The foundation for a greenhouse: how to do it right?

A greenhouse is one of the most effective ways to grow vegetables in greenhouses, and therefore such structures are found today in many private territories, where there is a small piece of free land, while greenhouses can be warm and cold. The first species is adapted to winter cold, and therefore plants can grow in them throughout the year. An important component of such a structure is the foundation, which absorbs all external loads.

The foundation for the greenhouse is a kind of support on which the main structural elements are attached. It is impossible to imagine such a structure without a foundation capable of extending the service life of the structure several times.

Technically, these structures very often resemble the foundations of classic residential buildings. or small buildings, but only slightly smaller. There are many positive aspects to using greenhouse bases. For example, with the help of the foundation, the greenhouse frame is securely fixed to the ground, which does not allow the structure to move under the influence of wind or other external influences.

Also, the foundation increases the load-bearing strength of the frame. On such a foundation, more complex systems can already be installed, while the presence of a foundation minimizes the destruction of the structure and does not allow it to be influenced from the outside.

If the greenhouse is raised above the ground, then this approach allows you to store more heat inside it. - in this way, you can slightly minimize the cost of heating the system.

The foundation is an obstacle to the penetration of moles and other similar pests into the building. This only applies to concrete and brick foundations that are buried in the soil. If only a wooden beam is used as a support, then this will not save you from rodents.

The foundation for a greenhouse is a support that will affect the quality of growth of all plants, therefore, when constructing it, the type of foundation should be correctly determined. Today, several types of foundations are used for such purposes:

• Wood. A wooden structure can hardly be called a foundation - technically, it is a kind of support for the future frame. It is made from several bars, which are laid along the entire perimeter of the structure. Some experts recommend fixing the wood to pipe or concrete posts. This design is completely portable, making it mobile and independent. A wooden foundation is easy to build, but the timber is not able to withstand external climatic influences and rots very quickly, regardless of whether it is processed or not.

• Concrete and brick. The base of such materials is a system of bricks, which are fastened together with a certain type of concrete. A foundation of this type is lightweight and relatively strong. Also, the design can withstand physical exertion quite well. But the material quickly absorbs water, so it does not keep heat well. This situation can be corrected with the help of additional insulation.
• Blocky. Some specialists build a foundation from blocks; it can be made quite quickly. But such structures also do not retain heat well, which makes it impossible to use it in cold periods of the year.
• Tape. One of the most complex and common foundations, it is built from stone and concrete. This structure is capable of withstanding high loads. Such foundations are durable and can be operated with constant exposure to water and temperature changes. But the structure retains heat very poorly, and its construction requires certain skills.

• Columnar and pile. Both of these structures are similar, as they consist of vertical support elements located around the entire perimeter of the future foundation. The first type is built from sleepers, concrete posts or pipes, while it is important to choose the right size of the supports so that they can withstand significant loads. Screw piles are used in heaving soil conditions, which makes it possible to obtain a stable system that can withstand soil movements and its instability. This foundation is easy to build, but you need to additionally finish it in order to remove all holes between the supports. But with the right approach, you can get a warm base that will be suitable for installing a greenhouse.
• Plate. Solid slabs are used as the foundation, which completely cover the entire surface of the soil around the perimeter. This design very well prevents rodents from entering the greenhouse. But the construction of such a foundation is expensive and therefore only used for industrial greenhouses.

The foundation for a greenhouse is often selected depending on what structure will be installed on it and when the system will be used. At the same time, experts recommend following a few simple tips:

• Wooden foundation only able to support light weight. Therefore, it is only used for small plastic greenhouses, although the wood is able to withstand metal structures.
• Concrete foundation well withstands loads - large greenhouses made of metal, glass, polycarbonate and plastic can be installed on it. This type of base is versatile and can be used for almost any kind of soil.

• The foundation is made of foam blocks. This material well prevents the penetration of moisture, therefore, such a foundation is formed on wet soils, where it is necessary to protect crops from negative influences.
• The brick foundation is moisture permeable. During its construction, additional waterproofing is needed. Such a base is suitable only for wooden structures covered with polymer films.

