Fastening a greenhouse without any foundation is a cost-effective solution if the building is only covered with foil and the building is unheated. However, the breeding options remain limited in the event of possible heat losses, as tropical exotics often cannot tolerate long-term temperature fluctuations.
Can you attach a greenhouse without a foundation?
Fixing a greenhouse without a foundation is possible by anchoring it to the ground with a lightweight frame and steel ground spikes. However, this method can lead to static problems in larger greenhouses and increase heat loss.
Although the simple foundation is less work than many people think, solid concrete does not necessarily have to be poured over the entire surface of the greenhouse. Especially not if the significantly lighter foil covering is chosen instead of glass roofing. However, you should keep in mind: Fastening the greenhouse not only ensures that your structure isstable in the vertical directionand does not sink into the ground, but italso absorbs the lateral pressurethe house walls, which is caused by wind forces. Building without a foundation can easily lead to problems with free-standing and large greenhouses.
Frame construction for the substructure
The small greenhouses with foil roofing available from specialist retailers are delivered from the factory with a frame, usually made of metal, which only needs to be plugged together or screwed together. To attach the greenhouse, steel ground spikes are often included with such sets, so you don't need a foundation. Similar to the tent, these holding devices must then be sunk as completely as possible into the ground, otherwise they could pose a risk of injury, for example to children running past. However, if the manufacturer of your prefabricated house points out in the construction documents provided that attaching the greenhousewithout a foundation can lead to static problems, you should use a trowel before assembling the parts.
Fastening a homemade greenhouse
For smaller greenhouses that are attached to an existing residential building, for example, you can do without a foundation. Unless it's important to have solid ground under your feet. In such cases, solid 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 method has disadvantages when it comes to the heat balance in the house. Without a foundation on the greenhouse that seals tightly to the outside, the heat loss is correspondingly high, which in extreme cases can have an impact on the optimal growth of the plants or on the harvest yields when growing vegetables.
Tip
A greenhouse usually lasts for years, if not decades. If you build without a foundation, assembly is cheaper and quicker at first glance. If, on the other hand, you attach the greenhouse with simple point foundations, the energy loss decreases as the stability of the house increases and the plants do noticeably better.