Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: Bonniebean on January 16, 2010, 15:03
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Can I get some advice from greenhouse people please? :wacko:
I have been given a second hand 8' x 6' greenhouse (aluminium) but it didn't have a base as the person was a lot shorter than me!!!
Can I just buy a standard base for this size or will I run into lots of problems? I have thought about building it onto breeze blocks but would prefer some advice before the weather gets better and I make mistakes. Thanks in advance! Sue
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I would go the block route.
The bases are just a thin steel affair and rather expensive for what they are.
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Thanks penance!
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I made a base for mine out of 3x3 timber with a 1.5x1.5 batton around the top to screw the metal to.
As has been mentioned the proper bases are an awful lot of money for what they are
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We made our base out of bricks, with the greenhouse then bolted to it for stability. It's now about 25 yrs od and just fine :D :D
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Thanks for all your suggestions, I will probably build my own, I think I'm just a bit worried about getting the sizing right!
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Bonniebean
Make sure you get the height of your base right so that you have good head room clearance. I raised a similar sized greenhouse by about 12” with bricks and it’s been fine, any lower and it would have been a pain in the ****.
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and remember that you need to sstep over the frame edge to get in or you fall flat inside... or fall out again of course :lol: :lol: :lol:
You could build a brick step of course :D
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we bricked ours, and my dad used his left over block as well. the only trouble is making sure it's level!!!
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wall of blocks on top of paving slabs as footings, block set to edge of slabs so overhang of the slabs is to the outside forming a path and keep clean/weed suppression zone. greenhouse plugged and screwed down to blocks. I am tall so extra headroom of value.
R
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Just take your time getting the base the right size, and level.
My greenhouse is on a base of paving flags, then three courses of bricks that the aluminium base is bolted to. It provides essential headroom and gives lots more usable space.
Good luck with it. :)
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Thanks so much for all the tips, you have given me some great ideas. The area it is going on is already slabbed but I need to recheck levels and take up some in the centre. I am wondering if I should construct the frame on the grass first and then lift it into place so I can get the dimensions exactly right, that way I'll know if I'm missing anything before final construction.
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We put up a greenhouse for our DD last year and building the base on the lawn and lifting onto the base made it easy to see where the base wasn't quite level.
I packed these sections with cement and then settled the base back again.
Also, which is important, I drilled holes through horizontally at ground level in the brick base, as other wise it could flodd on the inside like a paddling pool :lol:
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Great idea especially drilling through for drainage - thanks!
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You're welcome :)
Time to start tomorrow ?? :D :D :D
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Ive just used some old 5x4 fence posts to build my base. Nice and easy to level up and solid as anything!
Just have to wash the frame and fit the glass now :wub:
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Did you just lay the posts on the earth min?
Or did you fix them down somehow?....I'm in the process of moving my polycarb greenhouse and have some spare posts....but I wondered if they would be enough to hold it down???
I also have scaffold boards and wondered if I could fix them on edge somehow to give me extra height.
O I hate all this planning.......I want to be moving it ::)
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I wish I could wake up one morning and find that the fairies had been in the night and done it for me!!!!
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trying to abide by the 'no concrete' rulle on our site I made a shallow trench, trod down the bottom, put in a layer of builders sand and rested breeze blocks on top of that - v easy to level and adjust and after a year no signs of movement. sure it's a bit of a dodgy method but so far so good...
moving ghouse to new plot later this year (doh!) and wondering if I'd get away with same technique but with a second course of blocks mortared to the first...
MS
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trying to abide by the 'no concrete' rulle on our site I made a shallow trench, trod down the bottom, put in a layer of builders sand and rested breeze blocks on top of that - v easy to level and adjust and after a year no signs of movement. sure it's a bit of a dodgy method but so far so good...
I had similar idea planned for here - I'll want to relocate it at some point so don't want anything permanent. What type of block did you use ? the lightweight blown blocks (7kg ones) are far easier than slabs to transport - but I wonder about using them in direct contact with the earth.
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shame your not any closer, iv got a 6x10 steel greenhouse base that sould be easy to cut down
if u ever get out and about this way pop me a email
nathan
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I used the standard block as it was the cheapest - took about 12 at a time in the boot of the focus so took 2 runs but the builders merchant is just round the corner...