Greenhouse Foundations

Dreaming of a greenhouse on your own property is more affordable than most realize. Doing most of the work yourself is a surefire way to keep costs down. However, you do not want to lose quality for the sake of saving money. Keeping your greenhouse around for more than one season starts with a good solid foundation.

There are many reasons why should use a foundation for your greenhouse, the main reason being that the building must be anchored to the ground, to guard against wind gusts. Proper drainage must be taken into account, as well as, keeping weeds and other plants out of the building. If you are living in a colder climate that experiences freezing temperatures your building will need to be below the frost line. In the South this may be a few mere inches, while in the North this could be several feet down.

Traditionally, there are three ways to lay your greenhouse foundation, wood, concrete slab and poured concrete. Wood is economical and easy to use. Using naturally rot resistant woods is highly recommended (cedar, redwood, or cypress). Pressure treated lumber will need a barrier as it has high amounts of copper and is corrosive to aluminum, as well as having other icky chemicals in the wood.

Paving slabs have an advantage over solid concrete as the foundation because slabs provide for good drainage by allowing water to escape through the cracks. If you put in a solid concrete floor you have the option of painting or tiling it. The floor will look very nice, however you may find that the water puddles on top of the floor once in awhile.

While all options require a good level site and a solid sill system, any option is affordable depending on how much of the work you are willing to do yourself and what you might want to hire out.