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Concrete for a greenhouse base (feddit.uk)

submitted 2 days ago by Cyber@feddit.uk to c/askuk@feddit.uk

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Ok, this seemed like a simple one, but damned if Google / Youchoob will give me a straight answer...

I'm putting up a greenhouse in a clay soil garden, so I want a nice concrete foundation (ring, like for a house, not a slab)

What mix do I need for that base, assuming it'll be underground / water and I'll put a row of block on top for the base to screw in to?

And... if it's easier than dragging stuff through the house, can I get away with just bags of postcrete?

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[–] Cyber@feddit.uk 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's not really the vertical weight so much as the force when the wind's across it - hell even the empty frame moves around in the wind and needed pinning down.

Good point on the postcrete, I'd not thought of it cracking in longer lines, will give that a miss then.

Yeah, I just don't have the experience to know if a 1-2-3 or a 1-4-? mix is right, or not, but at least you've confirmed it's not something completely different...

Thanks

[–] D_C@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

If you've got wind problems (😏) then the 1 to 4 with aggregate slung in to add strength will do the trick.

I live in Scotland's countryside. Very, very windy at times. As in it's difficult to walk at times type of gusts, and the rain can spend the day going almost sidewards not downwards.
And one of our sheds is built off paving slabs. Now, admittedly, I didn't build and I probably wouldn't have built it like it is, but it's passed the test of time all the same.
What they did was:
Plonk the slabs down. B Shuttered the sides.
Concreted over slabs to tie it all in and give it lateral strength.
Built the building and screed it down, then built around the bottom of the shed a little bit to stop any sideways sliding motion in the wind.
Wouldn't pass any building regs but it's been up for decades and it's still here.

Edit: you could probably do the above slab way with external self leveling compound, not concrete. Flatten, slab, shutter, self level, wait, build greenhouse and screw it down, put something around the edges of greenhouse to stop it from going sideways.

[–] Cyber@feddit.uk 1 points 1 day ago

Good idea on the edging. I won't ignore the advice from a windy Scot!