Cans of soda, foil, ladders, sinks, computer parts, window frames, screen doors, car rims, golf clubs, mailboxes, staple wires, telescope linings, airplanes—these are among the many things made of aluminum. With aluminum constantly being produced all over the world, mankind will always find newer, more efficient ways to use them. One such way of making use of aluminum is to frame your greenhouse with it.
Whether you’re trying to build a classic even-span greenhouse or an eco friendly potting shed, aluminum can make for the sturdy skeleton that keeps everything else inside nice and upright.
Why Aluminum?
Aluminum is the world’s most common metal, so much so that it comprises more than 8% of the Earth’s core mass. Along with oxygen and silicon, it is the third most common element on the planet. From the examples we’ve stated above, you can clearly see that aluminum is used in a large variety of things. For instance, you might not be aware of what you have in your house that could be made of aluminum.
It’s cheap, it’s malleable, it’s recyclable, and it’s also valuable. So valuable, in fact, that Napoleon Bonaparte himself let his most esteemed guests dine on aluminum dinnerware along with aluminum utensils. Adding to the many feats that aluminum had achieved is that we have been using 75% of the 1 billion tons of aluminum manufactured in the last century. This is because aluminum can be recycled over and over. While you aren’t directly being eco-friendly by buying an aluminum frame for your greenhouse, you’re supporting the efforts of various industries in the stride to go green. Below are a few ways aluminum greenhouses (and aluminum in general) can be eco-friendly.
Aluminum is Recyclable
Tossing your soda cans into the recycling bin further contributes to the aluminum industry. As your used up can is processed, it may find itself in a different part of the world and as an entirely different object. By buying aluminum products, you’re not only making an investment that is worthwhile, but you’re also encouraging the production of more aluminum all across the globe. Being a flexible material, aluminum has variety in terms of appearance and style. If you aren’t sure how this could be achieved, examples like South West Greenhouses may provide you with what your new aluminum greenhouse could look like.
Aluminum is Sturdy
Aluminum is renowned around the world for its resilience. Because of that, it has been used time and time again in various construction projects. One of the most famous structures ever built using the miracle metal (as it is nicknamed) is New York’s very own Empire State Building, the former tallest building in the world. Majority of its components are made of aluminum, and it even has a gold and aluminum ceiling in its art deco lobby. With such strength in a most common metal, this means less repairs, less calls for restoration, and even less emissions from maintenance equipment. Using aluminum to line your greenhouse will not just make it more resilient toward the elements, but this may help the prevention of rust buildup and corrosion.
Aluminum is More Eco-Friendly than Wood
When it comes down to it, sometimes you’d want to make a greenhouse just so it could stand out as a part of your garden’s décor. If you’re thinking about using wood to use for the frame of your greenhouse, perhaps you shouldn’t. Wood will always come from a cut down tree in a forest somewhere and will take several transports that reek carbon emissions wherever they go. Forests are far away from civilization, and the arduous task of bringing the wood back to the city could take days. With aluminum, it goes into the recycling plant and out of it, so the process damages the atmosphere less.
In the aluminum industry, extracting the metal from the ore only requires 5% of energy used by equipment. This means time less spent for it to be processed and more time for it to be put up as material for construction. Although some people would prefer the look and texture of a wood finish, aluminum can be easily painted on to look like wood. Your friends and family won’t be able to tell the difference until they touch the “cold” wood themselves. Comparing the two, aluminum is less stringent when it comes to maintenance. Wood will rot over time if it got wet and then dried poorly, and it may even become infested by insects. When you have a greenhouse, invasive bugs are the last things you’d want in there. When it comes to withstanding the rain, cold, storms, and just the simple act of irrigating your plants, aluminum is the better choice here.
A Win-Win for Everyone
Aluminum will always be among the best materials to use for construction. If it can create buildings, tools, food containers, patios, or even jobs for people, then there’s no reason not to buy this lightweight metal for yourself. While wood is an all-natural option for most people, aluminum is safer and will cause less harm to Mother Earth and the environment.
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