This is a site made ready for either a greenhouse or a shed structure. The size of the site is larger than the structure, which will be set about 2 ft. from the fence to allow access on all sides.
Shed Site Preparation.
A well prepared building site will make the assembly process go smoothly, and insure a good finished product! After determining the location for your building, clear your construction area. Remove all debris, roots, grass and any large rocks.
1. Check with your local municipal/county for permit requirements.
2. Review size specification for your chosen model for actual size. IE. 8x10 Rancher is actually 93" W x120 5/8"
3. It is important that the chosen site have good drainage & is on solid ground. If not, we suggest to slope your location 10 feet in all directions. A slope of 1/8 inch per foot is enough to prevent water accumulation. A shed on a typically moist site could benefit from a vapor barrier of polyurethane.
4. Clear construction area. Remove debris, roots, grass and any large rocks. LEVEL the ground. A non level site is no fun to work with and will compromise the function of doors and windows! Be sure there are no obstructions to operation of doors and windows. Leave about a 2ft.distance around all sides so workers and painters can access.
PatioStoneFoundation:Ifthegroundisstablewith good drainage,patiostones can be set directlyonfirmcompactedsoil.Addorremovesoilsundereach as needed. Usea2x4straightpieceoflumberonedgeandacarpenter'sleveltopositioncorrectly.
Greenhouse Site Preparation
1. Remove the existing sod and level the ground.
2. If you have more than a few inches of fill, tamp down with a tamping device or a heavy lawn roller and wait a bit for the ground to settle.
3. Spread the entire base area with 3 to 4 inches of 5/8 inch crushed clean gravel. Tamp down for a firm well drained
surface for the greenhouse base and to help deter weeds or erosion inside the greenhouse.
Optional: to prevent weeds entirely, before graveling, lay permeable landscaping/weed cloth so water can drain through.
4.Place small tunnel for electrical and/or plumbing under the frame, using a 2"plastic pipe to pass the lines through. (one under each side, or one front, and one back).
5. Position the greenhouse perimeter base, anchoring it with ground anchors or other appropriate means.
6. After the greenhouse walls and roof are on the perimeter base, install the interior flooring materials. See helpful
hints below.
Helpful hints
Pea gravelis not advisable under the wood (or other) bases, since it will never really pack down like crushed gravel will. It is
fine for the interior floor if desired.
Brick flooringis a natural thermal mass great for the heat collection on a winter day. After sundown heat collected by the brick is released inside the greenhouse, slowing the cooling offprocess.
Weed clothis great under the base gravel. It will allow water to drain through. Not plastic that has no perforations because when hosing the excess water will have no place to go. You may create a too humid situation or be walking around in water. A concrete slabis not our favorite flooring. If you do use a slab, you will need to put in a sloped drain area.The perimeter, however, must be level. Without a drain in, you'll have a puddle to stand in when you hose the inside.ExistingConcrete slab: If using existing slab, it is probably slopped for natural drainage. If so you would then need to shim the greenhouse base, level it up, and then install drainage holes around the base so water can run out when you clean. The drain must be large enough, and put a screen over the opening to keep bark, small rocks & dead leaves from clogging the drain.
On a deck. Decks often have spaces in between the boards. If so it is a good idea to install the greenhouse base, and bolt it down to the deck. An L bracket screwed to the deck and to the base is fine in at least 4 places around the base. Then use some 1 inch foam insulation pieces (used for insulation on roofs) and cover that with a marine plywood layer about 1/2 inch thick. The insulation and plywood flooring will helps out keep out cold air that blows up from underneath the deck.
In this circumstance you will want to be cautious when mega watering, since a draining situation is more difficult to create.
These are our recommendations based on our own experiences of installing and using greenhouses
Ifyou need more information please call us at 425-787-6603 or email your question tocarol@theyardworks.net
This site is ready for the placement of the shed floor.
Greenhouse Site
This customer has prepared the greenhouse site With great care and forethought! This is a perfectly ready site.
Thanks for the great photo Bud!
Seattle Sheds /The Yard Works 425-754-4067
Why settle for an ugly shed when you can have a cutie?
