Building A Greenhouse
There are many choices when it comes to building the foundation of your greenhouse.
On occasion, when buying a do it yourself greenhouse, people will simply lay it on top of whatever ground exists at the location they choose. That may be on gravel, or dirt or even grass. Your greenhouse may come complete with a roof and walls, as well as a floor.
Before you start to build your greenhouse,You should take some time to prepare the site for your foundation. This could be as simple as smoothing the earth and laying down railroad ties spaced an inch apart. An alternative step up could be creating a simple platform of eight-foot 2 x 4′s or 1 x 6′s nailed to 4 x 4′s spaced out about every 18 inches under the slats. That way you have a solid base and drainage.
These designs, however, leave you with the large job of controlling weeds, as well as controlling mildew, replacing floor boards and other issues with wooden floors.
Your next step is to lay your cement foundation, and this is similar to the foundations under many houses. This is easier than it sounds, but it requires more effort than the other alternatives and has a few potential drawbacks.
Creating a cement foundation requires laying out an area, smoothing it and building a temporary ‘container’ around the area you intend to pour. You’ll want to make it fairly smooth and level – not an easy thing to do unless you have a fair amount of experience pouring cement.
In the end, you’ll be left with a semi-permanent foundation which would be difficult to move or remove later if you change your mind about the location.
You will have options with a cement foundation regarding heating, and it will last a lot longer. You could lay carpet or tile on top with heating tubes or wires underneath, for example. It’s easier to take care of and very sturdy. Cement floors also can absorb and reflect a lot of heat, which can be handy in a greenhouse.
A couple of weekends should be all it takes to build your cement foundation. The materials, tools and construction plans are available at a hardware store or can be ordered online and delivered.
Beyond following the directions for mixing cement, creating the frame and properly forming the surface, the key is temperature and humidity. It’s important that you carry out the project when you expect moderate to warm temperatures, relatively low humidity and no rain.
Whichever option you choose, make sure you plan ahead. It is important to make sure that the floor will support you, and all the benches, tables, pots, etc. that you are going to need.The foundation is the building block, so it’s important to make sure it’s done properley.
My next article will cover what is green about a greenhouse.
If you are interested in climate change, check out my web site at http://www.enesolarpanels.com/climate-change.html
Homestead Series Building A Greenhouse part 1
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