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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2008 13:43:27 GMT
I am planning on getting a greenhouse (hopefully this year) and wondered what is the best method of creating a base.
I don't know whether to go for putting down a membrane with paving slabs going along the centre, with either side filled in with chippings and siting the greenhouse on top of that, or to go for building a concrete base, or maybe just creating the base out of patio slabs.
Would welcome any views/advice. Thanks.
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Post by andy on May 19, 2008 15:08:37 GMT
You could probably use any of those methods above. I'd go for either concrete or slabs....with a border down the sides if you wanted to plant Toms etc.
Concrete/slabs are a lot easier to keep clean, can be disinfected easier and you can chuck water down on it to increase the humidity.
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Post by Spruance on May 19, 2008 18:01:17 GMT
I tend to agree. I have concrete slabs as a central walkway in both greenhouses, and then laid concrete either side.
In my case, the added advantage is that the wooden staging is bolted to the concrete for greater stability.
Apart from that, watering the concrete during hot weather helps to increase the humidity and keeps the temperature down at the same time.
PS. I should perhaps mention that my greenhouses came already supplied with precast concrete blocks to which the structure is bolted. The instructions said that this would be sufficient, but subsequently we have added the laid concrete inside and concrete paving outside.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2008 19:17:16 GMT
Rosemother's OH here, I did this last weekend with a halls 6x8. i went for a concrete base. dug it out and mixed it up in a few hours( over a few days  when dry i asembeled the GH on top and then bolted the supplied base to the concrete. solid as a rock. was going to go the paving slab route..but glad i spent the time and effort mixing up the concrete..I think it'll be better in the long run on our heavy clay soil.  |
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2008 19:23:25 GMT
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Post by Amo on May 19, 2008 19:46:23 GMT
We had the special concret kerbs supplied with the GH but we laid them on our own mixed concrete footings made about 6inchs wider than the kerbs. I have the slabs down the centre, membrained gravel under the bench, which is hard to keep clean!, and a deep dug bed on the all glass side.
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2008 9:10:28 GMT
Thanks everyone for your advice!
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Post by Weeterrier on May 22, 2008 15:20:56 GMT
It's funny this subject should crop up now. I'm going to have a wee whinge about my Father. Despite loving him dearly, and him being a great Dad, he has a fault. He is 95 now, and was 85 when he did the job I am going to mention, but he had this fault when he was 45, and probably before. When he does a job, he never QUITE finishes it properly, and he always ends up by saying "Och, that'll do"
He took apart my greenhouse when I moved here, and rebuilt it. Despite having a firm which sells bricks about 50 yards from here, he must have decided to use some old timber he had to build the foundation for it. (He was left alone as I was doing the house) Ten years on, the wood is crumbling away to nothing, so this winter, I'll have to devise a way to gradually remove the wood and replace it with concrete. I think I could do it. Or I may have to dismantle and start again.
Thank goodness I'm handy. Probably because I keep having to repair stuff. ;D
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when dry i asembeled the GH on top and then bolted the supplied base to the concrete. solid as a rock. was going to go the paving slab route..but glad i spent the time and effort mixing up the concrete..I think it'll be better in the long run on our heavy clay soil. 
