Sotobrus ® "FOUNDER" ® - a universal base for a greenhouse or greenhouse
Category: greenhouse base
Price segment: medium
Start of serial production: 2025
Shape: cellular polycarbonate beam with ledge
Dimensions of the bar: 64x43 mm
Beam length: 2 m; 3 m; 4 m; 6 m; 8 m; up to 13.5 m (on request)
Warranty: 10 years
Base for a greenhouse with your own hands
Cellular polycarbonate timber FOUNDER® (Fig. 1) – a reliable base for greenhouses and greenhouses, which is installed on the ground without a foundation. This is a simple and lightweight greenhouse stand, which is a more profitable alternative in relation to such materials as a wooden beam or a metal foundation for a greenhouse. Cellular polycarbonate beams are 1.5-2 times cheaper than steel foundations and 10-15 times lighter than wooden beams, traditionally used as a pedestal for greenhouses. Sotobrus® FOUNDER® can be used as a base for greenhouses made of polycarbonate, film or non-woven covering material such as "Spunbond".
Cellular polycarbonate timber along its entire length has a special stepped cutout for a metal profile pipe 20x20 / 30 / 40, which is the basis for the manufacture of most greenhouse frames. This includes greenhouses with a reinforced double-arch frame, where the lower horizontal lintel is located at a height of at least 25 mm from the base of the structure. Thanks to the specially designed shape of the Sotobrus®, its individual sections are easily connected to each other using small pieces of metal profile pipe 20x20 without additional fasteners.
Due to the longitudinal stepped cutout along the entire length of the polycarbonate beam, a two-sided, tighter contact of the metal frame with the plastic base of the greenhouse and its more hermetic fit are provided, as a result of which the stability of the entire structure increases, heat losses are reduced, and an additional protective barrier against insect penetration is created. Thanks to its hollow cellular structure, Sotobrus ® FOUNDER® insulates the metal frame well from contact with the ground, creating an effective hydro-and heat-insulating contour for the greenhouse base around the perimeter.
Buying polycarbonate timber FOUNDER®, you get not only a universal base for a greenhouse or greenhouse without the need to create an expensive foundation, but also the possibility of easy self-installation of the greenhouse on the beam with your own hands. This will save you money, speed up the installation process, and generally increase the efficiency of any indoor garden.
How to install a polycarbonate greenhouse on the ground without a foundation
Polycarbonate timber FOUNDER® (Fig. 2) is a universal base (stand) designed for installing greenhouses on the ground without a foundation. Depending on the type of coating of your greenhouse (polycarbonate, film or spunbond), the thickness of the material used, as well as the snow load indicators in the region, before starting installation, you must choose the method of installing the bar – vertical or horizontal.
Advantages of the FOUNDER® polycarbonate bar:
- Universal. Universal base for a greenhouse or hotbed;
- Plain. Easy installation of the greenhouse on the ground without a foundation;
- Comfortable. Does not require additional fasteners;
- Energy-saving. Reduces heat loss in the greenhouse by up to 20% ;
- Beneficial. Cheaper than a metal foundation by 1.5-2 times;
- Easy. Lighter than a wooden bar by 10-15 times;
- Practical. No need for processing, impregnation or painting;
- Effective. A protective barrier against the penetration of insects.
Technical characteristics of the FOUNDER® polycarbonate bar
| Basic parameters | Special timber for a greenhouse made of polycarbonate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width, mm | 64 | ||||
| Height, mm | 43 | ||||
| Length, m | 2; 3; 4; 6; 8 (up to 13 "on request") | ||||
| Service life, years | 10 | ||||
| Load-bearing capacity with vertical mounting method, kg / sq. m. | up to 450 | ||||
| Load-bearing capacity for horizontal mounting, kg / sq. m. | up to 1000 | ||||
| Cross-section |
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| Impact strength, kJ / m2 | 60 | ||||
| Rockwell hardness, HR (M) | 75 | ||||
| Operating temperature, ºC | from -50 to +120 | ||||
| Deformation temperature, ºC | 130 | ||||
| Thermal expansion, mm/m | ≤ 4,0 | ||||
| Thermal Conductivity, W/(m * K) | 0,09-0,1 | ||||
| Water absorption, % | 0,4 | ||||
Installation methods and application of Sotobrus ® FOUNDER® :
- The vertical installation method of Sotobrus ® FOUNDER® (Fig. 3) is ideal for seasonal greenhouses and greenhouses made of film, spunbond or cellular polycarbonate with a thickness of 4-6 mm, installed on the ground without a foundation and having limited space inside the greenhouse. With the vertical installation method, the load-bearing capacity of Sotobrus® is 450 kg/m.* This is several times higher than the required safety margin of the base for any greenhouse or standard greenhouse made of polycarbonate of 60-140 kg/sq.m. calculated as the weight of the metal frame + the weight of cellular polycarbonate + the amount of snow load for the I-IV snow regions of Russia. An additional advantage is that the vertical installation of polycarbonate beams creates more usable space inside the greenhouse.
