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Greenhouse Flooring
Greenhouse Flooring Options
Greenhouse Flooring
Rolled Rubber Flooring:
High quality rubber material is an excellent choice for covering the floor of a greenhouse. The rubber material will provide a cushioned walkway and act as a shock absorber if you are planning on spending a good deal of time on your feet in the greenhouse. When choosing a rubber material for the floor both square and rolled rubber products are most viable options. If you are covering a long walkway the rolled material make make more practical sense as it is easier to install and can be more economical. Rubber mats when placed over a concrete is the most ideal greenhouse flooring solution, however if your budget is tight there are more economical flooring options which aren't ideal and require more upkeep but may be worth the savings if your budget is tight.
Greenhouse Flooring Fabric:
For a more economical solution than rubber flooring consider woven greenhouse flooring fabric. This fabric is deigned to withstand pedestrian traffic while acting as a weed barrier and separation layer from the dirt below. The material is UV resistant and typically provides planting stripes for easy plant alignment.
If you are also planning a access road to your greenhouse consider our heavy duty woven separation fabric with a 315lb grab tensile strength it will provide the strength and separation to keep your gravel in place.
Concrete Slab:
If you have a greenhouse, you know how important it is to provide protection and comfort for your delicate plants while providing a pleasant experience for yourself. The flooring in your greenhouse must provide excellent drainage, keep the cold outside, prevent pests and weeds from entering while offering a comfortable surface for you to walk on.
If you have provided a good, insulated concrete slab greenhouse foundation, you are one step up. This floor is excellent for easy cleaning and if it has a proper slope, it will sufficiently drain any excess water. Concrete is also light enough to reflect light to retain heat during the day. A flat well poured concrete floor enables you to place benches and pots evenly.
Wooden Foundations:
Wooden foundations are usually filled with 3 to 4 inches of crushed stone or gravel placed over a weed cloth. This also is an excellent greenhouse flooring that is easy to clean and drains really well. If you simply spray water on these floors, you will have added humidity during the summer months. If you don't have this flooring but are interested, stone and gravel are really easy to install and are relatively inexpensive.
Lava & Landscape Rock:
These rocks will create a very attractive greenhouse flooring. Lava rock will soak up water and will add a nice level of humidity. Lava rock and landscape rock provide an excellent drainage system but they are not easy to clean. If you use white landscape rocks, they will reflect light during the day hours and retain heat to continue radiating during the night. Both of these rocks are very easy to lay down but can be rather expensive.
Brick Flooring:
Bricks will give added humidity because the clay is very porous and absorbs water. The bricks should be placed over a layer of sand for maximum stability and drainage. Clay floors will last for a very long time, are very attractive and easy to walk on.
If you build your greenhouse over bare ground, you will have to provide some form of pavers to prevent you from walking in mud. Brick or stone laid on top of sand are easy to walk on, offer an attractive appearance and the sand will absorb water.
Walkway Inside Greenhouse
Mulch Flooring:
This is probably one of the least chosen materials. This alternative is cheap but impossible to clean and probably not a good option. It can create an excellent environment for bacteria and fungus. Also, it will quickly decompose due to the humidity levels.
Greenhouse Vinyl Tiles:
With new technologically, vinyl floors are becoming quite popular. There is an enormous range in special vinyl tiles, for greenhouses, that clean really well and have excellent drainage. Vinyl greenhouse tiles are very easy to walk on and can be placed over the entire foundation or used as an attractive path when combined with another material for the floor.
Just about any greenhouse flooring material can be used as long as it's easy to clean and drains well. If your ideal choice is concrete, you might want to lay down mats of old carpet or rubber mats in areas where you will stand for a good length of time.
Choosing The Right Floor For You:
Before deciding on a specific material, consider how many hours you will be standing around your workbench, watering, weeding, deadheading, planting, and just relaxing. You should always consider materials that are easy to clean so you are not adding to your workload. Stay away from materials that have to be replaced in a short period of time – such as mulch! If you invest a little bit more, in the beginning, over time you will save on costs and maintenance. It will take a bit of time to create your foundation so you want to ensure it will last for a good period of time.
Just about any greenhouse flooring material can be used as long as it's easy to clean and drains well. If your ideal choice is concrete, you might want to lay down mats of old carpet or rubber mats in areas where you will stand for a good length of time.
Building Your Greenhouse Floor:
You should create your floor before building the greenhouse, then just place your structure on top of the level floor and secure it down. Some greenhouses are portable and others will demand a permanent floor. Securing your structure firmly to the foundation will ensure it will last for many years. Also if you live in a windy area, you want to prevent the greenhouse from blowing over.
Setting Up Greenhouse Flooring
Start Creating Your Floor:
You have to measure the length and width of your future greenhouse area on the ground. Place stakes on each corner and hammer into the ground. Run twine around the stakes to form an outline of the floor's perimeter.
Find the highest point of ground and start digging the ground at this point. You want to remove only enough soil to make a level floor. Place a level on the ground to ensure you do have a nice, level surface. Once your ground is level and the correct diameters for your greenhouse, remove the stakes and twine.
This is an important step that should not be overlooked:
Lay down weed block on the floor to prevent grass and weeds from growing up into the greenhouse. Cover the weed block with gravel or pea stones to hold down the weed block. The gravel or stones will also create a good drainage system.
Creating A Concrete Floor:
You will need to dig your area down 6-inches and make sure it's level. Dig 4 holes – 8-inches deep, one at each corner of the ground area.
Place one 1-foot-tall, 2-by-2-inch post in each of the four holes. Use your level, often, to make sure the posts are perfectly straight. Next, pour concrete into each one of the holes and allow the concrete to set overnight.
Lay down two 2-by-4-inch boards along the edges around the perimeter of the area. Using deck screws, drill the boards into the outer sides of the posts.
Pour concrete into the area, half-way up the sides of the 2-by-4-inch boards. Allow the concrete to set overnight. Then build your greenhouse, attaching it to the wooden perimeter.
- Four Stakes
- A Measuring Tape
- Twine or Garden Wire
- A Hammer
- A Level
- Weed Block
- Gravel or Pea Stones
- Four Pressure-Treated One-Foot Long 2-By-2-Inch Posts
- Four Pressure-Treated 2-By-4-Inch Boards
- Deck Screws
- A Power Drill
- Concrete Mix Gravel Grid
The Tools You Will Need:
Greenhouses are an important part of many people with green thumbs. They are used for both exotic and local plants. More people are erecting these structures for growing their own vegetables and herbs. People want fresh foods that are not coated in pesticides or arrive at the store well past their time for best quality.
Whether small or large, portable or fixed structure, greenhouses are becoming more and more popular. There are so many different floorings available to choose from. Concrete, stone, brick and vinyl tiling, to name a few. With the advancement of geotextile fabrics, installation is easier, the materials are long lasting and durable and are finding their way into greenhouses.