Today, polycarbonate is very often used for the construction of greenhouses. It is much lighter than glass, so almost all types of foundations can be used for such structures. But experts still recommend giving preference to bases made of concrete, brick or other solid mineral product.

Choosing a foundation for a greenhouse is not a difficult task. Today, several structures are used for such structures. At the same time, there are no universal foundations that can satisfy all the requirements of greenhouse owners.

Each of the bases has its own advantages. For example, wooden structures are lightweight and build quickly. For their installation, the experience of the builder is not needed, since you just need to correctly position the timber around the perimeter. Concrete structures or brick and stone foundations have increased strength characteristics, but they do not always allow providing the required level of thermal insulation.

Therefore, when choosing bases for greenhouses, it is important to take into account many parameters, among which the frame material and the period of growing plants are considered the main ones. If you plan to be engaged in the industrial production of vegetables, then only tape or monolithic systems are suitable.It is also important to analyze the reviews of summer residents about various types of structures - this will allow you to choose the best foundation option, depending on the type of soil and climatic conditions.

A greenhouse is a special building where cultivated plants can be grown. This is achieved through the use of transparent materials for the frame, as well as heat retention inside the system. The dimensions of this structure are not standard, as they depend only on the land plot and the technical capabilities of the owner.

Therefore, the dimensions of the foundation in most cases are selected individually. Many summer residents build greenhouses 4x6 or 4x8 m.But there are also more huge structures that need a reinforced foundation. Therefore, when constructing such systems, the width and depth of the support are increased.

Installation of the foundation for a greenhouse is a fairly simple operation that is easy to do with your own hands. But in order to get a durable structure, you should choose the right material for the base in accordance with the external load on it.

The construction of any foundation begins with its design. This process consists of several sequential steps.

First, all the parameters of the greenhouse are calculated. - this is important, since the dimensions of the foundation depend on the characteristics of the frame. All these values ​​are selected individually and depend only on the needs of a particular person.

Then you need to choose a suitable place. Here you need to take into account the characteristics of the soil and the influence of the sun. It is desirable that the sun's rays fall inside the greenhouse throughout the day. Installation in highly shaded places is not allowed, as this will lead to the need to install additional lighting.

A step-by-step instruction for arranging a foundation involves several general provisions for all types of structures.

• Formwork arrangement. The depth of the ditch depends on the type of foundation chosen. For example, for tape bases, you need to dig a trench more than 50 cm deep. Wood or brick structures can be mounted on a pillow, the thickness of which is 20-40 cm, depending on the load on it.

• Preparation of the base. This step involves leveling the soil as well as compacting it with sand. Wooden foundations are complemented by a cushion on which they are installed. It is important here to form a solid backing for the main structure.
• Installation of the foundation. At this stage, fastening of wooden blocks or pouring concrete into the formwork is carried out. Installation technology is selected individually.

If it is decided to use wood as a material for the foundation, then it must be further processed.

The algorithm for working with such materials can be described by a certain sequence of actions.

• Base leveling and waterproofing installation. Roofing material and other similar materials are used as such products. It is important to properly align and seal the base.
• When the base is ready, the wood blocks should be coated with protective agents. Impregnations and primers are used here. There are many different antiseptics on the market, solutions against rodents and insects, as well as liquids that prevent rapid decay.
• Installation of a bar and protection of its upper part with another layer of roofing material.

Wood processing work is relatively simple and can be carried out independently. If a strip or brick foundation was built, then it practically does not need additional processing.

Waterproofing can be considered one of the processing methods. Today, roofing material or liquid solutions based on bitumen or other petroleum products are used for such purposes.

Installation of the foundation for greenhouses is mandatory, since the quality and service life of the entire structure depends on it. When building such a structure, you should adhere to a few simple tips, which are given below.

Be sure to control the geometric shape of the foundation. If the building is rectangular, then you need to measure the diagonals - they must be equal.

Consideration should be given to soil structure and water table. If the soil is very mobile, then it is advisable to construct screw bases that will not depend on these factors.

The height of the foundation above the surface should be 1/3 of the total.

A properly built foundation is half the battle. Therefore, it is necessary to use only high-quality materials for greenhouse foundations and observe installation technologies.

For information on how to properly make the foundation for a greenhouse, see the next video.