Polytunnels and wind

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Polytunnels and wind
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judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22790
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 11:07 am Post subject: Polytunnels and wind

My New Year's resolution was that this would be the year that we finally got round to installing a polytunnel, rather than just talking about it until it was too late yet again

Did lots of reading and planning and measuring, and was just on the verge of placing an order when the weather started last week. I was out in the field, barely able to keep upright in the gusts, just thinking there is no way a tunnel would handle this wind. OK, I plan to put it in a slightly more sheltered spot, but winds like last week's are neither unusual nor a rare occurrence - we can expect them 2 or 3 times at least over the winter and early spring.
Does anyone have experience of building a tunnel on a fairly exposed site? What sort of wind load can they really handle?

NeathChris

Joined: 09 Feb 2006
Posts: 1387
Location: Neath, South Wales

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 11:16 am Post subject:
I am thinking of getting a polytunnel to house the stock in. We too are totally exposed to the wind and elements. Nothing between us and swansea bay to stop the wind, and we are on top of a hill. Would also like to know if they can withstand strong winds?

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 11:22 am Post subject:
me too-----debating between moving my greenhouses[ small] or getting a big polytunnel but worried about exposed area----seen some advertizing for tufftunnels----anybody know if they are better?

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 11:23 am Post subject:
You can buy additional bracing, it's usually in the options. We're just about to get ours from First Tunnels.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22790
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 11:25 am Post subject:

Jonnyboy wrote:

You can buy additional bracing, it's usually in the options.

I'm less concerned about the structure than the thought of having to replace the poly every year.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45723
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 11:27 am Post subject:
Keder houses are blinking expensive but they'll easily stand up to whatever the weather throws at them, they're really good in other respects too; some natural insulation and good diffusion of light, avoids scorch

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 11:30 am Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Keder houses are blinking expensive but they'll easily stand up to whatever the weather throws at them, they're really good in other respects too; some natural insulation and good diffusion of light, avoids scorch

Indeed, but it's 10x the price.

You can buy different covers for the polytunnels now which help prevent scorchio.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22790
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 11:35 am Post subject:
I'd love a Keder house, but I really can't justify the cost - may as well have my veggies personally air-freighted from Peru!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45723
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 11:36 am Post subject:
Lookie here: https://forum.downsizer.net/viewtopic.php?p=172387#172387

FiddlesticksTim

Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 104
Location: West Oxfordshire

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 1:02 pm Post subject:
Mrs F and I were talking to a friend about the challenge of putting up a polytunnel in an exposed spot (ie our allotment). He explained that you've got a lot of plastic actually buried under the ground (which we hadn't realised) which helps anchor things down well. Apparently getting the doors sorted out is pretty crucial, otherwise you can suffer the 'wind sock' effect, which might be bad Tim

footprints

Joined: 26 May 2005
Posts: 234
Location: North Wales

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 7:18 pm Post subject:

Re: polytunnel. We too live in a very wind area (hole) We are line of sight with Caernarfon bay.
My wife in a moment of madness asked for a tunnel for her birthday. The tunnel is actually "broadside" to the prevailing wind but has a fence as a windbreak about 3 feet away on the vunerable side at about 3 foot high.

We have had some gales! The tunnel.... untouched. Been in the tunnel on a day that trees a downed.

A good tip is to really go for it when tensioning the plastic cover. I am sure that references are made about the life span of the cover being dependant on the tension, and in fact the supplier offered a lever system to achieve it. (brother in law made one)

For those interested our cover has been on for nearly 4 yrs.

As a stock shelter? personally no, not even for hens.

Just out of interest? I was at a customers house were they had grown the same crops in the tunnel for yrs without soil sterilization or pesticides, and had no trouble at all. They told me that the secret was that they had louvred doors at either end, and the the natural ventilation kept everything "spot on". I always meant to try this modification, but am still opening and closing the doors with the weather

Glass greenhouse, would I have another? No! Poly tunnel? definitely.

gil
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 18421

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 7:27 pm Post subject:
Anyone else able to shed light on livestock and polytunnels ? I know folk who lamb using (large) polytunnels (with dark plastic cover), but noone who keeps stock in them for any length of time.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 8:08 pm Post subject:
Thingy who wrote scenes from a smallholding reckons his polytunnel stood up to so many gales, when they replaced the cover, the hoops were bent on the windward side. He said the secret was to leave the doors off both ends in the winter. I can't offer any personal experience, though!

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22790
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 8:55 pm Post subject:

footprints wrote:

That is very reassuring Footprints. Thank you. Did you go for a particularly heavy gauge poly?

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22790
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Mon Jan 15, 07 8:56 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

He said the secret was to leave the doors off both ends in the winter.

Gosh. I would have thought that would guarantee waving goodbye to your tunnel as it takes off into the next county. Shows how little I know.

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