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Greenhouse Bases 
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Greenhouse Bases
We understan that every gardener has specific plans for their greenhouse and the type of base they choose will reflect this. Our greenhouses are designed in such a way that they can be fitted straight onto a level concrete footing or flagstones. All our greenhouses come with a discreet aluminium plinth which is designed to stop the cedar from being in contact with the base. The plinth can be placed straight down onto the ground or onto brickwork. In all instances the base to which your greenhouse is to be secured should be flat, level and square. When you order a greenhouse we would send you a base plan showing the footprint of the greenhouse and provide guidelines as to its construction. Generally we would recommend raising the greenhouse on a single coarse of brick, to lift the structure up above the overall ground level, although this is not essential.
Basic Base
Here you can see an example of a greenhouse that has been erected straight onto level paving stones. A greenhouse could also be placed straight onto a level concrete pad in the same manner. All our greenhouses come with an aluminium plinth which is designed to stop the cedar from being in contact with the base. Although this is a very easy way to construct a base for a greenhouse and perfectly satisfactory you may prefer to site your greenhouse above the surrounding ground level on a single course of brick.
Single Brick
Here is an example of a base that was built to accept one of our popular eight by ten foot greenhouses. The greenhouse base consists of a simple concrete footing about the width of a spade by a minimum of 4 inches (100mm) deep. On top of the footing we recommend laying a single coarse of solid bricks . In this example the customer has chosen to put a matching brick pathway down the centre of the greenhouse base. Either side of the pathway is earth but this has been tidied up with the use of gravel which has the benefit of allowing free drainage within the greenhouse. Should you choose to plant something in the ground within the greenhouse in the future then such a base would allow this.
Dwarf Wall
Many of our greenhouses can also be adapted to fit onto a dwarf wall, again we would provide a plan for the construction of this upon order confirmation. Greenhouses of this type are often referred to as planthouses. The photo illustrates an example of a wall that was prepared to accept one of our larger rhs collection greenhouses at the recent Chelsea Flower Show. In this instance the wall is single skin since the greenhouse was only on show for a number of days. A more substantial and longer lasting wall for your greenhouse would be double skin. Often foundations are made from bricks or stone that are sympathetic to the area, house or garden.
Other Greenhouse Bases
Some gardeners are not content with siting their greenhouse down on a simple concrete base. If you have specific ideas for your greenhouse or specific gardening needs that might require a different type of base then talk to us about it. You may, for example, want to site your greenhouse onto a low wall like our planthouse range. This is a good way to increase the cubic air capacity within the greenhouse. The bricks that have warmed during the day retain some warmth and help to keep the glasshouse warmer at night. Alternatively you may prefer to construct a standard dwarf wall as illustrated above to replace the lower glass or cedar panels of your greenhouse with brickwork. This keeps the height of the ridge and eaves of the greenhouse at the same height as a standard glass to ground model. In all instances we would provide a plan for the construction of the base for the greenhouse that you choose. As you can see some of our green houses are situated in far more ambitious positions. Sometimes our structures are placed onto a good solid level deck. The important factors when considering a project like this are that the base is level and square and of course that it is built to a standard that will support the greenhouse for it's lifetime. Time should be taken when considering the final positioning of the greenhouse that you buy. By placing the greenhouse closer to your house you may find that you use it more - this is often a consideration for those investing in a kitchen garden. If you have the luxury of a large garden then the greenhouse should be positioned so that the ridge runs East to West. Alternatively you may opt to make a feature of the greenhouse, as the Victorians did, by positioning your glasshouse in the heart of the garden. We were certainly impressed with the imagination of this gardener who placed their greenhouse on the lake, could this be a first in gardening history?
Base Calculator
The greenhouse base calculator can be used to determine the quantities of sand, cement and bricks that are required to prepare a suitable base for your greenhouse.
Simply enter the size (the length and width) of the greenhouse that you are considering in millimetres in the boxes below and the calculator will estimate the quantities of materials that are required. As a minimum we recommend that the footing for the greenhouse be a minimum of 100mm deep by about 300mm wide but you may choose to make this more substantial depending on local ground conditions.
We recommend the greenhouse sit on a simple concrete footing with a single course of brick on top. The idea of the brick is to lift the glasshouse above the overall ground level. By preparing a footing your options are left open as to what you do inside the greenhouse. You may opt to put a path down the middle of the greenhouse and grow from the ground either side of this. Whatever you choose to do inside the greenhouse it is a good idea to allow for some drainage - for example free draining soil under the staging can be made good with stone chippings.
Enter the greenhouse dimensions and the calculator will give you a guide as to the quantities of materials that will be required.
The Greenhouse Base CalculatorThe greenhouse base calculator can be used to determine the quantities of sand, cement and bricks that are required to prepare a suitable base for your greenhouse. Simply enter the size (the length and width) of the greenhouse that you are considering in millimetres in the boxes below and the calculator will estimate the quantities of materials that are required. As a minimum we recommend that the footing for the greenhouse be a minimum of 100mm deep by about 300mm wide but you may choose to make this more substantial depending on local ground conditions. We recommend the greenhouse sit on a simple concrete footing with a single course of brick on top. The idea of the brick is to lift the glasshouse above the overall ground level. By preparing a footing your options are left open as to what you do inside the greenhouse. You may opt to put a path down the middle of the greenhouse and grow from the ground either side of this. Whatever you choose to do inside the greenhouse it is a good idea to allow for some drainage - for example free draining soil under the staging can be made good with stone chippings. Enter the greenhouse dimensions and the calculator will give you a guide as to the quantities of materials that will be required. |
Materials Required for Footing
| Cement | 0 | KG | (Usually supplied in 25kg bags) |
| Sand | 0 | KG | (Usually supplied in 25kg bags) |
| Gravel | 0 | KG | (Usually supplied in 25kg bags) |
| Water | 0 | Litres |
Quantity of bricks required *
| Bricks laid end to end | 0 | NO. | |
| Bricks laid side by side | 0 | NO. | (ie. Header Course) |
choose to lay them end to end or side by side.
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