobby;
- the green zone is a territory of comfort, relaxation at any time of the year and in any weather.
Useful advice! For the construction of a winter garden, it is not necessary to have a spacious house or yard. You can create a cozy summer corner even on the balcony or loggia of the apartment.
Winter garden in a private house: the history of occurrence
As early as the 4th millennium BC, the first winter garden appeared. Pictures depicting stone vases in the palaces of ancient Egypt clearly testify to this. The followers of the Egyptians are the ancient Romans, who began to place mini-gardens on the windowsills. Wealthy owners of estates could afford a peristyle – a garden in the middle of the building, surrounded by columns.
Winter gardens reached Europe already in the 11th century. King William of Holland arranged a flower greenhouse in his palace. Soon, “orange houses” appeared – these are buildings where citrus fruits bloomed all year round.
The orangery at Versailles from the time of Louis XIV is considered the most beautiful in history and has survived to this day. No less famous are the greenhouses of the Potsdam Sanssouci Palace. In the 18th century, citrus fruits replaced tropical plants. Winter gardens were considered a luxury until the 19th century, when Nathaniel Ward tried growing plants under a glass dome.
In 1854, the Englishman Joseph Paxton built the Crystal Palace, the prototype of the modern winter garden.
Today, almost everyone can attach a winter garden to the house. It can also be placed on a balcony or terrace.
Winter garden and greenhouse in the house: similarities and differences
There are certain differences between a greenhouse, a greenhouse and a winter garden, despite the fact that these concepts are related. All rooms have the same purpose in terms of cultivating plants in the intermediate zone between the dwelling and the open area. At the same time, the greenhouse and greenhouse are independent buildings, and the winter garden is an integral part, a harmonious continuation of the living space.
Greenhouses, for the most part, have a temporary purpose for growing different types of crops in special conditions at a certain stage. From the photo of the greenhouse it can be seen that this is a place for growing exotic varieties of plants, for example, orchids or citrus fruits. For this purpose, special climatic conditions are created with high humidity and temperature, which can be difficult for the physical condition of the human body. Long stay in them is uncomfortable and undesirable.
The main purpose of the winter garden at home is to give pleasure from contemplating the lush greenery of small trees, the beauty of bright flowers and their fragrance. The microclimate of the garden under glass is selected rationally, having a positive effect on both cultivated plants and people’s well-being. You can create such harmony only if all the rules of construction and improvement are strictly observed.
Note! The winter garden should not be confused with a greenhouse, which is located outside the house and serves to grow seedlings of garden crops and flowers. A flower greenhouse differs from a garden by a tropical microclimate with high humidity and air temperature.
Winter garden in a private house: photos , varieties and features
The winter garden is a rather complex engineering and technical structure. The main feature of the future building is the maintenance of plants in comfort, protection from frost, and other negative environmental influences. Therefore, during the design, the following conditions must be observed:
- maintaining a constant temperature regime;
The winter garden is a serious engineering solution that requires compliance with the nuances of pre-project preparation, design and construction - constant air circulation;
- sufficient lighting;
- optimal air humidity;
- sealed frame.
The design of the winter garden, regardless of where it is located, must be transparent, sufficiently lit, aesthetically designed, and resistant to external factors.
The winter garden conditionally has several internal zones:
- communicative – performs a function connecting with the house. These are paths that lead to the house on the one hand, and to the street on the other;
The winter garden always gives the house its own unique look and style, brings zest - recreational – part of the interior, where furniture is located for relaxation, meetings, meals;
- decorative – the main zone where the plants are actually located;
- office – the place where inventory, fertilizers, access to communications are located.
There are many projects of houses with a winter garden, which involve building them together with the main room, but glass outbuildings for growing plants are more popular.
The layout of the winter garden attached to the house
Before attaching a winter garden to the house, it is necessary to decide not only on the size and landscaping, but also on its location so that all of the above conditions are met.