- Horizontally installed Sotobrus ® FOUNDER® (Fig. 4) is an excellent base for a greenhouse made of cellular polycarbonate with a thickness of 8-10 mm or special monolithic polycarbonate "PLASTICUX FOR GREENHOUSES" with a thickness of 0.8 mm.
The horizontal installation method of polycarbonate beams is suitable for all standard greenhouses: 2x3, 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, 3x4, 3x6, 3x8, 4x6, 4x8 meters, as well as for greenhouses with a reinforced double arc of the frame or a large number of garters for vegetables and interior accessories. With the horizontal installation method of Sotobrus®, its characteristics significantly increase and the load-bearing capacity of the prefabricated plastic foundation for greenhouses increases by more than 6 times (up to 1000 kg/sq.m.)*.
Sotobrus ® FOUNDER® in a horizontal position can also serve as a simple and inexpensive foundation for a gazebo, which can be made with your own hands. This is easily achieved if the base of the gazebo is made of a 20x20 metal profile pipe or this pipe is welded (screwed) to the lower part of the gazebo around the perimeter.
Video presentation of the foundation for the Sotobrus ® greenhouse "FOUNDER"®
Rules for storage, transportation and installation of polycarbonate beams for greenhouses
Until the FOUNDER® polycarbonate bar is used as a greenhouse support, its storage and transportation should be carried out exclusively in a horizontal position. Do not store cellular polycarbonate beams in direct sunlight or without a rain cover (Fig. 5)!
How to make a greenhouse base from polycarbonate timber FOUNDER®
To properly make a greenhouse base made of polycarbonate, film or spunbond using Sotobrus ® FOUNDER®, follow these steps: :
1. Make sure that the frame of your greenhouse is made of a metal profile pipe 20x20, 20x30 or 20x40 (WxDxH), and its lower part does not contain protruding elements in the places of future connection with the polycarbonate beam. If there are bolts with a protruding hex head at the base of the greenhouse frame, they must be replaced with bolts with a round countersunk head (Fig. 6).
2. Prepare a flat area on the ground on an elevated part of the plot to prevent flooding of the crop.
3. Assemble the metal frame of the greenhouse in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions, taking into account the requirements specified in paragraph 1 of these Rules. Firmly fix all the joints of the frame to ensure the rigidity of the structure when installing the greenhouse on the beam.
4. Make measurements of the lower part of the metal frame, which will be installed on the base for the greenhouse around the perimeter.
5. Prepare four cellular polycarbonate beams for the size of the greenhouse base. For example, to make a greenhouse base made of 3x6 polycarbonate, you need two profiles with a length of 3 m and two profiles with a length of 6 m. If your greenhouse is larger, use a small piece of 20x20 metal profile pipe to connect the two profiles. It is inserted into a special square cell of the FOUNDER® polycarbonate bar (Fig. 7) and does not require additional fasteners. Thus, by connecting several Sotobrus profiles togetherFor example, you can make any width and length of the greenhouse base yourself with your own hands.
6. Cut and adjust the corner sections of the FOUNDER® Honeycomb bar at an angle of 45 degrees so that the longitudinal stepped cutout intended for installing the greenhouse frame always remains on the upper outer side of the profile (Fig. 8). For cutting polycarbonate honeycomb bars, it is recommended to use a circular saw with a stop equipped with small undissolved teeth, reinforced with hard alloys. Saws with a speed of at least 3,200 rpm are best suited. At the same time, the polycarbonate profile itself must be firmly fixed to prevent vibration.
To ensure a tight connection of the corners and prevent the earth from entering the precast plastic foundation for the greenhouse, it is recommended to use a 45-degree protractor for precise cutting. After finishing the cutting procedure, remove any remaining dust and fine chips from the cut edges of the profile with compressed air or a vacuum cleaner.
7. Dig a groove in the ground 15 cm wide and 2 or 4 cm deep, depending on the method of installing the polycarbonate beam under the greenhouse. For the vertical position of the profile in the ground, it is necessary to make a recess of 4 cm, for the horizontal – 2 cm.
Connect all the corners of the Sotobrus® to each other and fix them on the outside with ordinary adhesive tape or masking tape (Fig. 9). This is enough to easily and quickly install a prefabricated plastic foundation for the greenhouse on the ground. The reliability of the corner joints of polycarbonate beams is ensured by the rigidity of the installed metal frame and its attachment to the plastic base of the greenhouse. Additional fasteners are not needed to connect the beam in the corners.
