The Greenhouse floor project moves ahead.

[BrassavolaStars]

I will try to post some detailed pictures and maybe a video tomorrow showing the entire structure and surrounding area as I think that will be helpful.

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by BrassavolaStars

I think it might be too difficult to run pipes along the bottom of a buried 5-gallon bucket. That would mean I would have to dig very deep trenches I would think.

I had in mind a singular outflow pipe glued into the side/ bottom of the bucket, running under the tile, out the back, the bucket being put toward the back, which is the lowest point?

[WaterWitchin]

Now I "get" the outside brick perimeter. I'd put a couple of tamped inches of gravel under the outside perimeter bricks, and when laying the brick on outside I'd put a closed cell low expansion foam up next to the base of greenhouse when laying the brick. I use "waterfall" foam. I even lay rock retaining wall that way, as it keeps dirt from sifting through.

Which way does the ground slope away? From the 8' sides or the 12' sides? I would put a 1/4" slope per foot on the pavers and slope it toward lowest area away from house. Plus I would crown the pavers toward the outside perimeter as well. A picture of your interlock pavers would be helpful. Have you figured out how to screed and slope yet?

Nine gallons of water isn't very much. You could double that and it will wouldn't be much.

---------- Post added at 11:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 AM ----------

Originally Posted by BrassavolaStars

I could probably sneak a small drainage pipe under one of the back corners to be safe. That would at least carry the water at least a little bit away from the structure. The grade in the yard is already a bit that direction anyway. I could then try to grade my pavers ever so slightly so that water runs towards the drain.

How would I do this? Would this be done during the screeding step?

All the slope you're doing takes place during the screeding process.

Would the water just end up between the pavers and not run over the top of them to the drain even if they are graded?

It's going to run both over the top and between. The only way it's going to just run across the top is if you put something in between the cracks (like polymer sand). And I don't think that's the type of pavers you purchased.

I am also not sure though how I would get water to drain from outside the greenhouse though since this pipe would be buried and water tends to just run over the top of our yard. I guess I would just have to make a deep gravel filled pit and expect it to possibly overflow which wouldn't be too much of an issue. That said, I don't want anything that could be used by mosquitoes

Once we figure out which way it slopes, you could easily do a french drain at that side of the greenhouse, slope your pavers that way, modify the outside brick perimeter to incorporate a french drain at that end. And if you choose to put pipe underneath, yes, dig a pit, line with a piece of EDPM, fill with gravel, and put in a bog garden on that side. Buy a small packet of mosquito crumbles and throw some in now and then.

I definitely don't have the infrastructure for an electric sump though.

With 9 to 20 gallons of water, a sump pump wouldn't be necessary

...

[Ray]

Let us not forget winter - any pipe or ditch carrying water will freeze.

[WaterWitchin]

I never forget winter. It's not going to freeze inside the greenhouse, and neither would a bog garden drain if done correctly in Brassavola's zone.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

I never forget winter. It's not going to freeze inside the greenhouse, and neither would a bog garden drain if done correctly in Brassavola's zone.

My RO flush water was directed to a cement pond outside the greenhouse. A hundred miles or more south of B’s zone, it froze over every winter.

[WaterWitchin]

I’m in 6a and have an outside bog where my RO water drains, plus downstairs sink, and used to have grey water bog drain from washer. Never had an issue. That’s why I said if correctly constructed for her zone.

[BrassavolaStars]

Here is the webpage of the exact paver model I have.

Stone Ridge - Nicolock

I can’t show a picture of mine because they are not visible under the other materials.

Also, the slope downward is on the south facing 12 foot side and also a little bit on the west facing 8 foot side near to the SW corner. Just outside that corner and to the side of the 12 foot side is the lowest and flattest part of the backyard where most of the ground water ends up when it rains. That said, once any sizeable amount of water ends up here, it spreads out enough to get to the slopes downward towards the front yard towards the sidewalk. I don’t think I’ve even seen water remain there for more than an hour or so.

Outside the SW GH corner a few feet there is also an empty post hole that has become a bit of a pit. A lot of water ends of in this spot too.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Use that. The pit.

From the way you describe it I would fill that pot with gravel and then keep adding gravel up until I reached the grade level of the GH, then make the interior wall with the bricks and fill as you were planning.

On the area where the pit is, add a few out pipes, so that the water doesn’t stay inside the bricks


Given the amount of water you describe, it would be well managed