[Haylo-peapod]

Hi, newbie here.

I'm trying to find someone to come and recover my polytunnel following the strong winds earlier this winter.
There's loads of advice on the web about replacing it yourself and reassuring comments about it not being 'that' hard to do.  Maybe I'm being a wooss, but TBH if I attempt it I am pretty certain it'll end up saggy in no time.

So do any of you fellow growers know anyone in the Derbyshire/Cheshire/Staffs area that might be up for the job?

Thanks! 

[Fleecewife]

We have changed ours a couple of times but, depending on the size of tunnel, you will need lots of helpers - definitely not a job to tackle on your own.  For our 21' x 42' tunnel we need 5 or preferably 6 people to help, especially if there's a gust of wind.
Sorry, we are in Scotland so can't offer to help  .

[happy larry]

Well im in Burton on Trent and can lend a hand,done my tunnel 2yrs ago and its still standing.At present the only full days i have that i am free is weds and fri.and i get 2 afternoons im free are thurs and sun.PM me your landline if i can help.Paul

[seldomseen]

its been bad here too (Crimea) I remember talking to the other goat herdsman just before Christmas (the last time we where in the field) He was saying everyone in the village was skint as Everyone and believe me when I say that lol about 60 % of the village has a polly tunnel or just bought 1 or 2 new ones, any way they all had just bought new poly for their tunnels, then early spring comes along and wam bam that wind hit at 69kph and tore everyone’s poly off, strangely enough it ended up in our smallholding as we have fences around it. The big problem was that they all had crops in their tunnels, I have stood in the orchard and watched ppls put the plastic on and it takes about 4 or 5 ppls to do it. Not a job I would want to do. Although saying that as soon as I work out how to make a small greenhouse size one, I am out there with concrete posts in hand, but still cannot work out how to fix the concrete posts together lol.

[Fowgill Farm]

We have a big tunnel 60ft by 20ish and put the cover on using a JCB loader to hold the roll up while 3 of s dragged it over the length of the tunnel, needless to say choose as calm and dry a day as you can. Its now six years old and looking pretty trashed in places so going to be a major expense to replace, i don't think it can be patched as have tried in several places with gaffer tape and DPC polythene.
Mandy 

[Lesley Silvester]

That is some polytunnel.

[Fowgill Farm]

It is but it grows a lot of pig food and for us too, last year we had 33 tomato plants, 15 courgette plants, spinach, lettuces, parsley, butternut squash, through the winter we try to fill it with turnips, cabbages (rabbits permitting) and greens for the up coming hungry patch when we run out of beet and they stop doing horse carrots.
If we can get to it (its so bogging at the moment) it could do with a couple of JCB buckets of muck in it to replenish its reerves. And we have pig muck a plenty!
Mandy 

[Sudanpan]

We have a 60 ft by 30 ft polytunnel and we put the plastic on ourselves - just the 2 of us.

We were advised to get the plastic into one long 'sausage' running the length of the tunnel, supported along the ridge of the frames - we then tied weights to either end and left it for a few hours (until early afternoon) this allowed the plastic to stretch and pull out the majority of kinks.

The we let each half down the sides of the frames, (we were using the trench method) secured one side in one trench and then hauled the other side down, stretching it and burying it in the trench on the other side.

It was a pretty calm day (we checked the weather forecast until it looked promising)

So far it has survived some fairy hairy winds 

[OhLaLa]

Two of us did ours and it's pretty big. Pick a warm day, no wind.

The hardest bit; filling in the trenches.

Remember to use plenty of hot spot tape on the frame first, you'll regret it if you don't.

  

[jaykay]

That sounds a good method 

[Muc]

Sheltering from the rain at the bus-stop yesterday, I had time to examine the shelter. It is very similar to a polytunnel but with a hard plastic (polycarbonate) shell. It occurred to me that if I were to replace my polytunnel cover with something similar I would never have to worry again. Life would be one continuous joy. I could laugh at the wind and sit out there drinking tea with a clear view of the garden.
 The existing hoops could be used with the polycarbonate sheets just curved over and screwed in place.
 Has anyone done this?

[Simon O]

I would echo fleecewife - plenty of helpers is a good idea. Also as warm a day as poss as the plastic then stretches better over the poles and tightens up as it cools down.
With our polytunnel the poles can be lifted up at the base by a few centimetres then fixed in that position by the fixing bolt, which helps the tightness of the plastic, but this again needs a few strong helpers.
Cos we were forced to put up the the PT when it was cold, plastic is not as tight as it should be. Also I am rubbish at doing the folds at each end of the tunnel.
Simon

[Fleecewife]

Also I am rubbish at doing the folds at each end of the tunnel.
Simon

So is everyone Simon 

[Possum]

A good supplier of polytunnels in Staffs is Two Wests and Elliots. Suppliers usually have links with people who are professional PT constructors and will put your cover on for you. I'm not sure how much they charge, but it might be worth investigating if you want peace of mind.

[Muc]

Do you supply polycarbonate to replace polytunnel covers similar to the ones you use for bicycle sheds?