When arranging a suburban area, the owner faces an important task — to find the optimal balance between financial expenditure and reliability. And about the beauty, of course, do not forget. Even those who are far from the construction industry, probably heard that the construction of any structure begins with the Foundation. You can’t build a house or a barn without it.
Yes, even for the construction of a decent fence must first make a strong base. And if you plan to build a greenhouse, is the Foundation really necessary? And if so, what is it?
Why you need a Foundation
The base of a building or structure primarily serves to distribute the load from the walls and other heavy elements. If the construction, on the contrary, is too light, and there is a fear that strong winds can demolish this building, the Foundation device will ensure its adhesion to the ground and allow it to remain in its place.
Also, some types of support walls provide hydro-and thermal insulation of the structure, form the room of underground floors. The Foundation protects the internal structure from destruction in contact with wet soil. View whether to make a serious basis for the installation of a greenhouse.
Greenhouse, Hotbeds, winter garden — what do you have?
The rare country site does without construction of the protected soil — the climate at us is very far from tropical. Some are limited to small light greenhouses for temporary shelter of plants in early June, when return frosts are expected. Others build entire palaces of glass or transparent plastic.
The type of construction depends on the type of Foundation and the need for its device.
Hotbeds
In recent years, the most common in suburban areas arched Hotbeds factory-made of galvanized metal profile and polycarbonate. It is impossible to tell that such standard construction heavy — weight of the most popular design in the size of 3×6 m slightly more than 100 kg. About 97 kg falls on a metal framework and about 35 kg — on cellular polycarbonate. That is, each running meter of the proposed Foundation will have less than 10 kg of load, which for buildings and structures is not even considered for weight.
A small mass of this design, of course, plus — the greenhouse in disassembled form can be transported even by train, not to mention the car. But this advantage can become another problem of the summer resident. If the wind is good, the construction is able to simply fly to the next sector, and together with the tomatoes. And to your own losses (broken greenhouse and lost crops) can be added to the claims of a neighbor — no one knows what will damage your property during your flight.
Greenhouses
If you do not just have a large Hotbeds, but really a greenhouse (that is, you use it not only in the summer), then protection from the penetration of cold in the form of a Foundation will not hurt you. In this case, even it is necessary to further insulate the base and carefully cover all the cracks in the junction of translucent structures. The Foundation for the greenhouse will also be required if there is a significant relief at the installation site: with the help of a special design, a horizontal base is arranged, on which the frame of the greenhouse is mounted.
Winter garden
If you want to build a spacious Winter gardens, covered with heavy glass, it is likely that without the Foundation can not do. However, the construction of such a structure of protected soil will certainly be entrusted to professionals who will calculate the device and the necessary grounds.
Need a Foundation in the case when your personal tropics — part of the house. The winter garden is a full-fledged room in which it has to be comfortable not only to plants, but also to people. It is best if the owner thinks about creating a tropical corner at the design stage of the house, and the Foundation for him and the rest of the structure will be uniform. As well as communications — lighting, heating and so on.
Installation of the greenhouse
Manufacturers of standard greenhouses made of polycarbonate do not provide a Foundation device for their products. Their design suggests the possibility of transfer, if necessary, to another location. And many do so — regularly, every few years move the greenhouse, including it in the crop rotation in the garden.
Metal rack frame have at the ends of the bridge and just buried in the ground, then the entire structure is leveled on the level, and the racks are filled with soil with careful compaction. When aligning the frame of the rack, it is necessary to bury it so that the door of the greenhouse opens freely, but the gap under it is not too large.
Greenhouses of non-standard designs
In addition to standard solutions, greenhouses are built very different. And that’s where the Foundation can be an important structural element. For example, if you selected old window frames as the material for the greenhouse.
Hotbeds, assembled from wooden bars or plastic arcs, too, will require the Foundation, at least strapping stands in the lower part, below the design had sufficient strength.
Often the base for the greenhouse is made of timber, old sleepers, blocks of foam concrete, brick, use screw piles. The design can be installed on a light strip Foundation — this will be the most successful option for the insulation device.
Why you should make a Foundation for a greenhouse
In addition to the above reasons, you can make a base for a greenhouse simply because you want. Many translucent construction for growing plants, installed on the Foundation, finished in the same style as the house, it seems more beautiful and neat. And it really is. Especially if your greenhouse has a stationary high beds, equipped with heating, and you do not plan to carry it around the garden.
The supporting wall for the racks of such a structure will also protect against the penetration of uninvited small animals — moles, mice and bears. As well as an obstacle to the ubiquitous weeds. And often the reason for many owners is becoming a major Hotbeds in the answer to the question of whether to build the Foundation for the greenhouse.
The conclusion is as follows: structurally serious reason for the device of a standard version of Hotbeds in most cases is not required. But if you have the desire and have free resources, its construction will not hurt. And how is the Foundation of the greenhouse and do you have it at all?