The most optimal side for placing a winter garden is east. The structure in this zone will not overheat. Plants will receive the necessary solar energy from the morning cool sun.
The western side is also quite acceptable and successful, the second one is optimal. But such a placement project will succumb to excess heat, especially in summer, and therefore will require additional watering.
The south side is often considered the most suitable for a winter garden. This opinion is very misleading. The south of the house is an unsuitable area for a winter garden. Direct sunlight, especially in summer, contributes to overheating of plants. To avoid this, additional ventilation and watering will have to be provided. It should be noted that in winter it is in the southern garden that heat is well and long preserved.
North. The garden on this side is placed only as an exception when there is no other alternative. The accumulation of heat in this area is the smallest, so you should take care of an additional heating system. Sunlight will also be minimal. Therefore, shade-loving plants are planted in such a garden.
Useful advice! It is possible to place a small winter garden on a loggia, even if it is located on the north side. Phytolamps will help provide a sufficient amount of sunlight. Their service life is about two years, they are expensive, but they consume little electricity. At the same time, they help plants in the process of photosynthesis.
Winter garden attached to the house: photos, views, location
Depending on the function performed and its location, the winter garden has several types.
Buffer is a winter garden attached to the house in the form of a glazed terrace or veranda. Mini-option – vestibule or balcony.
A winter garden in a private house is a specially designated room or part of a room, fully or partially glazed. It could be a living room or a dining room.
The house greenhouse is a non-residential extension with an artificial microclimate where exotic plants are cultivated.
Rectangular winter garden extension to the house. This design is universal and the most popular option. The building has a transparent shed roof.
Angular. A green zone can be created by using an extension to the outer corner of the house.
Double sided building. This option involves an extension to the inner corner of the house. Another name for the extension is a quarter-polygon with a combined four-beam or gable roof.
The three-facade design is the most efficient in terms of lighting. Three walls of the extension are glass, and the fourth is one of the walls of the main building.
The winter garden can be a structure adjacent to the house or a separate building connected by a corridor or a glass passage to the main room. Each option affects the design and construction of heating, water supply and ventilation systems. For a complete picture, you need to study in detail examples of different projects of houses with a winter garden. Photos clearly illustrate this diversity.
Useful advice! An ideal place for a winter garden in a country house can be a veranda. Its creation is quite simple and does not require large expenditures. You just need to install ventilation and heating. Another simplified option is a winter garden on the roof, which makes it possible to save on the foundation, but the frame and roof will still have to be built. You also need to think about how to build a ladder.
Features of creating a winter garden project
There are more than a dozen projects for a winter garden attached to a house. Photos show their diversity:
- Rectangular shed extension.
- Rectangular shed extension with a kink
- Rectangular gable extension.
- Shed winter garden attached to the inner corner of the house.
- Shed winter garden attached to the outer corner of the house.
- Shed bay window extension to the outer corner.
- Corner shed single-roof building.
- Single-sided two-roof construction.
- Single slope single bay corner extension.
- Gable winter garden with a bay window.
Scheme of building a winter garden in a private house
The roof of a shed extension has one roof slope with a minimum pitch of 10°. Builders recommend maintaining an angle of at least 25 °, and the most optimal is 45 °. A gable roof, as a rule, has two slopes, block extensions – three or more roof slopes.
Projects of winter gardens in the form of gazebos are quite common, their classification depends on the number of faces and the method of extension:
- multifaceted;
The roof of the winter garden is an important architectural detail that transforms the space of the room. - hexagonal;
- trihedral.
Design of a winter garden in a private house
The aesthetic function of the winter garden implies compliance with style. There are several of the most common options for styling a winter garden.
Classic style. It implies the location of the greenhouse in a spacious room, with many plants that grow in the same climatic zone. Clear symmetry, strict design – a distinctive feature of the classics. An element of decoration of such a garden can be parrots or canaries in cages or a pond with fish. Hemp, snags, stones, small trees serve as decor.
