Although the simple foundation is less work than many think, full concrete does not necessarily have to be poured over the entire surface of the greenhouse. Especially not if the much lighter foil covering is chosen instead of glass roofing. However, you should keep in mind: Fixing the greenhouse not only ensures that your structure is stable in the vertical direction and does not sink into the ground, but it also absorbs the side pressure on the house walls that is created by the acting wind forces. Building without a foundation can therefore easily lead to problems with free-standing and large-scale greenhouses.
also read
- Set up the greenhouse and align without a foundation
- How should you connect a greenhouse to the foundation?
- Fundamental tasks - the foundation for the greenhouse
Frame construction for the substructure
The small greenhouses with foil roofing available in specialist shops are delivered from the factory with a mostly metal frame that only needs to be put together or screwed. With such sets, steel spikes are often attached to the greenhouse so that you can do without a foundation. Similar to the tent, these holding devices then have to be sunk into the ground as completely as possible, since otherwise they could pose a risk of injury, for example for children walking by. However, if the manufacturer of your prefabricated house indicates in the construction documents supplied that fixing a greenhouse without a foundation can lead to static problems , a trowel should be used before assembling the parts.
Fasten a self-made greenhouse
For smaller greenhouses (€ 34.95 at Amazon *) that are attached to an existing residential building, for example, you can do without a foundation. When it is not important to have solid ground under your feet. In such cases, massive wooden beams that lie completely horizontally on the ground can be used as a substructure. From an energetic point of view, however, this lightweight construction has disadvantages in terms of the heat balance in the house. Without a tightly sealed foundation on the greenhouse , the heat loss is correspondingly high , which in extreme cases can affect the optimal growth of the plants or the crop yields when growing vegetables.
Tips
A greenhouse usually stands for years, if not decades. If the building is built without a foundation, installation is only cheaper and faster at first glance. If, on the other hand, you fix the greenhouse with simple point foundations, the energy loss decreases as the stability of the house increases and the plants feel noticeably better.
