Selecting a Greenhouse Site

Locating a Greenhouse:

The location of a greenhouse should be chosen very carefully. During the harsh winter months, the position of the greenhouse should receive at least six hours of direct sunlight. Shelter from high winds and from excessive water buildup should also be a consideration. Finding a location that is close to water and electricity and is also easily accessible from both home and garden, combined with the above considerations, should make for a very happy gardener.

For best heat gain during the winter, an east-west position is the best choice, providing the maximum solar heat gain. Since the sun is much lower during the winter months, southern exposure might be restricted: In this case, simply turn the greenhouse to a position that will allow the maximum amount of winter sun to penetrate it.

Foundations:

IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT FOUNDATIONS ARE SQUARE AND LEVEL for the greenhouse to be assembled correctly and all parts to fit.
There are a number of common types of greenhouse foundations used:

• A poured concrete slab
• A concrete foundation to frost line
• Pressure treated lumber 4×6

Before you start, check your local building code requirements.

Recommendation

Most Essex Greenhouses can be installed using 4” x 6” pressure treated lumber. This should be set on the 4” edge and buried to about 4” to 5” below ground level. The corners are fixed using 6” angle brackets. The additional weight of 4” x 6” over 4” x 4” should be adequate to hold the greenhouse down.

If the greenhouse is to be positioned in a highly exposed area, it is recommended that the footings be pinned down using rebar (approx. 1ft from the corners). The holes need to be drilled at an angle of about 45 degrees toward the center of the timber with the rebar driven down flush with the top of the timber.

The inside floor of the greenhouse should be covered with pea gravel or crushed limestone. This stone will act as a storage heater, soaking up the heat of the sun during the day. This will reduce heating costs during the winter months.

Concrete

If the greenhouse is to be located on a concrete footing or slab, mount a 2’ x 4’ wood plate to the surface of the concrete base. When using a concrete foundation, it is important to consider drainage.