DIY Polytunnel

[redser]

Here's my effort. Hope you don't mind that I link to another Irish gardening site, I don't have the photos anymore and it took ages to put the post together last year
It's just my take on Alan Parkin's now famous DIY Polytunnel instructions ...

My DIY Polytunnel - boards.ie

[Sanjo]

Looked at this today with great envy and admiration. I don't have an allotment and only a narrow garden so no chance that I could ever have a polytunnel. In any case, I should be grateful I have a small greenhouse, many viners don't even have that.
I love to see practical, step by step photos of a project. Well done. You must be having great fun with it.

[redser]

Thanks. Yes I'm loving it. Early strawberries are coming on, mangetout and main crop peas are flying, been eating some lettuce and salad leaves for a few weeks. BIg hopes for this summer

[lottie dolly]

it is great project to do,
there is an older post on here with the same idea,done by piglet willy,this i have seen,ti's a great space to grow in,

[Snadger]

Very impressive....well done you!

[veggiechicken]

That's fantastic, Redser. I've learnt a lot too - like Builder's band and rebar. Seen the stuff around but called it thin metal stuff with holes in, or curly metal rods - you get the idea!!
The scaffolding pole that you used for the uprights reminds me of the uprights of the trampoline I acquired - I am sure they would do the same job.

[leonmc0708]

Thats outstanding - and for £200 unbelievable !

Did it come in on budget ?

Where did you get the pipe can I ask ?

[redser]

That's fantastic, Redser. I've learnt a lot too - like Builder's band and rebar. Seen the stuff around but called it thin metal stuff with holes in, or curly metal rods - you get the idea!!
The scaffolding pole that you used for the uprights reminds me of the uprights of the trampoline I acquired - I am sure they would do the same job.

I didn't know the names of those things either before I started It was a real learning process. Somebody in a neighbouring plot asked me was a builder, I nearly swallowed a mouthful of nails!
I've seen a couple of threads somewhere where people built tunnel from large trampolines, you should give it a go.

Thats outstanding - and for £200 unbelievable !

Did it come in on budget ?

Where did you get the pipe can I ask ?

And it was only 200 EURO It was more or less on target. A few bob more for this and that (screws and sundries). I just got lucky with the pipe and approached a chap who had part of a roll lying around. I traded him a bottle of JD so we were both happy with the deal. Learned a valuable lesson late in life, if you don't ask you don't get. I have enough left for a smaller tunnel. Been staring out the kitchen window lately at a spot in the corner of the garden. The wife has been staring at the back of my head. Don't know how to break the news!
Builders providers would be a good place to look for pipe. I'm not familar with UK firms but wasn't there a thread lately about blue polypipe??

[leonmc0708]

Yeah - Screw Fix have it for £25 for 50m - am gonna cave in and go for that if I can scrounge any from someone first, that projects for weekend after next - when the rain lets up !!

Well done - polytunnel looks excellent.

Also - where is the plastic stuff from ? is it one huge piece or is it stuck together smaller bits ?

[redser]

Cheers. It's all one piece, think it was 9 mtrs x 11 mtrs, not sure. I got it from a local agricultural providers. It was most of the cost. I think firsttunnels.co.uk are reasonably priced for you. Also their site shows you how to calculate the size of the cover. They have a youtube clip on it too.You need to plan out your footprint first and then from that you can calculate the size of your cover. Basically for the length it is the height of the tunnel twice PLUS the length of the tunnel PLUS a couple of meters to roll onto batons or bury if you are doing it that way. For the width it is the measurement right round the hoop PLUS a couple of meters to roll onto baton or bury. Anyway, just tell the provider the size of the tunnel you want to build and they will calculate it for you. Best of luck!

[Pa Snips]

That looks really good, well done!

[pigletwillie]

Mine are very similar, the main difference is that I used 20mm galv conduit thought the top of the hoops to keep it rigid rather than the wooden battens down the side that you have used. I found that they gave the whole frame the rigidity required whilst keeping it flexible enough to survive really strong gusts of wind (my allotment was on a hill) another bonus of using the plastic pipe for the hoops is that you don't have to use anti hotspot tape to protect the cover.