I've mentioned this before on the blog, but the little 8x6 greenhouse needed a bit of an upgrade this year.
The base I put in some 12 years ago, it was just some 8x2 treated softwood I had left over from a job. It made a good temporary base and I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.
The little greenhouse started it all off in the garden when we first moved here, it wasn't long until I got the bigger greenhouse, but it's always been useful. It's just the last few years it's fallen on a bit of disrepair and missed out on the love, becoming a bit of a dumping ground. As the base rotted out I just used it less and less.
It's become a bit of an area I'm ashamed of in all honesty. So this winter I had a major clean up. I never buy pots but somehow had ended up with thousands. I sorted all the waste, recycled some, gave some away and took some to the tip.
I pulled out weeds and lifted all the slabs for reuse.
Once I got rid of the rubbish I decided that if I was going to build a new base for the greenhouse I might as well build a bigger one (and talked about that in this blog post here). I moved the old greenhouse to the one side, and got the digger going to clear the space completely.
I then spent the next month or so trying to find the occasional dry day to dig footings, or mix concrete, to build the foundation for the base. I got soaked once, and annoyed with the mud so many times I lost count. Even lost my welly on the one day in the mud and ended up with a very wet and muddy foot!
As has become my habit of late, I filmed it all. I think I had over 20 hours of footage to make this 24 minute video! I'm really pleased with it, hopefully people who watch it will find it fun, it was certainly fun to make. Some sort of effort went into the footings but also the video, I can tell you!
But the base is in! Now I'm ready to build up the frame and start to fill it with compost and plants!
I should say that this is just how I chose to do the footings, there is loads of ways to do it, I'm not saying this is the best way or even that good! It's certainly labour intensive, but hopefully will last a long time.
I still have a long way to go, but it feels like a milestone to celebrate.
Would you like a step by step post on building the footings?
My greenhouse is on a concrete slab, much bigger than required, it was already here, hubby put down hardwood frame and screwed the greenhouse to that, the extra height, though not much has helped and my greenhouse is secure, it has not moved in any of the storms which has passed in the last few years.
When I built mine, I poured a slab and then anchored the greenhouse to the slab. But for me, there were a couple reasons that I went that route that might not apply in your situation. Our greenhouse is quite exposed to high winds at times and so I wanted it well anchored and the other reason, it that we mainly wanted it to start our early garden plants and so wanted the thermal mass of the concrete to help moderate the temperatures since we don't have electricity ran to it.
We also apparently have a much deeper frost line in winter and so need any concrete footer to be around 24 inches deep or otherwise things will heave and break up. If I had a shallower frost line, I think they way you did it to be just fine.
My greenhouse is on a concrete slab, much bigger than required, it was already here, hubby put down hardwood frame and screwed the greenhouse to that, the extra height, though not much has helped and my greenhouse is secure, it has not moved in any of the storms which has passed in the last few years.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good job. What will you do with the rest of the space? Storage shed or a livestock building like a pig sty perhaps?
ReplyDeleteWhen I built mine, I poured a slab and then anchored the greenhouse to the slab. But for me, there were a couple reasons that I went that route that might not apply in your situation. Our greenhouse is quite exposed to high winds at times and so I wanted it well anchored and the other reason, it that we mainly wanted it to start our early garden plants and so wanted the thermal mass of the concrete to help moderate the temperatures since we don't have electricity ran to it.
ReplyDeleteWe also apparently have a much deeper frost line in winter and so need any concrete footer to be around 24 inches deep or otherwise things will heave and break up. If I had a shallower frost line, I think they way you did it to be just fine.