Japanese style. The presence of free space, good ventilation, conciseness and asymmetry are the main distinguishing features of the Japanese winter garden. At the same time, the apparent external simplicity requires a professional approach to its creation.
Hi-tech. Exotic plants, clear geometry. Concrete, metal and combined materials are used in the design. This garden is a great addition to the office.
Modern. The style was popular at the turn of the millennium. Distinctive features are the clarity of lines, the presence of air space and a minimum of decor.
Before you make a winter garden in a private house, you need to design it – this is the laborious and most important stage of creation, which includes:
- Sketch stage. When creating a sketch, special design programs are used. The most popular of them are Solid Works, Auto Cad, Pro Ingeneer, 3Ds Max. The sketch displays the number of windows, transoms and hatches.
- Creating a project is a clear drawing of the schemes for adjoining the winter garden to the wall of the house, the dimensions of the structures and the intended material. Lighting, dimming, water supply and heating systems are planned. It is necessary to calculate the power of racks and crossbars.
- At the design stage, drawings are directly drawn up, in accordance with which you can build a winter garden in a private house with your own hands.
Useful advice! It is quite possible to build a winter garden with your own hands, having a detailed and detailed project, but it is better to entrust the creation of the project to experienced architects.
Step-by-step instructions for making a winter garden
How to make a winter garden – the best advice will be given by specialists, since not only design, but also installation requires a professional approach. Guided by the advice, following the instructions clearly, you can get the desired result.
Depending on the location of the winter garden, calculations are made for the main room and materials are selected. The adjoining structure has no more than three common parts with the house. The extension being created should not reduce the thermal insulation characteristics of the main room, but, on the contrary, help reduce heat loss. It depends on engineering calculations and materials.
The construction of a winter garden, in addition to the construction of the foundation and the direct installation of the supporting structure, includes the following steps:
- glazing and insulation of the extension;
To be able to spend time in the winter garden all year round, glass must be of the highest quality with thermal insulation. - installation of a heating system;
- installation of water supply and irrigation systems;
- electrical wiring and lighting;
- ventilation system equipment;
- installation of protection against excessive exposure to sunlight;
- selection of plants and decoration of the garden.
Foundation construction and frame installation
The foundation of the winter garden is the basis on which the strength and durability of the entire structure depends. The cost part can be a fifth of the entire construction budget.
For such buildings, a shallow strip foundation is used. Ready-made reinforced or reinforced concrete slabs with a thickness of more than 20 cm are suitable. The composition of the soil, climate, and relief affect the choice of depth.
The frame of the building can be purchased ready-made. Fortunately, the modern market offers many models. Installation does not take much time and effort, but you can’t do it alone – you need support. Structural parts are attached to special joints in the foundation.
Glazing of the winter garden in the house
Glass is one of the main materials used in the construction of a winter garden. Even when designing, it should be taken into account that this material is quite weighty and can create a certain load on the supporting structure, it is also increased by the effects of wind and snow.
The expected loads at the junctions are calculated according to the same method as for metal-plastic glass structures, where the post-transom serves as a connecting link of the carriers. Thermal characteristics correspond to the glazing of the living space. For the preparation of calculations, SNiP 2.01.07-85 is used, taking into account the changes of May 29, 2003.
The construction of a winter garden implies the presence of openwork load-bearing structures. This can be a problem, especially in temperate regions where the temperature difference throughout the year is 50°C or more. Therefore, vertical supports must create resistance to heat transfer (Rwr, m 2 K / W) from 0.4 (SP 23-101-2004).
Such parameters have designs from single-chamber double-glazed windows, but require the installation of a supporting brick support with a side of at least 230 cm, which can adversely affect the illumination. Combining wood and aluminum will help solve the problem.
On the connection line of the glass wall and the pitched roof, it is necessary to create additional thermal insulation.
Note! The roof requires special attention when glazing. Shed with one run – the most economical. When choosing glass, you need to take into account the snow load in the region. The slope angle is at least 20 degrees. It should be noted that slopes with transitions will create problems when the snow melts.
