TECHNICAL C01 · COMPARISON
Film, polycarbonate or glass: the cover decides the frame, not the other way round.
Three covers, three structural consequences. Choosing the cover after the frame is quoted is how projects end up with the wrong purlin spacing.
A comparison is only useful if it names the trade-off. Below is the same table we use internally when a buyer asks which option is “better”.
| Criterion | Option A | Option B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per m² | Lowest | Middle | Highest |
| Service life | 3–5 seasons | 10–15 years | 20–30 years |
| Light transmission | High, diffused options | Good, diffuses | Highest |
| Weight | Very light | Light–moderate | Heavy |
| Purlin spacing | 1.0–1.2 m | 0.5–1.0 m | 0.6–0.8 m |
| Frame weight | 5.5–7.5 kg/m² | 7–9 kg/m² | 10–14 kg/m² |
| Best for | Season extension, vegetables | Snow, high light, long life | Long-life, high light |
| Fixing hardware | Clips / channel | Screws + washers | Glazing bars + seals |
Pick the cover first, then the frame follows. A frame quoted for film with glass added later is a frame with the wrong purlins and the wrong weight assumptions.
No recommendation without a project
We will not tell you which is better in general. Send the crop, the climate and the budget, and the answer becomes specific.
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If this page answered the technical question, the next step is a number. Send the parameters and we will price the tube, profiles, gutters and fittings as one package.