For those who are used to using traditional methods of connecting corners, you can take the fixing galvanized corners 80x80x60x1. 5 mm (for vertically positioned timber) and 80x80x40x1. 5 mm (for horizontally positioned timber) and install them in such a way that the lower part of each corner coincides with the lower part of the Sotobrus® (Fig.10). With proper installation of galvanized mounting corners, you should get four 90o corner beds to accommodate the metal frame of the greenhouse.
Fixing of the galvanized mounting corners to the plastic base of the greenhouse must be done from the outside of the FOUNDER® polycarbonate bar using self-tapping screws for drywall on metal 3. 5x30 mm with frequent (small) threads. This can be done either manually or with a screwdriver, having previously set it to the minimum speed with the smallest tightening torque, without allowing the screws to scroll inside the plastic base.
8. Place the assembled polycarbonate greenhouse stand in the recess on the ground, ensuring its correct positioning and stability. At the same time, the lower part of the step cutout of each polycarbonate beam that is part of the precast plastic foundation for the greenhouse should remain at ground level (Fig. 11). Then install the metal frame on the stepped cutout of the Sotobrus® and then use one of two ways to attach the greenhouse to the bar.
Fixing the greenhouse frame to Sotobrus ® FOUNDER® with self-tapping screws:
Mount the greenhouse frame to the Sotobrus® FOUNDER® using self-tapping screws on metal with a frequent (small) thread of 3. 5x35 mm (for a horizontally located bar) and 3. 5x50 mm (for a vertically located bar) every 50-60 cm of the greenhouse base. If galvanized fixing corners with holes were used to connect the corners of the plastic frame, then the metal frame of the greenhouse must also be attached to these mounting corners using self-tapping screws with a metal drill with a press washer of 4. 2x15 mm.
Attachment of the greenhouse frame to the Sotobrus® is made through a metal profile pipe (Fig. 11) through pre-drilled vertical holes in the metal with a diameter of 4 mm. If the frame manufacturer has provided its own mounting holes for connecting to the foundation, use them. The depth of screwing of self-tapping screws into the cellular polycarbonate bar FOUNDER® should be 10-15 mm (for horizontal installation of the profile) and 25-30 mm (for vertical installation of the profile). This ensures a reliable and long-lasting connection of all elements of the plastic foundation for the greenhouse.
Fixing the greenhouse frame to Sotobrus ® FOUNDER® with screeds:
The second method of fixing the greenhouse to the bar is a faster and more convenient connection of the metal frame to the polycarbonate frame using mounting plastic ties every 30-50 cm around the perimeter of the greenhouse base (Fig. 12). For reliable attachment of the greenhouse to the timber, it is recommended to use frost-resistant black nylon ties (clamps) with UV stabilization with a length of 250 mm and a tape width of 3.6 to 4 mm. Plastic screeds of the following sizes are suitable for this purpose: 3.6 x 250 mm; 3.8 x 250 mm; 4 x 250 mm. The thinner the installation screeds, the more they need to be used per linear meter of the greenhouse base around the perimeter. As a rule, for each meter of cellular polycarbonate timber, from 3 to 5 screeds are used (4x250 mm - 3 pcs./m; 3. 8x250 mm - 4 pcs./m; 3. 6x250 mm - 5 pcs./m).
If, after installing the greenhouse on the bar and fixing it by any of the above methods, there are gaps between the metal frame and the plastic base of the greenhouse, for example, due to metal irregularities, protruding bolts or inaccuracies in cutting the polycarbonate bar, they can be sealed with a conventional silicone sealant or foam sealer for windows. It is forbidden to use any acrylic putties or acrylic-containing sealants!
9. Dig depressions from the outside of the greenhouse base with a depth of 45-50 cm in the places where ground hooks (anchors) are installed, at the rate of one ground hook for every 2 meters of polycarbonate timber, plus one for each corner of the greenhouse. Grouse hooks are attached to the outer side wall of the metal frame of the greenhouse (Fig. 13) using self-tapping screws with a drill bit for metal with a press washer 4,2x15 mm. Sotobrus ® FOUNDER® in combination with 45-50 cm long ground hooks ensures good stability of the frame when installing the greenhouse on the ground without a foundation.
10. Installation of the final transparent coating made of film, polycarbonate or spunbond should be carried out only after the installation is complete and the metal frame is fixed on the plastic base of the greenhouse, as well as all anchors are fixed.
If the length of the covering material is sufficient, then in order to minimize heat loss and maintain optimal humidity in the greenhouse to the required level of 60-70%, it is recommended to bring the lower edge of the translucent coating to the lower edge of the polycarbonate bar and attach it to the horizontal steel pipe of the greenhouse frame every 30-50 cm using 4. 2x15 self-tapping screws with a metal drill and a press washer with a rubber 14). This method of installing the finishing coating prevents the formation of cold bridges through which heat leaks, as well as prevents the occurrence of drafts and better protects the interior of the greenhouse from the penetration of pests from the ground.
