Eek - Nail it down!?

[smallblueplanet]

I've been sitting here reading all the threads about folks g/h's and plastic pods being blown away. Thinking well ours is fine, I'm luckier than those poor peeps.....................and, well, I am still lucky, but only just.

Last night was very windy and some pots went over, but that was all or so I thought. OH goes to put fleece over the g/h contents tonight and calls me down to look - did I see anything strange?

Well, the whole g/h had moved across its base about 9" sideways, but very fortunately had not dropped off or twisted. It was here at the house when we moved in so I hadn't realised it wasn't fastened down to its base in any way.

So how do I try and secure it? Its a 8'x6' aluminium-framed glass affair, (just) sitting on a low wall of concrete bricks (the fake garden stone sort). There doesn't appear to be any holes in the metal frame at the bottom, so what would be the best way to attach it? Thanks Grapes.

[pigletwillie]

Drill and fix it with screws and penny washers to prevent the screws from pulling through. You could even use small floor bolts but they are expensive and as a greenhouse isnt the most rigid of constructions probably not worth bothering with.

[smallblueplanet]

Hey pw what d'ya mean my g/h is probably not worth bothering with? I started wondering how I'd cope without it and got very depressed!

What sort of size screws/washers, drillbit size please?

[Nicos]

If there are no holes in the base for fixing it to the concrete- you could try drilling a few on each side and into the concrete and then use??? bolts/long screws.....( come on guys....help me out on this one!!!) to secure it down.
At least you didn't get a load of broken glass!!
I've just spent nearly £70 replacing my glass and plastic ( thank goodness it rained so much over the weekend and we were unable to actually put it in- otherwise I'd be having to replace even more!!)

[rustylady]

Having said that PGW, if you lose the whole greenhouse (which could happen esp if it has glass instead of plastic glazing) it would be a lot cheaper to buy proper fixings. I have a similar prob with my plastic glazed house. It sits on a concrete base but has not been bolted down. No need until recently when the winds have actually moved it. I would suggest (and am going to try) securing to the base with rawlbolts. If you have room on the frame itself drill through that, if not visit a hardware store and buy angle brackets you can fix to the frame and rawlbolt through them.

[Nicos]

Similar thoughts there piglet!!

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks rustylady I might have some angle brackets in a jamjar in the utility room somewhere.

Sorry about your broken glass Nicos - our g/h is so old that repairing it would be a very tricky business.

[pigletwillie]

I think you missed the point about the fixings, Whats the point of nailing the greenhouse down that well that if it blows hard enough the bottom rails stay in place but the greenhouse is flat and in next doors garden.

Sizes

6mm drill bit
Brown rawl plugs
size 10 2 1/2" screws with penny washers the size of a 2p piece (or an old penny).

[Mrs Dobby]

We concreted our 8' by 10' aluminium one down, put a few boards around the outside and Mr D mixed up a load of concrete, so its now 4 to 6" deep around the base and 4 to 6" wide. It stood up to the gales really well, we lost some glass, but it didnt move or take off, unlike about half of the other greenhouses on the plot!

[Nicos]

OK - point made!!
Never thought of that!
Looks like I'll be banned from Blue Peter for a while now then

[smallblueplanet]

I think you missed the point about the fixings, Whats the point of nailing the greenhouse down that well that if it blows hard enough the bottom rails stay in place but the greenhouse is flat and in next doors garden...

Well yeah but the point was it was just nearly knocked off its base, not flattened, so if I can stop it sliding off its little wall it may stay in one piece if it happens again. It would be bloody annoying to lose it because it wasn't fastened down. Flattened is another matter.

Thanks for the fixing sizes.

[nick the grief]

Mine is held down using Angle brackets and screwed to some 4" x 2" tanalised that is bolted to a concrete block and it has held OK so far.

[smallblueplanet]

Could you describe that in a bit more detail Nick?

[nick the grief]

I'll draw a piccy ...it's easier

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks Rolf!