Insulationg Concrete Floor Greenhouse

Insert the greenhouse insulation and the exterior sheets.

Insulationg concrete floor greenhouse.

Concrete especially if it is insulated provides an excellent floor easy to clean and to walk on. This uses an airflow system to actively draw hot air from the greenhouse underground so the greenhouse can store more heat in the soil. Even an insulated year round greenhouse doesn t need a finished floor as a house does. It absorbs heat from the sun and releases it into the surrounding environment during the day and night.

What to use for greenhouse floors. If poured properly it has sufficient slope to drain away the excess water. The thicker the better of course. The best material for a solar greenhouse heat sink floor is some kind of stone or concrete.

Concrete will also reflect light and retain heat throughout the day. A concrete floor is easy to clean and walk on and if poured correctly should drain away any excess water. There are several options for greenhouse flooring materials. Install a drain in the center of the floor that leads to a gravel pile underneath the greenhouse or to a pipe to carry.

You want heat exchange to occur between the greenhouse environment and the thermal mass of the soil. 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. At ceres we go one step further and actively heat the soil using a ground to air heat transfer gaht system. This insulates the floor and helps keep it warmer in the winter.

The thermal mass of the stone will absorb and then release the solar energy stored during the day. Neither do we insulate the floor this should be left un insulated so the greenhouse so it can absorb heat from the greenhouse. A concrete slab may be the easiest type of greenhouse footing to keep clean. Most of the footprint will be used as a planting area which may or may not need a level finished surface.

The most ideal is a poured concrete floor especially if it s insulated. That is why pea gravel is a good option. If you poured a concrete slab for your greenhouse foundation you have a perfect floor as a bonus. Install the perimeter and area piers and the solid plastic foundation beams.

The sill acts as a insulated buffer between the concrete and the greenhouse frame reducing heat loss. One recommended option whether you use a slab or wall is to fasten a 2 x 4 sill on the top of the foundation. Leave a 1 inch trench 12 inches deep around the external edge of the foundation. Apart from providing good drainage the best greenhouse floor should insulate the structure when it is cold outside.