Do-it-yourself geo-dome for a greenhouse or pool. With steel tube or timber frame

Article DIY geo-dome for a greenhouse or pool made of PVC pipes aroused the interest of readers. Indeed, it is an unusual greenhouse. Well, a dome for round pools is the perfect solution. There are a number of disadvantages of a PVC pipe geo-dome. Some have spoken about them in the comments. I will list them.

This is a weak bearing capacity of a dome made of plastic pipes. In the places of attachment, they can be deformed by strong wind or from a snow load. PVC can deteriorate from sunlight and temperature changes, and become brittle. The complexity of attaching polycarbonate to the PVC frame. And the cost of such a frame is not as low as we would like.

The frame can be welded from a profile pipe, coated with a primer-enamel for rust. Then it will be almost eternal. After calculating everything in the program (link below). The cost of a pipe 30x30x2 mm or 40x20x2 mm is 115-130 rubles / m. A greenhouse with a diameter of 4 m requires 165 ribs. Their length is of five sizes: from 657 mm to 785 mm. Let's round up to 1 m (taking into account possible marriage and waste), especially since everything is sold in multiples of a meter. It will turn out to be about 19 thousand rubles. for the frame. Yes, that's more than a standard greenhouse. But if we are talking about a dome for a pool, then the main thing here is the result and appearance.

The pipe can not be welded to each other, but assembled on the following connectors:

They will have to be ordered from production, which is expensive. Therefore, you can replace the "star" with three metal strips. Bolt in the center. The star connector is located on both sides. Here's a more complex option:

Weld a nut into each pipe from both ends. And weld hexagonal connectors. Such solutions will be more reliable, but difficult to manufacture and more expensive in price.

The polycarbonate is attached to the frame with self-tapping screws, and the seams between the sheets are sealed with silicone sealant. Ideally, use transparent polycarbonate and close the seams with a plastic profile. Or use PVC film for soft window systems (see below). You will get this beauty:

Another simpler option is to purchase a 20 mm diameter galvanized water pipe, cut to size and flatten the ends with a sledgehammer. At the ends we drill holes and assemble them onto bolts:

The cost of this version of the dome with a diameter of 4 m is 37 thousand. rub. (220 rubles / m.p. pipe) - without the cost of polycarbonate.

The easiest way to reduce the cost of a frame is to make it from wooden blocks. The look will be no worse (with a decorative coating), the bearing capacity is sufficient, and the price is several times lower. So, the goal (as for example) is such a greenhouse with a wooden frame with a diameter of 4 m:

Height: 2.34 m (including the foundation - 2.5 m). Base area: 12.56 m2. Area of ​​polycarbonate (or other coating): 28.5 m2. It has 165 edges (105 faces). The calculation is done on website. Any diameter can be specified.

For this diameter, ribs of the following dimensions are required: A (784 mm) - 60 pcs.; B (766 mm) - 55 pcs.; С (657 mm) - 30 pcs.; D (785 mm) - 10 pcs.; E (757 mm) - 10 pcs.

You will also need 85 m of metal tape (strips with perforations, with holes) for fastening the ribs in the nodes, three shovel handles and 1,500 screws. The tape is cut to 12 cm. Cuttings of 4 cm. They need 61 pcs. (number of vertices). Let's put together the following connectors:

The bars are not cut at right angles, but with some bevel. Before assembling, the ribs should be at least treated with a mold and mildew agent (sold in any hardware store) or covered with decorative wood impregnation. It is possible with a shade of wood - as in the photo above, or you can purchase a colorless alkyd impregnation and add a white color scheme. Plain wood enamel will quickly flake off due to harsh conditions (temperature and humidity changes). And the impregnation is absorbed deeper into the wood.

Assembly process on video:

Reinforced polyethylene was used. It is an economical option and not as durable. You need to cut polycarbonate segments. Mount on self-tapping screws with a flat head (as they are called, seeds). Seal the seams with silicone sealant and close with a plastic strip with fixing with self-tapping screws in several places.

Similar greenhouses on a timber frame, but without the lower row of sections (lower height) with ribs more than a meter long. There will be beds along the perimeter, so the height is only important in the center. The door can also be installed vertically, but then it will go deeper into the greenhouse.

The cost of such a greenhouse with plastic wrap is 53 thousand. rub. Margin: not less than 350%, because boards for this structure need approximately 0.8 m3 (8000 rubles). They write that the material of the film is not polyethylene, but based on polyolefins with a service life of 7 years. At the end of the article, I will give its cost for 29 m2.

Another option for mounting from round plywood bowls:

Dome for a swimming pool with a diameter of 5.3 m and a height of 3 m. A bar of 50x50 mm and plywood 2 cm thick. In the bars, cuts are made under the cup. Everything is twisted by bolts. Covering - "Water" film. The cost of the dome is 2000 rubles / m2 for the area of ​​the base. Those. 44 thous. rub. There is no competition, which is probably why the prices are high.

You can use more complex, but also more reliable options for fastening ribs connectors:

This connector is used in the construction of domed houses. They can be independently made from a perforated mounting angle 40x40x240x2 mm:

We make cuts with a grinder in one face, alternating 40 mm (6 faces) and bend, shape on a hex board (shown in the photo above). The cost of such a corner: 50 rubles. We fasten the hexagonal ring with a 40x40 corner with self-tapping screws to the board.

But you can do it easier - buy a connector in those companies that build domed houses using such connectors.

To make the dome transparent, instead of polycarbonate, the option is to use a transparent film, which is offered for soft windows in gazebos:

The cost in companies of ready-made kits: 500-1200 rubles / m2. But we need rolls of film. We cut out segments from the rolls and fix them on the frame with a construction stapler. In rolls, its price is from 200 rubles / m2 for a thickness of 0.4 mm. The film has only one drawback - you will have to carefully throw off the snow from the dome in winter.

As a disposable film in the greenhouse, I met the option of covering the frame with stretch film. It's not pretty, but it's cheap.

In total, about 6 thousand sq. rub. PVC films. Taking into account the cost of the frame, the entire dome will cost 15 thousand. rub. (I don’t consider the foundation).

In conclusion, I will give some beautiful examples:

The dome with colored PVC film looks very impressive, and the roller shutter door will be a convenient solution for entering the pool (the cost of the door is 5000 rubles).

I hope this information will be useful for someone and will allow you to build your dome as a greenhouse or for a pool.

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