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sunsetsammy
05-24-2009, 04:44 AM
Hello,

I just covered my new greenhouse. (Hopefully some pics soon).

I'm just wondering about flooring options.

I have free access to some cedar mulch and was thinking of putting a few inches of that over some weed barrier.

Pros? Cons?

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Sam

lorax
05-24-2009, 09:58 AM
You didn't do an integral floor when you built it? Cedar mulch and weed barrier will work fine if it's a dirt-floored structure, but you'll have to replace both the mulch and the barrier every so often.

I'd look into Plasteel (that plastic stuff that they make from recycled pop bottles and tetra paks) planks over weed barrier, myself.

ClevelandCATHY
05-24-2009, 06:22 PM
As your mulch decomposes, it will turn into mud when you water. I'd go with gravel and weed barrier.

Scuba_Dave
05-24-2009, 07:00 PM
My floor is dirt
I plant seedlings in the ground
I need to build some shelves - next year

Bob
05-25-2009, 08:22 AM
Hi Sam, at my hunt cabin we have a dirt floor that eventually was covered in cedar mulch. After breaking down a bit ,breathing the resulting dust all the time is kind of annoying. I'd consider something else.

sunfish
05-25-2009, 08:43 AM
Gravel with stepping stones.The gravel also will hold some heat.

sunsetsammy
05-25-2009, 11:12 AM
Okay thanks everyone I guess I'll look for something else.

I just finished moving a ton of rock out of this area to build the green house. I can't believe I'd bring in gravel!!! :)

alpha010
05-27-2009, 05:52 PM
Black colored rubber mulch or black stone, maybe even dark flagstone for walkways. Put one of those over weed barrier. The darker colors will absorb more heat and the larger flagstone or 18" x 18" pavers painted black should add to the overnight heat retention.

john_ny
05-27-2009, 06:33 PM
2,000 square foot greenhouse for over 30 years, and the only thing on the dirt was weed barrier (woven) cloth.

ewitte
05-27-2009, 06:35 PM
cement ftw :D

damaclese
05-28-2009, 01:46 PM
the green house we are building this year will have a sup floor made of polyvinyl with a layer of puncture protection with drains we will recover the water that falls to the floor on top of that will be gravel and in the spots in front of the planting tables there will be a flooring grates made of rescaled auto tiers keeps the feet rested and out of wet gravel and dirt that will fall on to the floor over the years of plating and replanting

alpha010
05-28-2009, 01:54 PM
That sounds awesome paul! A bit of work but awesome, none-the-less.

damaclese
05-28-2009, 02:20 PM
That sounds awesome paul! A bit of work but awesome, none-the-less. thanks its not as bad as it sounds as the green house sits on a base of graveal that wel piled up when we removed it from the rest of the property so the drains sit on the ground the only diging is for the recovery tank and footings the rest is all built up on top of the graval it was a simple salostion to what to do with 40 tons of graval ever one pritty much has graval on there yards here but its a hinderince to the the soil we moved it to put bio char around the house my nighbors thought i was nuts but i simply aske then why do you have to have graval and not one of them said they knew why its just that every one has it i really blow ther minds exsplaing how it hirts there plants and makes there houses hoter my property is 10deg cooler then thers now

alpha010
05-28-2009, 03:01 PM
nice, very nice, where did you get bio-char?

damaclese
05-31-2009, 08:55 AM
nice, very nice, where did you get bio-char?

made some and some i got from Lows in the from of 100% organic Char coal which i firther procesed down to the bio char leval

alpha010
06-01-2009, 05:02 AM
Paul, to save me a bunch of research....unless you have the way you make the char in another thread, could you pm me the way you make it please?

lorax
06-01-2009, 09:06 AM
Shaggy, it is all explained here in our wonderful, in-depth Biochar thread. (http://www.bananas.org/f312/biochar-7391.html?highlight=biochar)

alpha010
06-01-2009, 12:19 PM
Thanks, Beth.

damaclese
06-03-2009, 10:04 AM
i use a 55 gl clean oil barrel with 3 1/4" holes at the base and one hole in the top pack it vary full with dry garden debre or organic BBQ char coal that the best it process in less then a day light on fire then cover with the lid and wait do not smoke near the drum as highly combustible hydrogen and methane gasses are released throw that hole on the top

Pete has just been burning it on the ground and putting a couple of inches of dirt on top he says it takes a week or so looks like that way makes a lot of ash to me but he likes this process

alpha010
06-03-2009, 10:33 AM
Nice work, Paul! Now to find a barrel near me..... Basically, burn with as little oxygen consumption as possible and just small enough vent to keep it burning?

lorax
06-03-2009, 10:38 AM
That's the idea. Here, Biochar is made the way Pete does it - light it on fire and bury it.

damaclese
06-03-2009, 04:21 PM
That's the idea. Here, Biochar is made the way Pete does it - light it on fire and bury it.

i find the burning method the best i did the drum method do to burning restrictions here one cinder up on a roof or in a pine tree and the hold city could go up in flame as an interesting anecdote (not sure thats spelled right) i one watched a 5000squ ft house burn from top to its foundation in 40 mints I'm not kidding! thats how fast they burn down here

lorax
06-03-2009, 06:06 PM
Yikes. I'm so glad I live in a humid place. (and yes, you spelled Anecdote correctly)

damaclese
06-04-2009, 11:12 AM
Yikes. I'm so glad I live in a humid place. (and yes, you spelled Anecdote correctly)

LOL thanks theres just some words that spell check cant find vary "frustrating"