This is my soon to be greenhouse. I thinking of building it on a foundation of poles with a timber construction because there is a downhill slope where I am putting it. ( I don’t want to level out the area with a digger)
My question is, will my greenhouse «work» ( become hot)? as there will be air under the wood floor decking and coming in/ losing temperature ?
by Dinmorogde
7 Comments
You’ll be much happier with some type of perimeter footing or at least pressure treated skirt boards and a gravel floor. Greenhouses are wet and a wood floor will not last long and will be no fun to work on. Good luck.
It’ll be fine when the sun is up, but if you are planning on using it when it’s cold outside, it will be tough to insulate the floor.
personally i would make a retaining wall on the downhill side(s) and backfill with gravel to level it. retaining wall blocks are cheap, gravel is cheap, drains well, and is a great thermal mass.
Think about drainage if you have a lot of rain or snow. I would make sure the weather stays outside even in extreme conditions. Use treated wood for the perimeter for sure.
There are tradeoffs to leveling the ground vs building it on a platform. Mostly labor, but warmer floor if you insulate around the perimeter a few feet down and use brick or pavers.
Under board floor youll have a perfect habitat for rodents to winter over. They will be grateful for the spring greens you plant for them. Pavers probably win.
What about a sand flooring ?
i have 4 inch IMPs with r32 for winter temp protection and sand for leveling and pavers. Any sun hitting the pavers will retain the heat.
You never said your intended use for the GH. In winter, that won’t be good, unless you’re in a good hardiness zone (also didn’t say).