Open the greenhouse doors and ventilation windows

Let the heat out, let the fresh air in and invite people to socialize in the greenhouse. In the middle of summer, we are reminded of the importance of being able to open the greenhouse properly, let fresh air in and let the heat out. We also want to open the door to all pollinating insects and, not least, let the greenhouse room become part of the garden around it.

Doors and skylights may not be what we focus on most when buying a greenhouse, but they are of great importance for both appearance and function. The doors are a part of the greenhouse with a lot of materiality in themselves, since the walls and ceiling are made of glass with discreet wooden bars in between, a door can stand out and really have an impact on the greenhouse's expression. Modern, or more classic? Maybe you have found a beautiful old door that you want to use to put your own touch on the greenhouse? Yes, the door has great importance in a house that is otherwise transparent.

The door makes a big impression on a house that otherwise consists mostly of glass.

Ventilation windows, on the other hand, are not so much about aesthetics as about function. Greenhouses get hot in the summer and the hot air has to be able to escape somewhere. The absolute most effective thing is to have good vents in the foundation and plenty of ventilation windows in the roof. This will get the air moving and help the natural order where hot air always rises and cold air is sucked in lower towards the floor.

The absolute easiest way is to have automatic window openers, so you don't have to keep track of the temperature and opening and closing. The simplest version has wax pistons that drive the opening arm. The wax shrinks and grows depending on the temperature and causes the opening arm to be pushed up or down. Having plenty of ventilation windows with automatic opening means that you can leave the greenhouse with the door closed if you go away.

Otherwise, the door is also an important ventilation point. Placing the door to the greenhouse makes the air flow significantly better. If you have two doors, on different sides of the greenhouse, you can get effective ventilation. On windy days, it can be a bit too much of a good thing, plants dislike cross drafts just as much as we do, but on a calm summer day it is wonderful to be able to open up in several directions.

Sometimes an open ventilation window is enough for pollinators to find their way to our tomato plants, eggplants and other plants that need their help. But if we can keep the door wide open, we make it much easier for bumblebees and all their friends to find their way in. We have actually heard of people who don't want the door open because deer have become so cheeky that they step right into the greenhouse...in such a case, it can be a good idea to put strings in the doorway, which will prevent the deer from getting in, but not the bumblebees.

Open doors can be inviting for more than just deer. Even we humans react positively to doors that are open, it's welcoming and generous. A big reason to have double doors in your greenhouse is that it's so beautiful to be able to set them up wide open to the garden. It makes the garden room flow with the greenhouse and offer a social area where one part reinforces the other. All those garden parties in the Nordic summer weather when the rain is in the air, then you can quickly move in to the set table in the greenhouse. If it's windy, the wicker chairs in the greenhouse can offer a quiet place, still in the direct vicinity of the garden. Being able to make your greenhouse seamlessly transition into the garden will not be a problem, and then double doors are the trick.

Doors and ventilation windows are important details in the greenhouse. If you are about to choose a greenhouse, give it some extra thought. If you already have a greenhouse – open it up as much as you can this summer. Enjoy the feeling when inside becomes outside and outside becomes inside.