Elite Greenhouse Foundations
To successfully build an Elite Greenhouse start at the foundations. Get those right and you're on the right track!
It's important the surface of your Elite greenhouse is going to stand on is level. An uneven surface will make assembly more difficult, and the greenhouse will not be as sturdy once completed. Over time the glazing could crack or fall out and the doors and windows could become difficult to open and close due to them being aligned incorrectly. If your are putting the greenhouse directly onto the ground you will need to make sure this is also level first
Siting Your Elite Greenhouse Directly On The Ground
If your greenhouse comes with an integral base or factory made base this will make it easier to site on soil or grass.
|
These are supplied with corner brackets designed to be sunk into the ground for anchorage. Dig holes under each bracket and back fill with post mix cement (cement not included). Level and square up the base and water in. Once set, the greenhouse can be built onto the base. |
 |
Elite Greenhouse Soft Soil Support
When you are siting your greenhouse onto soil (ideal when you want to grow directly from the soil in your greenhouse) or grass, a hard support will need to be fitted under the cill of the door to enable the door(s) to run in the track.
|
|
This hard support could be a concrete flag, or for ease you could purchase Elite's Soft Soil Support when ordering your greenhouse (as shown on the right). |
If you want your greenhouse to be fixed to hard standing then the most popular foundation for a greenhouse is flagstones.
|
Make sure the flags are level before you start erecting your greenhouse. Ideally have the flagstones covering an area 4 inches larger than the greenhouse base dimensions all the way around - this enables you to drill into the flagstones to anchor the greenhouse without drilling too close the the edge when the flagstones might break. |
 |
For easy access for cleaning and maintenance make the flagstones fill an area 12 inches bigger on all sides of the greenhouse. And if you want to use a water butt to collect rainwater make sure the base is big enough to accept the stand for the water butt as well.
If you don't want to use flagstones, you could create a concrete pad, place on a patio, on decking or even on sleepers.
Anchorage Of Your Elite Greenhouse To Hard Standing
|
|
When anchoring either an integral greenhouse base or a separate, factory made, aluminium base, it is secured with both bracing brackets in the corners and anchored down internally with unequal angle brackets (as shown). |
Please note: when purchasing an Elite greenhouse these anchoring brackets are included with your greenhouse.
Elite Greenhouse Bases
With all of Elite's free standing and lean-to greenhouses you will require some form of base which is fixed between your greenhouse foundation and the frame of the greenhouse.
|
To help with assembly and to provide the perfect base for your greenhouse, you will find that a large selection of Elite's greenhouses are supplied complete with an integral base. Or there is the option to purchase a matching, factory made aluminium base. |
 |
The following Elite greenhouses include an integral base:
- Compact 4ft 3in Wide
- Streamline 5ft 3in Wide
- Craftsman 6ft 3in Wide
- High Eave 6ft 3in Wide
- Thyme Glass to Ground 6ft 3in Wide
- Belmont 8ft 5in Wide
- Thyme Glass to Ground 8ft 5in Wide
- Titan 600 6ft 3in Wide
- Titan 700 7ft 5in Wide
- Zenith 800 8ft 5in Wide
- Titan 800 8ft 5in Wide.
Elite Optional Flat Cills
If your Elite greenhouse isn't supplied with an integral base or you're not purchasing a separate base and don't want to make your own, then Elite offer a 'flat cill' option.
|
This basically means that rather than having a 'Z' shape cill at the bottom of the greenhouse frame, needing an edge to hang over, the greenhouse cill is supplied with a flush bottom allowing it to be attached directly onto level concrete or pavers. |
 |
Flat cills are therefore available as an optional extra for the following greenhouse models:
- Supreme 10ft 5in Wide
- Classique 12ft 5in Wide
- Titan 1000 10ft 5in Wide
- Titan 1200 12ft 5in Wide
- Easygrow Lean-To 2ft 3in Wide
- Windsor Lean-To 4ft 4in Wide
- Kensington 4 Lean-To 4ft 5in Wide
- Kensington 6 Lean-To 6ft 5in Wide
Our blog posts are created from our personal knowledge, information gathered by speaking to other gardeners or manufacturers in the gardening industry, by reading gardening magazines and devouring information from books and the internet. We aim to be as accurate as we can, so if you find a mistake, please remember, we’re only human. if you have any queries you can contact us today!