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  • #1

    New Greenhouse - or perhaps a polytunnel/

    I have just been reading the threads on this site and frankly I am a tad terrified. I was planning, this Spring - or a bit earlier - to get a more solid green house as constant high winds in my bit of Wes Vinglen has put pay to 2 4x6 walk-in plastic jobs and 3 tiny ones. I decided to an 8x6 something down the end of the garden and thought a poly-wotsit type to better as it should deter the oiks who roam the pathway with brick ends in their pockets. (We do have a 6' wall) or would a polytunnel be less prone to damage. I am aware that I shall need concrete foundations to screw the base into this. Being prepared to do this would i be safe with such a green house, knowing we are in a windy area where winds come along from across the base of the cotswolds, up the river severn or a combination of the two. I'm OK with my crop growing skills, but this is my first foray into the world of 'proper GH's'. Help all round appreciated. Thanks grapes.
    There's pleasure sure in being mad that only madmen know - Anon
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  • #2
    I have a solid concrete base for my greenhouse, which is a timber type. The concrete goes nowhere once laid, admittedly ours is about a foot thick. We live atop an extremely windy ridge, so if they can put a greenhouse here, they can put one on Everest!
    I have no experience of a polytunnel, do you think it likely that it will get vandalised?
    I like my greenhouse but a few swear by tunnels.
    Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better...Albert Einstein

    Blog - @Twotheridge: For The Record - Sowing and Growing with a Virgin Veg Grower: Spring Has Now Sprung...Boing! http://vvgsowingandgrowing2012.blogs....html?spref=tw

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    • #3
      Polytunnel skins are remarkably resilient and stones are more likely to bounce off than to do serious damage. having said that, I have in the past had a stone about the sizeof my clenched fist thrown through the gable end of my tunnel. That was from about 10 ft away.

      I have a 25ft x 10ft tunnel. I haven't used concrete foundations for the tunnel instead using horizontal plates fixed to extensions at the foot of the hoops that are then buried about a foot and a half below the surface. I have my polythene fixed to baseboards which were an optional extra but it is possible just to bury the polythene along the length of the tunnel which
      then secures the whole structure.

      Accidents and vandalism can result in damage to tunnels as well as to glass houses and I keep a roll of heavy duty repair tape handy for such occasions
      Last edited by Aberdeenplotter; 30-01-2012, 11:26 AM.

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      • #4
        Bit of lateral thinking here, I think the wind is hitting your wall, going up, over and down without any reduction in strength. Is there anywhere you could site the greenhouse / ploytunnel downwind of a hedge or trees? It has been proven that a hedge or trees allows the wind through but reduces the strength of it. Just a thought. Cheers, Tony.
        Semper in Excrementem Altitvdo Solvs Varivs.

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        • #5
          I am in my third year with a 8 x 6 polycarbonate GH. The polycabonate sheeting is twin skin which helps with insulation and strength. The sheets are fed into full length channels not held in by clips which again helps with strength.

          I did have a fox/large cat jump over my fence and bounce off the side wall, it flexed a panel out of its channel but it only 30secs to flex it back in.

          Colin
          Potty by name Potty by nature.

          By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


          We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

          Aesop 620BC-560BC

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          • #6
            New Greenhouse - or perhaps a polytunnel/

            Thanks everyone for helpful suggestions. As to Kleftiwallah - good thinking Batman. My house and
            East/West skewed slightly clockwise. The end of the garden lies almost west (East facing) The brick wall is northish (south facing). At the end of the garden is laylendii hedge somewere around 10' high. Trouble is, the winds are mostly easterlies so the hedge is no wind protector. Want to put said GH in NE corner, so oicks won't get at it too easily. I think that's the best place. That's why I thought of poly carbonate (have I got the right word?) Am still thinking.
            There's pleasure sure in being mad that only madmen know - Anon

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            • #7
              Ann yes thats the right word. However there are two distinct types of GH glazing single skin which you can see at the B & Q depot and double skin which if you google Walton green houses you will see there.

              When I was looking around I decided the single skin was to flimsy. Its very flexible and held in with clips which means folks have trouble with it blowing out in high winds. It is usual to fix this in with silicone sealant to try and prevent this.

              Colin
              Potty by name Potty by nature.

              By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.


              We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.

              Aesop 620BC-560BC

              sigpic

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              • #8
                I have a 6' square traditional glass greenhouse in the garden which is great but then again so is my 10' by 20' polytunnel at the plot. I couldn't have afforded a greenhouse as big as the tunnel and would have worried about panes being broken there too. The greenhouse is secured to the ground by means of huge pegs into the aluminimum base and has never moved at all. The tunnel is the same as mentioned above, no concrete (not really fair in the middle of a lottie) but big base plates which are buried. It stood up quite happily to the heavy winds earlier this month with only the door blowing in. I don't know if it's had stones thrown at it but it has suffered knife damage which I've taped up - taping is much easier on plastic than having to replace glass and torn plastic won't cut you.

                Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now.

                Which one are you and is it how you want to be?

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                • #9
                  I'm 600' up and the highest point between here and the mountains in S. Eire. We only have about 30 days a year with minimal or no wind. I have a polytunnel which is standing up well. I bought a slightly larger one because the frame is heavier. The company were really helpful and having talked to them, they didn't think I would even need wind struts because I was buying crop bars and burying the plastic.
                  http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...red_62935.html
                  Having said that I will be raising the hoops up a bit at Easter because the polythene has settled and become a tiny bit loose/stretched. We are planting some trees to shelter it more, this is mainly because I really want the polythene to last as long as possible.

                  My friend did have a loose horse burst through her tunnel so it's worth keeping the gate shut!
                  "A life lived in fear is a life half lived."

                  PS. I just don't have enough time to say hello to everyone as they join so please take this as a delighted to see you here!

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                  • #10
                    new Greenhouse - or perhaps a polytunnel/

                    I think I may be heading toward a double skinned poly carbonate GH. Let's hope what I want/need is not toooo expensive. Thanks for the suggestion I try Waltons. All I have to do then is get some willing soul to dig me a trench, fill it with concrete then erect it for me. Thanks everybody for your help.
                    Annie
                    There's pleasure sure in being mad that only madmen know - Anon

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                    • #11
                      i am eagerly awaiting my greenhouse delivery today 16'x8' Elite Belmont
                      as a base for mine i have levelled the ground and compacted ballast then laid 4x4 pressure treated posts (was going to use railway sleeepers but really don't need 8" wide) and will drill through the posts and pin them with 16" rebar spikes.
                      the staging is integral to the greenhouse (cantilevered off the frame work) unlike some which have seperate/standalone staging so more weight holding it down, especially when laiden with pots

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