I just ordered this greenhouse, it's my first one. What should I put down for the flooring/base? Something cheap, but will last. How important is heat/electricity? Advice for cheap ways to keep it warm with or without electricity. US zone 7. Thanks
by Nipper-Dog
11 Comments
I had one very similar once. Depending on your goals, It may be useless in winter. Same temp as outside at night. If you get lots of sun in winter it will warm a bit. Heating would be very expensive given that the siding will not provide much insulation
Mine had a paver floor and was very useful spring thro fall
Sand and pea gravel. Heating has been a learning curve for me. This year I have transitioned to 17k but natural gas heater. Previously used propane and electric. Depending on your zone you’re definitely going to need to insulate the inside for heat retention. I did two layers of the mylar insulation with horticulture bubble wrap in-between. I then wrapped the whole thing in 6mil plastic.
I’m zone 7. I tend to start later in the spring the more years go by. In the early spring when the plants are small, it is more practical to just carry them into a garage for a cold night. When I do use heat, I put hoops over my benches, cover them with plastic, and put a space heater under that. It isn’t great but it’s better than nothing.
I use about three or four inches of wood chips a lot less cold ground temperature and if you want cheap heat I use candles start with three and go from there big ones works great
Caulk the panels to the frame if you’re in a windy area.
I think I would have had a plan for flooring and heating before purchasing the greenhouse, personally. But looks like a nice one!
You can gain a zone or maybe two without heat, I’m told. I guess you could dig and add a lot of insulation. I believe warm but not heating will be an elusive goal.
One things about passive heating. You can use barrels filled with water as a thermal mass to keep the greenhouse warmer. If you paint the barrels black they absorb more solar radiation and become hotter
Ours was on a cement deck screwed down and blew up in the first storm of the season! Close up the windows in high winds! It was rated only for being on paving.
Going to send you an article I wrote about heating my 6×8′ in Zone 6b. 👍
I screwed mine down on 4×4’s. Lawn fabric the interior with pea gravel topping.