Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: infowarrior on February 18, 2007, 10:18

Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: infowarrior on February 18, 2007, 10:18: Got a couple of greenhouses given to me, not in very good condition, but was wondering what sort of base to use? Was just gonna maybe put some paving slabs down then put them on that but any ideas for keeping them fastened down & secure??

Cheers.
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: John on February 18, 2007, 12:26: I've seen a lot of greenhouses on paving slab bases where the slabs aren't laid properly. The result is that the slabs settle, the house goes out of true and then glass starts to get loose. Come a strong wind and the greenhouse is in trouble.

So, unless you can really get the slabs solid, I'd invest in some wood. Treated fence posts seem pretty adequate as long as you can get them fixed firmly. I've seen a very firm base where the posts were fixed to vertically sunk 2 foot posts so they couldn't sink etc.

It's worth spending the time and effort on the base as that is what will determine how well the house stands for the future.
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: shaun on February 18, 2007, 14:14: another good base is 4 railway sleepers cut to the shape of the base, do this and it will give you extra head room aswel,expensive though if you buy them.
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: muntjac on February 18, 2007, 16:24: £20 from focus shaun
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: infowarrior on February 18, 2007, 16:55: Could you elaborate a bit more John on the treated fence post idea, I'm not quite with you? Do you mean laying the fence posts on the ground then the paving on top of that??
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: milkman on February 18, 2007, 17:41: Hallo infowarrier - I made a wooden frame with 3by4 treated timber sized to fit the greenhouse base. Wooden frame is anchored to the ground at the inside of each corner with metposts which each have a stumpy section of fencepost to which the frame has been screwed or bolted. the greenhouse base has been screwed to the wooden frame which is at ground level. Care required to get frame exactly level which involves a bit of fiddling about, but worth it 'cause both my greenhouses have been up a few years now and stood through all the recent tropical storms without damage.

I was supposed to be taking a pic for noshed but haven't quite managed it yet.

You could then use the paving slabs inside the greenouse to make a path?
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: John on February 18, 2007, 18:16: Quote from: "infowarrior"
Could you elaborate a bit more John on the treated fence post idea, I'm not quite with you? Do you mean laying the fence posts on the ground then the paving on top of that??

I think milkman has explained it better than I could.

Thanks
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: ziggywigs on February 18, 2007, 19:24: We've a base to lay....OK OH has base to lay for proposed greenhouse. I have dug out the area (yes me not OH) and we plan to put down aggregate ie 40 to dust, sand and then slabs on top.

Will this be ok to fix a greenhouse to?

I don't want to go down the concrete raft route.
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: noshed on February 19, 2007, 22:19: I'm using the Milkman method - slightly delayed by viruses and work but there may be pictures this weekend.
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: MontyTom on February 19, 2007, 22:23: For my first greenhouse, I tamped the ground down well, levelled it and laid breezeblocks. Finally, siliconed the frame to blocks. No problems for the past year. Had the blocks for free so cost me £1 for silicone - no maintenance necessary and rot proof!
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: shaun on February 20, 2007, 07:11: if you can do it this way its not going any where

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/album_pic.php?pic_id=311
Title: Greenhouse base construction
Post by: miker on February 26, 2007, 23:08: Quote from: "milkman"
Hallo infowarrier - I made a wooden frame with 3by4 treated timber sized to fit the greenhouse base. Wooden frame is anchored to the ground at the inside of each corner with metposts which each have a stumpy section of fencepost to which the frame has been screwed or bolted. the greenhouse base has been screwed to the wooden frame which is at ground level. Care required to get frame exactly level which involves a bit of fiddling about, but worth it 'cause both my greenhouses have been up a few years now and stood through all the recent tropical storms without damage.

I was supposed to be taking a pic for noshed but haven't quite managed it yet.

You could then use the paving slabs inside the greenouse to make a path?

Did you drill holes in the metpost socket to take the screws or bolts ?
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: legendaryone on February 27, 2007, 07:07: Hi miker, the metpost will have holes already in them for nails/screws. :D
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: miker on February 27, 2007, 13:56: Quote from: "legendaryone"
Hi miker, the metpost will have holes already in them for nails/screws. :D

Thank you legendaryone . I still don't understand how if you use metposts and attach a wooden frame to very short posts in the metposts how the frame is at ground level ?
Title: Greenhouse base??
Post by: legendaryone on February 27, 2007, 14:17: The frame wouldn't have to be fixed to the posts at ground level it could be fixed 6 inches higher for example, so the frame is resting on the ground but instead of fixing it to the post at ground level you just do it 6 inches higher. I hope i have explained it ok :)