Winter garden heating
Glass or polycarbonate can accumulate sufficient heat over a period of more than six months – from mid-spring to mid-autumn. In cold weather, you need to worry about efficient heating.
When choosing a heating method, it is necessary to take into account the size of the room and the type of plants grown. If this is a small greenhouse on the balcony, then a simple heater is enough, if the winter garden is in a private house, then you cannot do without a heating system.
You can heat a greenhouse in one of several ways.
Electric heaters. Convenient in terms of their mobility, ease of installation and use if necessary. At the same time, operation leads to significant financial costs. Frequent use dries the air, which has a negative effect on plants.
Air conditioners and heaters UFO. With their help, you can regulate the temperature without overdrying the air, but they are expensive to buy and operate.
Water heating is often used to heat winter gardens and terraces in a private house. Such a system involves connection to the main heating system, which allows you to maintain a constant temperature, without differences between the living rooms and the garden. This terrace is a great place to relax. The location of the heating pipes along the walls protects the walls and roof from icing.
Furnace heating is an opportunity to use alternative raw materials. The design of the stove will give a special flavor to the garden. At the same time, uneven distribution of heat can be observed, the stove requires close attention, due to the high fire hazard.
Air heating is the distillation of warm air from the main heated room or with the help of an air heater. The system is low-cost, but it implies additional insulation, the air ducts are quite voluminous and can spoil the appearance.
Underfloor heating in the garden is laborious in design, installation and connection. Installation should be carried out before the arrangement of the garden. The system allows you to create an optimal thermal regime in the garden, promotes the development of roots.
Useful advice! Combining several types of heating will create an optimal heating system. It should also be noted that heating is closely related to the ventilation system.
Even at the stage of selection of materials, one should take into account the different coefficient of thermal elongation. So, taking into account the temperature difference up to 50 ° C, the thermal expansion of aluminum per meter of length is 1.2 mm, steel – 0.65, glass – 0.45. These data must be taken into account in order to avoid deformation. The air temperature during installation must also be taken into account. Gaskets and sealants serve as sealing.
Installation of water supply and irrigation system in the winter garden
There are many different irrigation systems that allow automatic irrigation, using different watering modes according to the need for moisture.
The most popular is automatic drip irrigation system . It is a perforated hose through which irrigation is dosed. Water gets exclusively to the roots of plants, and special sensors allow you to control the level of moisture in the soil.
For water-loving plants that require irrigation of the vegetative part, special fountains are installed. Devices simultaneously humidify the air and serve as a decoration of the garden. Excess water must go through an equipped drainage system.
A winter garden with a swimming pool does not require additional moisture. A pond with internal circulation and a connected drainage system will provide the necessary water cycle in the greenhouse.
Wiring and lighting: savings and efficiency
Plants in the cold season and cloudy weather experience a lack of sunlight, which negatively affects their growth and requires the installation of additional lighting in the winter garden.
For this, you should not take ordinary incandescent lamps. They do not contribute to photosynthesis, but on the contrary, they can harm tall plants with excessive heat.
Fluorescent and metal halide lamps are also not suitable due to their relatively short life. Sodium lamps that are sensitive to voltage drops should also be excluded from the list.
But phytolamps were specially invented as an additional source of light for plants. They are divided into LED and fluorescent.
The functioning of most life-supporting systems in the garden depends on the power supply, so even when designing, you need to consider the type of electrical wiring, the connection points for sockets and lamps.
Useful advice! To illuminate an area of 5 m², you will need 4 metal halide lamps with a power of 40 W or just one sodium 250 W lamp.
Ventilation system equipment
A winter greenhouse or garden, wherever they are located – in an annex, a separate building or an apartment balcony – requires ventilation. Ventilation can be done in one of two ways.
