Sunglo Greenhouses Enthusiast Greenhouse Foundation 1000C User manual

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FREESTANDING GREENHOUSE
FOUNDATION GUIDE
LOCATION
The most desirable location for your greenhouse is placing the greenhouse so it is covered by
the shade pattern of a deciduous, (leaf bearing), tree during the hottest time of the day during
the hottest time of the year. That’s ideal. Barring this, morning and afternoon sun is best with
shade in the early afternoon to help cool the greenhouse and surrounding ground. If these
conditions do not exist you will need to use an external shade cloth draped over the
greenhouse, fastened with bungee cords to the foundation base to help reduce solar gain during
the late spring and through the summer.
THE FOOTINGS
IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT YOU START WITH A SQUARE, SOLID AND LEVEL
FOOTING TO ATTACH YOUR GREENHOUSE. Our greenhouses are designed to be attached
to a wood sill plate. If you decide to locate your greenhouse directly on the ground use a 4” x 6”
pressure treated wood sill plate set on edge and buried in the ground with approximately ½” to
1” of the wood plate showing above the ground. We recommend using pressure treated wood
due to its long life span. You can use high quality cedar or redwood, however these will not
have the same life span as pressure treated products.
If there is an existing concrete pad which you can use, you will still need to attach a wood plate.
Fasten a 2” x 4” pressure treated wood sill plate to the concrete pad using concrete wedge
anchors, or similar fasteners. Make sure the fasteners are counter sunk into the wood so they
are level to the top of the wood plate.
DRAINAGE
Drainage needs to be considered to remove excess water from your greenhouse site. If you
have poor drainage you may need to install a “French” drain. This is a simple bed of crushed
rock or gravel with perforated piping graded and buried below your greenhouse to lead water
away from your site.
If your site has high moisture content you will need to install a vapor barrier. The vapor barrier is
a 6 mil black plastic. Do not use a weed block. These will not prevent excess humidity from
entering your greenhouse. Line the interior of your foundation base right up to the wood with
the plastic and cover the plastic with crushed rock, paving stones etc. This will prevent the
greenhouse from wicking up excess ground moisture into the greenhouse. This is very
important in wet areas. Afterwards, if the greenhouse is too dry, you can “poke” a couple of
holes through the plastic to allow some ground moisture to enter the greenhouse.
If you are using a concrete pad make sure the pad has been sealed with a concrete sealer prior
to the installation of your greenhouse.

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FLOORS
If your greenhouse location is directly on the ground, using crushed rock or gravel over top of
your vapor barrier will work fine and is inexpensive. If you’d like to install paving stones down
the center of your greenhouse make sure you grade your gravel to allow the additional height of
the paving stones. Keep the height of the paving stones level to the top of the wood plate
FOUNDATION DIMENSIONS
Your foundation needs to be level and square. A true level and square foundation base will
reduce installation problems later on. All dimensions listed are measured from the outside to
the outside of the foundation base. These dimensions allow a 1” border around our attachment
rails. This is designed to allow a safe margin for irregularities in the wood plate.
1000C Enthusiast Greenhouse Foundation Dimensions 7’ 11” x 10’ 2”
1000D Expert Greenhouse Foundation Dimensions 7’ 11” x 12’ 8”
ELECTRICITY LOCATION
Your greenhouse requires electricity to operate the exhaust fan, heater etc. We recommend
planning the route you will need for your electricity utility line so it terminates under the
foundation plate inside the greenhouse on the back wall dead center. Sunglo recommends that
you check with your local building department for local codes and requirements. Sunglo also
recommends using a licensed qualified electrician for all final connections. Below are the
requirements for electricity
FOR GREENHOUSES USING 110 VOLT POWER YOU’LL NEED 110 VOLT / 20 AMPS
FOR GREENHOUSES USING 220 VOLT POWER YOU’LL NEED 220 VOLTS / 30 AMPS
CLEANING & MAINTENANCE
Your Sunglo Greenhouse is extremely durable. However, proper care will promote a long life,
increase sunlight transmission and your enjoyment. We recommend cleaning both the inside
and outside at least twice yearly. Using a garden hose and a bucket of warm water with one
ounce of household bleach per gallon & enough liquid dish soap for suds, carefully hose down
the greenhouse and lather the greenhouse exterior with a soft terry cloth. Carefully loosen the
dust and dirt and rise thoroughly. On the inside carefully cover or remove any electrical controls
or devices with a plastic garbage bag and gently clean the inside of the greenhouse using a
misting stream of water and a soft terry cloth.
Make sure you clean out the weep holes on the exterior of the greenhouse as well. In addition if
you have any algae growth pour a solution of 2 ounces of bleach per one gallon of warm water
into the lower U rail and the upper H rails to help inhibit growth. Other than the twice annual
cleaning your greenhouse should not require any other maintenance.

