Even an insulated year round greenhouse doesn t need a finished floor as a house does.
Insulationg concrete floor greenhouse.
The sill acts as a insulated buffer between the concrete and the greenhouse frame reducing heat loss.
The best material for a solar greenhouse heat sink floor is some kind of stone or concrete.
The thermal mass of the stone will absorb and then release the solar energy stored during the day.
You will add spray foam insulation either polystyrene or polyurethane under the greenhouse floor in the next step.
Your flooring option usually depends on how you want to grow in the greenhouse whether growing directly in the soil raised beds or in an aquaponic or hydroponic system.
Leave a 1 inch trench 12 inches deep around the external edge of the foundation.
A concrete slab may be the easiest type of greenhouse footing to keep clean.
Apart from providing good drainage the best greenhouse floor should insulate the structure when it is cold outside.
A concrete floor is easy to clean and walk on and if poured correctly should drain away any excess water.
Insert the greenhouse insulation and the exterior sheets.
At ceres we go one step further and actively heat the soil using a ground to air heat transfer gaht system.
Insulation quilts over the greenhouse at night keeps more heat from being lost.
The thicker the better of course.
There are several options for greenhouse flooring materials.
That is why pea gravel is a good option.
Concrete especially if it is insulated provides an excellent floor easy to clean and to walk on.
The most ideal is a poured concrete floor especially if it s insulated.
If you poured a concrete slab for your greenhouse foundation you have a perfect floor as a bonus.
It absorbs heat from the sun and releases it into the surrounding environment during the day and night.
One recommended option whether you use a slab or wall is to fasten a 2 x 4 sill on the top of the foundation.
This uses an airflow system to actively draw hot air from the greenhouse underground so the greenhouse can store more heat in the soil.
You want heat exchange to occur between the greenhouse environment and the thermal mass of the soil.
Install a drain in the center of the floor that leads to a gravel pile underneath the greenhouse or to a pipe to carry.
Neither do we insulate the floor this should be left un insulated so the greenhouse so it can absorb heat from the greenhouse.
What to use for greenhouse floors.
If poured properly it has sufficient slope to drain away the excess water.
Install the perimeter and area piers and the solid plastic foundation beams.
This insulates the floor and helps keep it warmer in the winter.