Any advice on how to prevent theft/damage to a polytunnel?

[Samuel1988]

Afternoon all,

I am about to purchase a poly tunnel and I was wondering if anyone had any advice to prevent anyone from simply packing it down and walking of with it?

The poly tunnel is a 2m x 3m size.

Many thanks,

Samuel

[zazen999]

Most polytunnels are fixed to the ground and covered in very heavy plastic.

[WendyC]

Most polytunnels are fixed to the ground and covered in very heavy plastic.

Otherwise it might just blow away! Presumably this is at an allotment rather the back garden. Are thefts common on your site? You will have to fix it to the ground in as many different places as you can to deter opportunistic thieves but also to avoid the blow away scenario! The chap on our site who had one just relied on the guy ropes it came with and it didn't even last one winter before it was a mangled wreck.

[Alison]

It depends on what you mean by a polytunnel. The one I have at the plot is a very heavy duty thing and I worry more about it being damaged (the plastic was once stabbed with a knife and some canes ) as it would take a lot of concerted digging to remove. Alternatively if you mean more of a blow away then I'd be more concerned about the wind!

[Bill HH]

The short answer is you cant, if this is the sort I think it is I have one and I erected it in less than an hour so it follows you can dismantle it in the same time. But there are things you can do to make life harder for the tea leaves. If yours is on bare ground you only have the ropes and pegs holding it down, I would put a concrete slab at each corner and drill and plug a metal strap over the base frame, I used u shaped pipe clips as for attaching a pipe to a wall. The frame itself fits together by fitting one pipe into another with a push button clip, best to drill through both tubes and put a round headed bolt through, or even better a large pop rivet. The canopy is harder to protect but the best thing would be to secure the flaps that stick out onto the ground with a decent piece of timber and drive wooden posts into the ground with a mallet, bolt the post to your timber and saw off any part of the post sticking up (so they cant shake it loose). After all that they would have to do a lot of work to steal it and those scumbags dont like work in any shape or form. They could of course still slash your plastic but every poly tunnel is vulnerable to that.

[Two_Sheds]

to prevent anyone from simply packing it down and walking of with it?

Do you think it's likely?

[Bill HH]

Do you think it's likely?

Anything is likely where thieves are concerned, the other day I was clearing out my garage and on top of all the stuff I had put a canopy, only had it 12 months, the sort you wind a handle and it extends. I laid it on our drive about 30 yards from the road, later in the day my wife said "Oh you sold the canopy" "No" i said "Well I have just seen a man load it into his pickup and drive off!! in broad daylight.
I have had hanging baskets stolen, a brand new mountain bike of my sons, a complete set of wicker garden furniture including setee and cushions, all my fishing gear out of my car (Left unlocked but in my drive way, silly billy) My wife handbag stolen off the garden table at 11:30 Am ten feet from the kitchen which had 3 people in it (the kitchen not the handbag) Various heavy plants etc, It seems they consider anything not within locked doors to be up for grabs and not even stealing. I have introduced a lot of security measures, movement detection lights etc but it probably wont stop them.
People telll me we live in a good area! So yes it is likely they will pinch your poly ltunnel.

[Two_Sheds]

yes it is likely they will pinch your poly ltunnel.

I still don't think it's likely.
You Bill, live near some very determined (and cheeky) thieves, but not everyone does. I've had my shed unlocked for 5 years, and nothing's been stolen.

It all depends where you are, who you live amongst

[chris]

The chap probably thought the canopy was scrap. I've seen folk put out washing machines and them taken within an hour.. As I'm sure you know, scrap is paying out a lot at the moment (for the "decent" metals anyway).

[Bill HH]

I still don't think it's likely.
You Bill, live near some very determined (and cheeky) thieves, but not everyone does. I've had my shed unlocked for 5 years, and nothing's been stolen.

It all depends where you are, who you live amongst

I live in one of the better parts of Torquay but in the same road is a house where they put drug addicts, these guys will do anything just for the price of their next fix. It is not nice.

When i lived in a village in Worcestershire on the farm we regularly left tools such as chain saws etc out all night, if I put a fiver on the gate post it would still be there next morning.
Its worrying and sad, but thats life in some towns, I can live with it as long as they dont come into our home.

[Two_Sheds]

in the same road is a house where they put drug addicts, these guys will do anything just for the price of their next fix.

Yes, they certainly will.

We had neighbours like that in our houseshare in Brighton. One night we found a huge gang kicking in our (massive) front doors. We also had a thief walk right into our flat when 3 residents were in it: they ate a sandwich my friend had made, casually walked into bedrooms stealing TVs, cameras etc, and walked out. Nobody saw (or heard) a thing. The thief was caught, trying to use my flatmate's credit card, and he broke the policeman's wrist trying to evade arrest.

As you say, not nice people.

[Bill HH]

The chap probably thought the canopy was scrap. I've seen folk put out washing machines and them taken within an hour.. As I'm sure you know, scrap is paying out a lot at the moment (for the "decent" metals anyway).

Yes I am sure that he did, but it was right at the top of our drive, If he had asked i would probably have given it to him and the winding handle (which I still have) but I wouldnt take something so far into someones property without permission. Sign of the times.

[chris]

Nor me, maybe we're a dying breed

[Samuel1988]

Yeah my plot is in the middle and there is another polytunnel nearer to one of the exits so I don't think theft will be a problem but I would like to make it nice and secure anyway.

Another thought came to me regarding any tears - can tears be easily fixed/avoided or is replacing the WHOLE material the only option?

Thanks everyone for your input

Samuel

[TrialAndError]

Yep, our frequent scrap iron merchants visit our estate and half-inch anything metal that is not tied down. They seem to think they have a right to it, not sure why.