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TYPICAL 4” X 6” PRESSURE TREATED WOOD
FOUNDATION BASE SET IN GROUND
GREENHOUSE
LOWER “U” RAIL
GROUND LEVEL
CRUSHED
ROCK OR
GRAVEL
6 MIL
VAPOR
BARRIER
4” X 6”
PRESSURE
TREATED
WOOD
BASE SET
INTO
GROUND

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SUNGLO GREENHOUSE FOUNDATION GUIDE
1. USE QUALITY PRESSURE TREATED WOOD (4” X 6”) AS YOUR FOUNDATION BASE
2. MEASURE TWICE BEFORE CUTTING YOUR WOOD TO INSURE PROPER DIMENSIONS
3. EXCAVATE A SHALLOW FOOTPRINT SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN THE DIMENSIONS OF
THE GREENHOUSE APPROXIAMTELY 6” DEEP. LEVEL THIS AREA OFF WITH ABOUT 1”
TO 2” OF 5/8” CRUSHED ROCK AND PLACE YOUR WOOD FRAME, NARROW SIDE UP,
INTO THE FOOTPRINT. THE WOOD PLATE SHOULD BE ABOUT ½” TO 1” ABOVE GROUND
LEVEL.
4. USING CORNER METAL BRACING/LAG BOLTS/TOE NAILING ETC. BUTT FASTEN THE
WOOD PLATES TOGETHER MAKING SURE THEY ARE THE CORRECT LENGTHS AND
MAKE SURE THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY LEVEL AND SQUARE. TAMP THE EARTH BACK
TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE WOOD FRAME
5. COVER THE INSIDE GRAVEL WITH A VAPOR BARRIER. IE. 6MIL BLACK PLASTIC THEN
COVER THE PLASTIC WITH MORE 5/8” CRUSHED ROCK. LEVEL & TAMP THE ROCK
DOWN TO ABOUT ½” BELOW THE TOP OF THE WOOD PLATE
6. IF YOU DECIDE ON USING PAVING STONES FOR A PATHWAY MAKE PROVISIONS FOR
THE DIMENSIONS OF THE PAVERS SO THEY SIT NO HIGHER THAN THE TOP OF THE
WOOD FOUNDATION PLATE
NOTE: ALL DIMENSIONS ARE OUTSIDE TO OUTSIDE! AFTER YOUR LOWER RAILS ARE
INSTALLED YOU SHOULD HAVE A 1” LIP ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE GREENHOUSE FRAME.
1000C EN –10’ 2” - or - 1000D EX –12’ 8”
1000
SERIES
7’ 11”
FOUNDATION PLATES MUST BE
ABSOLUTELY LEVEL AND SQUARE
FROM THE INSIDE CORNERS,
MEASURE DIAGONALLY FROM
POINT TO POINT. BOTH MUST
BE EQUAL TO BE SQUARE.
3 ½”
TOP
PLATE
BRING IN YOUR
ELECTRIC SERVICE
ON THE INSIDE EDGE
DEAD CENTER ON
THE BACK WALL OF
THE WOOD BASE
PLATE
FASTEN
CORNERS WITH
ANGLE BRACES &
TOE NAIL OR LAG
THROUGH WITH
GALVANIZED LAG
BOLTS

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TYPICAL WOOD PLATE TO EXISTING CONCRETE PAD
ATTACHEMENT
CONCRETE PAD
USING THE SUPPLIED DIMENSIONS FASTEN A
2” X 4” PRESSURE TREATED FRAME
TOGETHER. COUNTER SINK TWO HOLES ON
EACH OF THE FOUR SIDES OF THE FRAME.
USING A MASONARY DRILL BIT, DRILL INTO THE
CONCRETE PAD & FASTEN THE FRAME TO THE
CONCRETE USING WEDGE ANCHORS. MAKE
SURE THE ANCHOR IS SET FLUSH TO THE TOP
OF THE WOOD BASE.
2” X 4” WOOD PLATE
EXISTING CONCRETE PAD
COUNTER SINK FASTENERS