Topic: Greenhouse Base and how to lay slabs?

[glosterwomble]

I have trawled the web looking for advice about laying some slabs for my new greenhouse and I'm now totally confused!! (It doesn't take much!)

I've just purchased the Popular 6x8 from 'The Greenhouse People' it arrived 3 days ago and looks like a giant set of meccano!

I had decided that I was going to lay a base of slabs to sit the greenhouse on but not sure how to do this. The area is bare soil at the moment with a gentle slope so I need to move some soil around and level it. Then what do I do? Should I lay a layer of sharp sand and bed the slabs onto that, should I put down hardcore? Or just lay slabs directly onto soil? Or should I be cementing the slabs down? (I always get confused with cement not knowing what to buy and what ratio to mix)

Any advice gratefully received!!!!  ::)

[Digeroo]

I also have bought a greenhouse before Xmas but due to rain, snow etc it is still in its box.  The soil has just been too soggy to dig.   I also would welcome any advice people have.  I want to have a ring of footings so there is soil for planting in the greenhouse.

[Columbus]

Is the greenhouse in your garden or on an allotment? in a garden I`d use concrete footings and on an allotment I wouldn`t.

I know of lightweight greenhouses bolted to corner peices set in concrete poured down pipes.
Mine is screwed into sleepers.

One really important thing is to get the base level in all directions and as you want it before constructing the greenhouse. I write from experience  :-[

As written, this could go quite badly if the soil is too wet.

Best of luck, keep us posted, Col

[ACE]

Mark out the area the slabs will be laid on skim the soil,  tamp and level. Builders sand in the hollow and lay your slabs really level. Don't think because you are a fraction out here you can make it level again there.  Leave them a few days and walk on them to see if they are going to wobble/move. If ok go ahead with your green house. Depending on your size of slabs (bigger is better) lay them so the greenhouse frame sits a couple of inches in on the slabs so it looks as if you have a path right around the outside of the green house. (don't waste planting space inside with slab). The corner slabs need to be drilled and rawplugged so you can screw the greenhouse frame down otherwise the first big wind will move it.

Footings for a greenhouse are useless. At least this way if you want to replan your garden/allotment the whole lot can be moved and the ground underneath will still be useful.  Ask a builder to do it and he will insist on footings only because he will give you a bigger bill.

[simmo116]

i have 3 different size green houses to put up this spring not to mention finnishing my polly tunnel. thanx for the advise. was going to bed on footings but will now use the freecycle slabs i have. should save me a bit of labour. lol ;D

[glosterwomble]

Seems as if I've started a useful thread here! We should all post pics of what we do and how we build our greenhouses to help others!  ;D

Thanks for advice given so far.

[SMP1704]

I watched my neighbour prep and build his foundations.  He wanted soil in the greenhouse, so dug a trench the size of the greenhouse (a bit bigger probably) and then used sand the level the breeze blocks that he put in the trench, laying them on their thin, long side.  He filled any gaps with more sand and made sure everything was level.  Then he used some 2x2 timber, which he measured, cut and drilled to the blocks so that it was the exact size for the greenhouse to sit on - it's still there ;D

[lottie lou]

I had my lightweight greenhouse (polycarb) bolted to sunken concrete fence posts all way round.    Make sure they are level and square though.

[Digeroo]

so it looks as if you have a path right around the outside of the green house.

I like the idea of having a ring of slabs creating a path around.   

Thankyou glosterwomble for starting this thread.  We are not allowed sheds and greenhouses on allotments and it is on the path of a bypass.  So it will have to be in the garden. 

 

[sunloving]

My new greenhouse is going on a double layer of old engineering bricks i got from a skip.
i dug the trench and used the bricks themsleves and a spirit level to make sure that the trench was level , then a layer of cement and sand mixed up (Wet) then lay the first brick layer whislt the cement is still a bit wet leave to dry, then lay second layer. Avoid frost as this wrecks cement

I did it this way because i want to plant into the borders and make borders directly outside as this patch is great for the semi hardies that might make it through as they get heat from the greenhouse.
 PS i say I, actually i had help from my folks and my uncle as it has been such a long job just getting the site level (greenhouse 14 x 8.5 poly carbonate from elbec)
x sunloving