Poly tunnel reskin

[doobin]

For sticky residue, sticky label remover is ideal (surprisingly). Brush it on and then a couple of minutes later scrape or otherwise peel/abrade it off (wire brush on drill etc).

 

Petrol also works, and is considerably cheaper for the amount you will probably need!

[skc101fc]

20 hours ago, Peasgood said:

The tape will increase the life of the polythene and it is worth taking off the old if you are fitting new.

I'd suggest using a hot air gun or similar to assist with taking the old off.

You need to work out the value of the year or two extra life of the polythene against the cost of the hotspot tape, money wise I doubt there's much in it but reskinning sooner can be a bit of a ballache.

An assistant helps reskinning but it is no big deal on your own, all the assistant is good for is having someone to blame if you put a hole in it.

Reskinned mine plenty of times on my own, 18'x64' so not a small one.

Warm still evening is favourite, perfect conditions here right now.

So as as a seasoned skinner of tunnels, which is the easiest method of securing the plastic? Digging into the ground or wrapping it round a batten then tec -screwing batten to tunnel frame.?

I know the installation guys use the latter but id prefer not to be drilling the frame unnecessarily 

[peds]

23 minutes ago, skc101fc said:

Digging into the ground or wrapping it round a batten then tec -screwing batten to tunnel frame.?

I know the installation guys use the latter but id prefer not to be drilling the frame unnecessarily 

 

You want big wood going along the bottom of the frame, and screw the battens into that.

 

Not as tidy as burying the sheet on the first install, but a lot easier.

 

What a lot of people do these days is batten the main sheet to a wooden rail at navel-to-nipple height, leaving the lower 2-3 feet as a different sheet... which can be replaced a lot easier if damaged, as happens, or it can be made removable for ventilation, either with or without mesh fabric underneath. 

[skc101fc]

Oooooh that's an interesting idea. 

[david lawrence]

Now I see converting to polycarbonate sheeting is a thing. Anyone tried that?

[Peasgood]

3 hours ago, skc101fc said:

So as as a seasoned skinner of tunnels, which is the easiest method of securing the plastic? Digging into the ground or wrapping it round a batten then tec -screwing batten to tunnel frame.?

I know the installation guys use the latter but id prefer not to be drilling the frame unnecessarily 

Neither is difficult but I wouldn't be drilling into the frame, it will weaken it and will break the galvanising layer.

Mine is one of those mentioned with a wooden rail at approx navel height. Great idea but it's not so great in practice in my experience. Next time I cover it I will have a bigger sheet and bury along the sides. The whole point of a tunnel is to get that earlier warmth and I find you lose that advantage with the flappy sheet below the rail letting in draughts and cold. If you can figure out a good way of securing the bottom edge of that flappy sheet it could well work but I haven't.

People say they can get too hot or there's too much condensation on fully clad but you can always open the doors at both ends to cure that. I only have an actual door at one end, the other has the frame but mesh over it instead of polythene. Quite fine mesh, a wasp wouldn't get through for example.

As for heat, it gets to some extreme temperatures in there but never had anything suffer as long as whatever it is has been watered. I have a full range of plants in there from the usual lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes etc, veg such as caulis, kale, cabbage and also strawberries and apple trees that I have propagated and grown on. The apples will be planted into a new orchard but there are some already bearing fruit in there. Had a couple of cherry trees do well too.

I think (hope) buried polythene will be better at keeping slugs out which is a major issue this year.

Most unusual thing in there this year is a nest of pheasants that hatched just a few weeks ago. I wasn't expecting them but they did a good job of thinning out the crickets and grasshoppers that were thriving in there.

 

If you want to fasten a rail to the side use exhaust clamp type U-bolts. Timber on the outside and U-bolts around the hoops, also an effective way of joining timber lengths if you can get them to meet at the same point as the hoop.

[skc101fc]

Nice one, thanks all.

Slugs are definitely a problem on a damp mountainside in west cork, Ireland. So burying is def the best for that. However my available soil depth varies from 2- 6" before I enter packed gravel or rock, so the tunnel stays on the same site where the trenchwas dug out with excavator whilst doing other drainage work nearby.

No one solution fits all situations! 

[Stere]

I buried the sides, It gets 45c  in there on a sunny day very rapidly with both door  ends open so not always ideal considering say tomatoes optimum temp is 21-27°C.

 

Think it depends on the size how hot it gets mines about 50ft long i think..

 

 

 

Also you need  an irrigation system as high temps means -  alot of water is needed

 

 

[scbk]

14 hours ago, david lawrence said:

Now I see converting to polycarbonate sheeting is a thing. Anyone tried that?

A popular thing round here now is the polycrubs, either "genuine" from the original company, or another firm, or people make their own. The hoops are normally plastic pipe from the fish farms, about 4"-5" diameter. With wooden rails and polycarbonate sheeting. They seem pretty stromproof but they aren't cheap. Maybe 2-3 times the price of a similar size poly tunnel?

[Peasgood]

I picked the last of my tomatoes on Christmas day last year out of my tunnel. Well impressed with that.