How to secure a greenhouse to a patio or concrete base

Last updated on July 14th, 2021

Just recently, I purchased a new greenhouse, nothing too fancy, just an aluminium 4 x 6ft polycarbonate greenhouse by Palram. I created a new patio area for it using some 45cm x 45cm concrete paving flags and laid them on a dry mix of concrete to hold them in place.

With my base now ready and my greenhouse constructed, it was time to secure the greenhouse to my patio. I will mention that this guide is ideal if you have a fairly lightweight greenhouse you can move around a few inches once built. If you have a heavier greenhouse that once built cannot be moved, then you can still use the process but you will need to build just the greenhouse base first and then secure that to the ground before building the rest of the greenhouse. In my case, I was able to build the full greenhouse beforehand as it was easy enough to move around.

If you don’t already have a patio to use as a base, read my guide to learn how to make a greenhouse base from paving slabs

What you will need to secure your greenhouse to the ground

• Hammer drill
• 6-8mm Masonary drill bit
• Rawl Plugs
• Screws (4mm x 50mm)
• Washers
• Black marker or pen
• Screwdriver (cordless screwdriver or drill driver is easier)

How I secured my greenhouse to the ground

So the first thing I had to do was make sure the greenhouse was placed where I wanted it to be permanently secured. Inside the greenhouse, there will be some holes in the base where it can be screwed to a hard surface (such as a patio or concrete base) if this is what you have. In my case, I had a small patio I put down especially for my greenhouse.

Mark the holes in the base with a marker pen so you know where to drill your holes

The size of your greenhouse will ultimately decide how many screws you will need to secure your greenhouse. My small 4ft x 6ft Palram greenhouse has two holes in each corner and one in the centre of each side so a total of 12 holes for securing the greenhouse.

Now mark these holes with a black marker pen so you know where you will need to drill the holes for securing the greenhouse. Sometimes it can be easier to mark it with a sharp pencil.

Drilling the holes for the rawl plugs

Now move the greenhouse to the side a few inches so you can see where you have marked on the ground with your marker pen.

Next, drill where you have marked your holes with a 6-8mm masonry drill bit using a hammer drill. It is important to make sure it is in hammer mode or you will quickly wear down your drill bit. I actually used an 8mm drill bit when securing my greenhouse.

If you are unsure, start with a smaller drill bit first. It is easier to make the hole a little larger will a larger drill bit, however, it isn’t that easy to make it smaller again.

Insert the rawl plugs into the into the holes

Now insert your rawl plugs into the holes you have just drilled, and tap them in with a hammer.

Once you have inserted all your rawl plugs, carefully move your greenhouse back to its final position. You will need to make sure that the holes in the greenhouse base line up with the holes with the raw plugs inserted.

Now secure your greenhouse to the ground with screws

Now it is time to screw your greenhouse base to the floor with your screws and screwdriver. This is much easier with a cordless screwdriver or drill driver. I used 4mm x 50mm screws but you may need more substantial screws for larger greenhouses.

I also recommend putting the screws through some washers first before securing the greenhouse to the ground. This will stop the screws from being pulled through the base as most domestic greenhouse bases are usually made from thin aluminium.

That’s it, your greenhouse should now be securely fixed to the ground like mine is and ready to use. Now it is time to enjoy growing all your favourite seeds or overwinter tender plants.

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