?'s about a future greenhouse

Hi, We're about to build a greenhouse, with wood sides, and a pvc rounded roof, we're not quite sure what to do about the floor, we don't want the wood sitting directly on the ground, and we don't want a big expense either. I'm really lucky to be getting one at all. LOL My husband is in construction and work is slim in the winter time even here in Arkansas. any ideas on a floor, I read in another post of a rubber floor, hum, that's a neat idea,

kathy_ann

You might consider gravel or even a cement pad depending on how permanent your greenhouse will be.

My husband built a condrete block foundation and filled the floor with mulch. If the mulch is watered in the hot summer, it provides moisture. When I water plants, I water the mulch too.

we put down about 4inches of packed sand and then used carpet upside down. I luv how easy clean up is=just sweep it all up! when its old-it can be replaced easily-people are always toss used carpet out!

There's a place down the road from us that sells crushed brick. I was wondering how that would be for the floor in my greenhouse. I've read that red bricks collect heat during the day and release it at night.

As far as houses built from red brick, I can say it is true! LOL At night when it cools off in the summer, my living room gets pretty toasty. Of course it is the last part of the house to get afternoon and early evening sun! I've been known to spray it down with a hose. Don't know if it helps, but it makes me feel better. :)

The floor of my green house is a huge "belt" of some type from a papermill. They seem to be readily available here, and are changed regularly if you know someone who works at a papermill. It's black and like a very tough thick fiberglass stuff. Sweeps up, and water goes right through, it wouldn't have any insulating qualities, but is black to collect heat. Legit

My parents is dug out in the bottom, kindof like a half basement. It's filled with gravel and has great drainage with pvc piping out into the yard. Then my dad just built a deck over it. The water falls down under the deck and drains out. A lot of work. Not too much expense. Very easy to maintain. Also would depend on how permanent you wanted it. I keep telling him he has to build me one. I'm still renting though,lol.

I have never been sorry I put concrete down with a drain in the center.Ernie

We made use of used bricks (collected at building demolition dumping site) for the walking paths in a previous hoop GH made with willow bows and sheet plastic. Worked very well.

We built it next to the house (had used foam for seal next to the house siding) and opened the basement window and house window with a fan for heat circulation.

leemartin, that sounds like a very special ghouse. Great idea.

Do you have any pics?

I don't remember telling you WELCOME TO DG!
Hope to see you around more!

Our greenhouse has a cement floor, which is porous and the humidity factor is great. Quite often I wet the surface and it is beneficial to the plants! The Brits in their glasshouses use pea-gravel as a base for that reason alone....

I once saw a large commerical green house that had a rough concrete floor that wasn't floated. I think it was pumped on. Anyway they flooded the floor to bottom water thousands of poinsettas. The water traped in all the little rough depressions kept the humity up.

Lee I have a friend who did that unlike me is an electrical gifted guy. His green house is temp controlled thru his computer. If the house needs heat it gets it from the green house if the green house is warmer than the house. If the green house needs heat a basement window opens into the green house. It works great.

He also runs rain water from his roof gutters into the green house and drip waters with it. The main collector is a fifty gallon plastic barrel that can be diverted out side when it is full. Works neat for applying liquid fert, If the rain fails which is seldom her he just fills the drum with a hose. Ernie

wow ernie, that is a remarkable person. I wish I was that gifted. :)

Me to this guy has his house dual wired for some DC circutis from a battery bank for 12 or 24 volt flourscent bulbs. He charges the battery bank with a small light plant and has recently put up a wind mill to do that when the wind blows.Just shows you some got it some don't I sit firmly in the don't class but he is totaly amazed at the color of my thumb compared to his lol. Ernie

Kathy Ann I am wondering why wood sides? do you get to much sun and need shade or is the sun position in your area high enough to give you adaquate light? I have seen houses with wooden ends but not sides, Ernie

This message was edited Feb 16, 2004 9:11 AM

Kathy_Ann

I recommend you do not have wood walls, but that you use 4' X 4' wood posts set in metal stirrups, which themselves are set in a concrete footing.

No floor is needed. If you want to put some gravel down to avoid any mud when watering, that can be helpful.

Sides of Greenhouse clear plastic or dual-wall polycarbonate will give your plants the light they need.

I have a good set of plans for a greenhouse that was designed by The Garden Doctor - Jacob Mittleider. This greenhouse needs no electric fans in the summer, and will give you excellent plants.

Let me know if you'd like a copy of the plans.

Jim Kennard

Jim: Are you referring to your greenhouse plans that are available here at DG Extras, or is this another one? I live in South Central Texas and I can't imagine not having to use fans -- please advise. Thank you so much, Gretchen

Gretchen:

Those are the plans. We have used that plan in the tropics - most places in fact have no electricity, and so fans are out of the question.

The secret is in the venting system. The continuous roof ventilator is essential everywhere, and in hot weather you need your sides to roll up also. It is simple to design and build it this way, and extends the usefulness by several months with no electric bills.

Jim Kennard

Thank you, Jim! We are planning to replace our portable with a permanent one this summer. I'm going to print your plans and give this some serious consideration. I'm wondering though, is there anyway to to put in the kind of vent openers that use the mineral wax to open/close them? One of the problems I have now is that I can't leave for even a weekend, as the vents have to be opened and closed manually, even in the winter. Thank you! Gretchen

Jim

I would love to see those plans.

kathy_ann

http://davesgarden.com/files/Mittgard/Mittleider_Greenhouse.pdf

Kathy Ann -- the above is a link to Jim's plans...

thanks kaufmann

Gretchen:

I'm sure there is, but I have never done it with that greenhouse myself. When I had a fiberglass house it had a couple of them, but they weren't very good at letting the heat out.

Jim

Thanks, Jim!

WE used an electric attic fan in my greenhouse, it has a thermostatic control that you can set for whatever temp you want it to kick on, put the louvered panel on the outside so it closes when the fan kicks off, didn't cost too much (at Lowe's) and works like a charm so far. AS for the floor, we put about 6" of medium river gravel on it and it works out great for drainage, only drawback is you can't directly plant anything on the floor of greenhouse.

btailoring - I like the sounds of that electric attic fan!! Thank you for the idea, I have been contemplating building one here real soon, and the fan was setting me back, but now I think I know how and what I will use. Thanks for the tip!!!