How Much #57 Stone for a 12x12 Greenhouse Floor?
A 12 by 12 foot greenhouse covers 144 square feet. At 3 inches of #57 stone, plan on 1.33 cubic yards, or about 1.8 tons, which answers how much #57 stone for a 12x12 greenhouse floor.
Volume and tonnage calculator →The math
- Area: 144.0 sq ft.
- Depth in feet: 3 ÷ 12 = 0.250 ft.
- Cubic yards: 144.0 × 0.250 ÷ 27 = 1.33 yd³.
- Tons: × about 1.35 tons per yard = 1.8 tons.
The crushed stone calculator does this for any size.
Related: How Much Pea Gravel for a 12x12 Greenhouse Floor?
#57 stone needed by depth
| Depth | Cubic yards | Tons of #57 stone | Tons +10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 0.89 | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| 3 in | 1.33 | 1.8 | 2.0 |
| 4 in | 1.78 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| 6 in | 2.67 | 3.6 | 4.0 |
Building the greenhouse base
Greenhouse floors need to drain. A few inches of washed stone over landscape fabric keeps roots and weeds down and dries quickly after watering. Avoid stone with a lot of fines, which can turn muddy.
Related: How Much #57 Stone for a 12x20 Greenhouse Floor?
Prep
Clear vegetation, rake the soil level and compact it. Lay fabric overlapped at the seams and set edging before spreading the stone.
Buying the stone
If you haul it yourself, a typical half-ton pickup should carry only about half a cubic yard of stone, well under what the bed looks like it can hold. #57 is a washed stone of roughly 1/2 to 1 inch with few fines; it drains fast but stays a little loose on its own. Round up by about 10 percent for compaction and uneven ground.
Tools for the job
For anything bigger than a small path, rent a plate compactor; hand tampers cannot match it. A wheelbarrow, shovels, a hard rake and stakes with string are the rest of the kit. Wet the stone lightly before compacting so it binds.
Measuring the area
Measure length and width in feet at a few points and use the largest figures, since real sites are rarely square. For odd shapes, split the area into rectangles and circles, work out each one and add them together. Depth is the number most people underestimate: drive a stake, run a level string and measure down to the dug-out surface in several spots.
Questions people ask
How many tons of #57 stone for a 12x12 greenhouse floor?
About 1.8 tons at 3 inches deep.
How many yards of #57 stone for a 12x12 greenhouse floor?
About 1.33 cubic yards.
How many tons of #57 stone are in a cubic yard?
Roughly 1.35 tons for planning, but suppliers vary with stone size and moisture.
Do I need to compact it?
Yes for anything that carries weight. Compact in lifts of a few inches with a plate compactor.
Related guides
- Gravel for a Greenhouse Floor: Best Stone, Depth and Tons
- How Much Does a Ton of Gravel Cover? Depth Chart
- Tons to Cubic Yards for Gravel: Conversion Chart
- Crushed Stone vs Gravel: Differences and Best Uses
- Geotextile Fabric for Driveways: Woven vs Nonwoven and How Much You Need
- Compacting a Driveway Gravel Base in Lifts
- How Much Gravel for a 12x12 Greenhouse Floor?
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 12x12 Greenhouse Floor?
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