Topic: No idea about greenhouses some help?

[Le-y]

So we've brought a second hand greenhouse, its being delivered whole for us sometime this week i think.

anyway i honestly dont know the first thing about greenhouses so was wondering a few things.

what sort of base should it go on? we've got a concrete part to our plot but its right at the front and we've seen rowdy pot-smoking teens up there a few times and i dont wanna put it somewhere too tempting iyswim.

we cant move the concrete (obviously) but i'd presume that a greenhouse cant just sit on mud?


aparently there are a couple of glass panels missing, can i buy these somewhere or should i be using something else to replace them? (and are they expensive?).

I know i need staging/shelving type things but is there anything else?

[Stevens706]

For my greenhouse at the allotment, I just laid down house bricks on firmed down soil, just where the frame goes. To secure it, I drilled through the frame and bricks and screwed it down. It’s been in position for 3 years now and have not had any problems. You can get replacement greenhouse glass from most glazing shops just check the yellow pages.

[Le-y]

so the floor of the greenhouse can be just level soil then? doesn't have to be concrete?

[landimad]

I would not place on the soil, but that is me.
I would use some sort of base as the winds get up, and all the hard work may get blown away. Get some weight under it to keep it there.
Or am I wrong??? :-\

[macmac]

I'm with Landimad we used to have an aliminium one at the bottom of the garden despite being screwed in to the concrete -clearly not enough- it swerved in the wind  :o
Your greenhouse needs to be firmly tethered

[goodlife]

We built breeze block frame around, middle we have slabbed bath and soil beds both sides.The frame is bolted on to blocks..greenhouse haven't shifted with bad storms even though some bolts do get worked undone during winter..so every spring I have to go around and check and tighten some..

I found from previous greenhouses that they were never tall enough..
with a extra height I can let my toms and cumbers to grow as they please and I have plenty of room for peach tree too..
I make lots of hanging baskets and I can start them off inside and mean while have plenty of room underneath for other things.
Original beds are now raised with breeze blocks too so I have plenty of room for roots..
Other year when we have truly wet summer, water table raised so high that we had inch of water above surface, all other crops were suffering but my raised beds were lovely and moist but not sodden... ;D
some chaps on our lottie who are on more vunerable sides have screwed L-shaped brackets outside on the frame and attached chiken wire on like elevated second skin..to keep flying objects away...not work with UFO's though..

[cleo]

Any greenhouse worth spending your money on deserves a solid base-Castles built on sand??

Glazing is easy to replace and staging can be what ever you use but nothing much is more important than giving a solid foundation

[Ian Pearson]

An alternative to bolting to a concrete or block base is to use ground anchors. Basically these are just bits of angle alloy or square tube bolted to the glasshouse base, and extending vertically downwards in to the ground for a couple of feet.
Set up a concrete block or paving slab for each corner of the greenhouse, bolt on a ground anchor on a couple of sides, and that should be plenty strong enough.
Make sure that varmints cant dig in under the base, or they'll set up home in cold weather.

Get yourself a spirit level, and a large square to define the levels and the exact locations of the corners. It's surprising how flexible a greenhouse can be!

[tonybloke]

don't forget to measure the diagonals when putting up a greenhouse. it will ensure that it is 'square'
and I agree with the ground anchor approach.

[Le-y]

ok i wonder whether this will work, my husband just suggested it.

we've got these massive bits of wood which were used for decking, they're 6ft long and they're 4x4's they're so heavy it takes 2 men to lift them.

my husband thigs that if we lay these on the concrete and bolt the greenhouse to it it should stay still, that way we still have a  concrete floor and it should stay in place.

i understand that the wood wont last forever but it should last one season till i get some money to get something permanant!

what do you think?

[Carls3168]

Hi, if the wood was used for decking is it pressure treated - if it is it should last a fair long time?
I would level out an area on the soil and build the greenhouse on them. Then you can plant into the soil  ;D

[cambourne7]

Also consider (if planting into soil) knocking in some wooden post to each corner inside your greenhouse to help you build a support for climbing plants this is easier to do when the frame is in place and before the glass goes in it's what's been suggested I do.

Good luck