The minimum lower limit for cellular or monolithic polycarbonate when using it as a transparent coating is the lower edge of the metal frame of the greenhouse, installed on a polycarbonate beam (Fig. 15). Regardless of the type of covering material chosen, it should completely cover the metal base of the greenhouse to prevent the formation of cold bridges, and ideally-reach the lower edge of the Sotobrus® or even wind up under it if a film or spunbond is used as a coating.
When using cellular polycarbonate as a covering material for a greenhouse, it is necessary to pre-seal its open ends with a special perforated tape 25 mm wide – to allow condensate to drain into the ground and prevent insects from entering the internal cavities of the sheets.
Further fixing of the finish coat must be carried out according to the installation instructions for your material. After the final installation and fixing of the translucent coating on the greenhouse frame, the free space on both sides of the polycarbonate beam must be filled with earth and tamped down. It is forbidden to use sand for this purpose!
The innovative design of Sotobrus ® FOUNDER®, which has a longitudinal corner cutout in the form of a step, protects the interior of greenhouses and greenhouses from insects 2 times better, reduces heat loss by 15-20%, and also helps to increase the humidity in the greenhouse to the required level of 60-70%.
Dimensions of polycarbonate Sotobrus® for a greenhouse
Overall dimensions of the polycarbonate honeycomb bar (the cross-section size of the FOUNDER® polycarbonate honeycomb bar) are 43 x 64 mm. If the profile is positioned vertically, its width is 43 mm and its height is 64 mm (Fig. 16). When the profile is positioned horizontally, the width is 64 mm and the height is 43 mm, respectively (Fig. 17). The size of the longitudinal corner cutout (ledge) intended for installing the greenhouse frame always remains unchanged 21 x 21 mm.
Cellular polycarbonate beams are manufactured in lengths of 2 m, 3 m, 4 m, 6 m and 8 m. These are standard sizes of timber for a greenhouse, which are produced by the PLASTICUX-GROUP plant and are always available in the company's regional warehouses. The 2 m, 3 m and 4 m long honeycomb profile is used as a base for greenhouses and greenhouses measuring 2x3, 2x4, 3x4 meters. The 3 m and 6 m profile is produced as a bar for a greenhouse made of 3x6 polycarbonate. The 3 m and 8 m profile is a ready-made base for a greenhouse with a perimeter of 3 by 8 meters.
Polycarbonate timber FOUNDER® wholesale from the manufacturer
Regular customers of the plant-manufacturer of polycarbonate beams for greenhouses LLC "PLASTILUX-GROUP" say that Sotobrus ® FOUNDER® is the most convenient and simple foundation for a greenhouse, with which they had to work. Because it is versatile, has various installation methods, is easy to assemble, is quick to install and does not need additional fasteners.
For dealers and wholesale buyers, special conditions apply, including the possibility of manufacturing products according to the customer's size, with a profile length from 1.5 meters to 13.5 meters (the length of a eurofury semi-trailer). Sale of polycarbonate timber wholesale from the manufacturer is carried out in multiples of packages. One package contains 6 Sotobrus®profiles. The package dimensions are 130x110 mm. The profile color is black.
The FOUNDER® polycarbonate timber used for the production of prefabricated plastic foundations for greenhouses is an innovative technical solution registered as an invention. The licensee and the only manufacturer of polycarbonate beams for greenhouses, which has the exclusive (monopoly) right to use the invention "Prefabricated foundation for greenhouses", is LLC "PLASTILUX-GROUP", a company for the production of cellular polycarbonate and polycarbonate profiles, Belgorod. Official website polikarbonates.com.
You can buy Sotobrus® wholesale or become a dealer for the sale of universal polycarbonate beams for greenhouses by contacting the wholesale department or the nearest regional manager of the enterprise. We invite you to cooperate with manufacturers of greenhouses and greenhouses made of polycarbonate.
Attention!
The trade names SOTOBRUS® and FOUNDER® are legally protected trademarks. The exclusive right to use these trademarks, as well as the right to use the invention "Prefabricated foundation for greenhouses" belongs to LLC "PLASTILUX-GROUP". Any illegal use of a trademark, as well as illegal copying, manufacturing and / or distribution of patented products without the permission of the patent owner is an offense that entails financial or criminal liability.
Remuneration is provided for information about the illegal use of intellectual property objects of PLASTILUX GROUP LLC.
* The load-bearing capacity of the FOUNDER ® is the actual value obtained as a result of tests performed at the PLASTILUX GROUP plant on special testing equipment at an ambient temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.