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BC Greenhouse Builders' General Manager, Kyle Exner, sat down with Kevin at Epic Gardening to chat about the first considerations when looking for a greenhouse. Everything from Greenhouse location, to foundation information, and growing styles, this duo has you covered. Listen to the postcast below for more!
Construction is well underway in preparation for my greenhouse! It took time and careful consideration to get the site just right. Since this is my ‘forever’ greenhouse, I needed to make sure that I took into account a number of factors before getting started.
What Are the Key Considerations for Building a Greenhouse on an Older Property?
Building a greenhouse on an older property requires careful planning to address obstacles like shallow tree roots and undocumented gas lines, making hand digging and utility checks essential for safety. Choosing the right foundation—such as gravel, treated lumber, and cinder blocks—must accommodate site-specific challenges like power line placement and height restrictions. Thorough pre-construction investigation and professional coordination ensure a safe, durable greenhouse that maximizes growing potential while protecting existing infrastructure.
Designing your ideal greenhouse involves selecting a color that complements your garden and reflects light effectively, building a raised foundation for better headroom and airflow, and choosing durable glazing like twinwall polycarbonate for energy efficiency—ensuring both aesthetic appeal and optimal plant growth.
When buying a new greenhouse, the big news is that whatever you choose, it is never big enough because as gardeners we know how to expand our production to fill our space. That is when my last greenhouse was 16' x 20' and I grew citrus trees in central beds, trays and trays of starter plants on suspended shelves, strawberries in rain troughs sitting on brackets attached to the walls, tomatoes in beds along the inside walls and cucumbers climbing a trellis to the really high roof.
If you have dealt with BC Greenhouses in the past, you might have been asked about your door drop. And you even may have wondered what we were talking about. Here is a quick explanation to the door drop and why it is important for your hobby greenhouse plans.
A door drop is a custom modification that lowers the greenhouse door into the foundation (or allows the door to be flush with the ground). Prior to manufacturing the greenhouse, BC Greenhouse Builders will ask for the dimensions of the “drop” which is the total height of the greenhouse foundation (which could be a concrete footing, one row of 4x4’s, or a custom rock wall for example). We will place an order for a custom piece of glass to install above the door for a perfect fit!