Natural ventilation is carried out by opening vents or windows. In this case, the area of opened places should be at least a quarter of the area of \u200b\u200bthe walls. Supply and exhaust ventilation is also considered natural. Fresh air enters through special openings in the walls and through the windows in the roof. Such a system does not cause noise and drafts. It should be remembered that the doors of the vents can be damaged by the action of the wind.
Mechanical ventilation involves the use of fans to extract air. It does so in a natural way. Such a system requires an electrical connection and generates noise.
Protection of the winter garden from strong solar radiation
Plants can suffer both from a lack and an excess of sunlight and heat, especially during hot summers. To do this, invented means of protection from the sun’s rays. Curtains and blinds, capable of retaining 40% of the light, provide internal protection. They are made of fabric, plastic, bamboo or metal alloys.
External protection in the form of awnings and awnings prevents the penetration of up to 90% of the light. They are made from reflective fabric. This protection also prevents excessive heating of the walls.
Plants for the winter garden and decoration
Along with heating, lighting and watering, you need to take care of high-quality soil, ensure it is sufficiently fertilized and enriched with oxygen. It is best to use special soil-woody mixtures. When choosing plants for a winter garden in a private house, one must be guided not only by taste, but also by the ability of different species and varieties to coexist.
Regardless of the size, design and location of the greenhouse, the combination of colors for a winter garden in a private house should be a well-composed composition, and not represent bad taste in the form of a bunch of pots. It is simply unrealistic to collect plants from different parts of the planet in one place, because representatives of different species and climatic zones require special conditions.
The greenhouse at home assumes the constant presence of flowering plants, so experienced flower growers plant plants, depending on the time of year.
In winter, they prefer primrose, Kalanchoe, daffodils and tulips. With the advent of spring warmth, hyacinths, lilies, hydrangeas, pelargoniums, astilbes, schisanthus are additionally planted. In the summer, one bulbous plant is replaced by another. Oriental and Asian lilies, begonias, zinnias, perillas, vincha, salphia, echinacea grow well. Autumn is the time of cyclamen, cochia, gomphen, chrysanthemums. With this approach, exotic flowers will be fragrant all year round in the winter garden.
Useful advice! It is very difficult to create several microzones in a winter garden, so it is better to choose plants belonging to the same category. For example, for the growth of tropical plants, the optimum temperature is 22 ° C, for subtropical plants – 10 ° C.
Winter garden in the apartment : rational arrangement and design
You can create a piece of summer not only in a house with a yard, but also in an apartment. To do this, it is enough to have a desire to rationally distribute the place by filling the space with flowers. Weaving plants on the walls will create a vertical garden. Pots can be placed at the bottom and allow the stems to be pulled up on special supports. If, on the contrary, the flowerpots are suspended, then the plants will simply freely fall down.
Light-loving flowers in the apartment are best placed closer to the windows, creating a backdrop. In the second row from the window, the place for lush flowering plants will be optimal. Large-leaved flowers are best placed in the third row, and the central part should be given to large and attractive representatives of the fauna.
Winter garden on a balcony or loggia
A spacious balcony or loggia is the best option for placing a winter garden in an apartment. Here you can place a different number of ornamental plants, having previously prepared the area. It is also worth taking care of insulation, heating and additional lighting.
The loggia is a great place to create a greenhouse in the apartment. The main thing is the positive temperature and a sufficient amount of light, which can ensure the placement of the garden in the east or west. The south side will allow growing heat-loving cacti and phloxes, and the north side will allow growing coniferous crops.
Useful advice! You can create a greenhouse in the house with your own hands in any free corner or throughout the entire apartment, using the additional functional features of plants. For example, curly ivy or sparse fern will become a “live” drapery in an unsightly corner.
The winter garden is a great place for rest and relaxation. The process of its creation in a private house is laborious, requires attention and certain efforts. If you take into account all the engineering features, have the means and time, then it is quite realistic to create a private greenhouse on your own. In this case, do not neglect the advice of experts. You can create a small garden in an apartment with the help of fantasy and the rational use of space for plants that will delight you with flowers and greenery all year round, reminding you of summer.
