subject: What Base do I Need for my Wooden Greenhouse? [print this page] What Base do I Need for my Wooden Greenhouse?
A wooden greenhouse is the perfect choice for anyone wishing to draw upon natural and sustainable materials. Considered aesthetically pleasing by most, a wooden greenhouse will seamlessly blend into the surrounding ecosystem and backdrop of a garden. Like all greenhouses, however, a wooden greenhouse will require a specific base and foundation to ensure it best serves the function for which it was intended.
A lot of work can go into laying the foundations for your wooden greenhouse, so be sure of the site you have chosen for it. The key to a good structure and base for your greenhouse is a level surface. The site must be prepared and dug out to adequately incorporate the dimensions of your wooden greenhouse. It is normally recommend that when you are installing a wooden greenhouse you choose a base of pure concrete.
Alternatively, just the perimeter of the base can be dug out and filled with either concrete or paving stones. This will provide adequate support for the frame of the greenhouse; however, for convenience and aesthetics, a full concrete slab base is usually laid as foundation.
The spirit level will feature heavily in this part of the process. The structure and base must be level otherwise this can cause considerable problems in the future. From subsidence to drainage issues, cracked fames to sliding glass, a greenhouse without solid, strong and level structure and base is simply not worth investing in. Amateur DIY enthusiasts can give laying foundations a good go, and if you have chosen a small to medium sized wooden greenhouse you may just get away with it. Of course, suppliers, manufacturers, building and DIY shops can offer in-depth advice and support for those keen on attempting the job themselves.
If, however, you have invested time and money in a larger wooden greenhouse, then you may wish to call upon professional help. Wooden greenhouses can weigh (and cost) quite a lot and, due to the nature of their materials, will need excellent venting, drainage and support to withstand the elements. Depending on your choice of wooden greenhouse, larger structures may require galvanised steel bases - again, this may well be a job best left to the professionals.
Beyond the cement foundation, the structure of the greenhouse will sit on concrete blocks or bricks. This will ensure that the wood is raised away from earth and soil, which will help prevent the wood from becoming damp. Mortar is usually chosen to bind the slabs or bricks together and, once again, this job requires precision and absolute levelling!
Your wooden greenhouse may come with wooden decking or you may choose to opt for alternative flooring, such as patio slabs, rubber mats, bricks, concrete slabbing or even gravel. Your retailer can advise you as to which floor best suits your greenhouse and which floor would best suit your plans for gardening.
When installing flooring you must take drainage into account, you may also want to consider your heating and electricity options and whether they impact upon your choice. One area that is often overlooked is standing space - installing flooring such as decking can impact upon this, so it is worth being aware of the problem.
