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Greenhouse floor material

Hi all. I am putting in a Greenhouse and had intended to have a concrete base put down to mount it on. Next to that I am intending to put a small seated area as that’s obviously the sunniest, warmest part of the garden.

The guy who is doing the hard landscaping work has suggested porcelain tiling the whole area and putting the greenhouse on top of that. 

My question is does anyone have experience of that material as a greenhouse floor? I think it might be a bit of a heat sink, and I’m not sure about it from a drainage POV. On the otherhand it’ll certainly look lovely!
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  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    When I had my greenhouse (since sold with the house) I had a central path. On one side was concrete paving with my potting table and shelving. The other side was earth into which I planted tomatoes etc. I would enrich the earth each year. In early spring I put trestle tables on it for all my seedlings which overflowed from the shelving. The paving was just sat on sand so it could drain. 
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • I don’t have the option of earth- at least not in any way easily. My intent is to use the quadgrow system for tomatoes/ peppers and then have staging on the other side. Like you in the winter I’ll be able to have some extra seedling space on the tomato side.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Are the porcelain tiles expensive? They might be overkill for a greenhouse.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • I think they are. I don’t have the full breakdown of the job yet to see. That’s another potential negative. I think it saves him having to do a concrete plinth which would be harder as the side passage at our house is quite tight so everything would have to mixed out front and barrowed in. The labour intensive nature of that might balance out the cost anyway.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited January 2023
    I think porcelain is way OTT for a gh floor.
    I had an area paved with Marshall Saxon paving and it looks and works well.
    It has a textured non-slip surface which I've found ideal - even when muddy.
    I use Patio Magic or Wet & Forget once or twice a year to keep it clean - whch also works well.
    I do have a porcelain patio that is great, but i don't think it's at all suitable for a gh floor.
    It would get slippery and if you drop something heavy onto it it may crack


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • That’s pretty much all I want right there!
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
     Well, I'm afriad you'll have to get your own! 

    😂



    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I have standard concrete slabs down the path in mine and soil either side for drainage from pots.
  • I have a central path down the centre of my greenhouse, the whole floor area is covered in heavy-duty weed membrane. The path is half-size slabs so I just lift them and put them outside, lift the membrane, give it a shake, give the soil a light rake to keep it level, relay the membrane and slabs, job done for another year. I grow my tomatoes in large pots standing in circular plastic washing-up bowls as drip trays.
  • LilyWLilyW Posts: 41
    edited January 2023
    Agree with the comments here. Porcelain too slippy.

    i have. A concrete one with a soil bed cut into it. To make the floor look less utilitarian, I have bought one of those new outdoor rugs you can get from nurseries. They can get wet and muddy no problem
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