The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: whitby_sam on March 07, 2008, 09:19:53 pm
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To say my greenhouse is decreped and past its bst would be the understatement of the year! I'd go so far as to say its unsafe so rather than spend my readies repairing something which if I'm honest it too small for my needs I wondered if I could convert my old raspberry frame.
Its of the arched variety and looks very much like what people refer to as a poly-tunnel but it has fine green mesh instead. The mesh is far from usable and the doors are now rotten so I wondered if it would be possible to skin the frame with visquene or similar and use that as my greenhouse instead. Not knowing much about these things I need advice on whether it'd provide similar properties to glass or would it filter out all the useful rays and just become a humid oven by day and shelter by night.
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you can buy proper poly tunnel covers by the yard , and that is uv treated so will last for years compared to normal plastic sheet. I used building sheet once and it lasted about a year and then took a year to clear up as it fell to shreds in the wind one night. You can also use 2" (50mm) plastic pipe (blue or black water pipe) to make a polytunnel frame and then cover with proper stuff. Very cheap effective polytunnel as big as you want .
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Is this what you were referring to?...... http://www.overthegardengate.net/UserPages/pp_view.asp?FName=polytunnel&Page=1 hope this helps Sam.............. Ree
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that one will do Ree!
I think there are a few online wotsits very similar to that . I haven't seen that one before , but it looks like it covers how to make a PT very well. Good find. It was on Geoff Hamiltons gardening program years ago that I first saw him make a cloche out of polythene and blue pipe. very cheap ! At the time I thought use bigger pipe and you've got a polytunnel . Now everyone and his uncle are making them ....great stuff. If you have to buy the pipe it works out a bit pricey though , about 100 quid for the cover and the same for the pipe , but that would give you a 20'x10' or a tad bigger !!! Not seen a pt that size, for that price anywhere !!!
Russ
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Maybe the original poster is still looking for ideas. Or maybe this might be useful for someone else.
Anyway here is a photo of a greenhouse I build for about $300 US.
(http://www.redbayfarm.com/sitebuilder/images/greenhouse4-225x145.jpg)
Here is a link to the plan which was used by myself and many other people around the world.
http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/postharv/green/small_greenhouse.pdf
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excellent link jim, were looking at polytunnels at the moment, may have a go at this one. being in the gas industry polypipe has many uses great for cloches or polytunnels
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I did use schedule 80 pipe (don't know if that translates to the UK or Europe). Here it is colored dark gray.
One precaution if using this type of ribbing. You must paint the pipe with white latex paint otherwise there is a chemical reaction between the pipe and the plastic sheeting...the sheeting will melt.
While I was deciding on alternatives I even went so far as to purchase a chain link fence tubing bender. However, once I priced the steel tubing at a home improvement store I found that the PVC was significantly less expensive.
I modified the plan slightly by adding a central 2" x 4" supported by a 4" x 4" post in the center. This would be a must in an area with any significant snow accumulation.
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hi , i spend many springtimes re - covering polytunnels (the old-fashioned dig types !)
the owner always orders generous lengths , and the left over bits , sometimes 5 or 10 metres are well useful , and free .
should imagine that this happens quite often -.........