Topic: Polytunnel

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

Hi all

I'm planning winter projects and am considering building a polytunnel.  I saw a thread a few months back with a DIY polytunnel out of scaffold tubes and 42mm blue plastic water pipe but cannot find it anywhere now  ???  Can anyone help me out?  I was impressed with that design and think it could work for me.

Thanks in advance

Psi

[Buster54]

Check out my pics and its still standing,I used MDPE Pipe-Blue 12 BAR PE 25M X 63mm just fits over scaffolding poles
 http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php?action=gallery;su=user;cat=462;u=7208
I copied the design from this chap http://www.freewebs.com/alanparkin/apps/photos/photo/next?photoid=24558044 who was very helpful,what I did wrong was try and use a piece of twine to mark my line for the poles but ended up with 10' wide at one end and 9'10" at the other Alans way was the best building the frame on the floor first then putting the poles in  ;)

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

Thanks Buster - excellent, the very thing.  Couple of queries:

what sort of plastic did you use to cover it?
Did you staple plastic to hold in place or screw battens at the base/doors?

All top tips welcome.

Si

[daxzen]

may i suggest that rather than use the blue water pipe that you consider using the orange ribbed conduit which is 65 mm and fits over the outside of the scaffolding tubes a treat.

dax

[Unwashed]

Buster, I'm very impressed with that tunnel.  Does the pipe fit snugly over a standard scaffold pole?

Daxzen, I'm not familiar with this conduit, do you have an e-bay reference for it or something like that?

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

25m of the blue pipe looks like it costs £75 on ebay/web - I guess that is the only real cost involved so not bad.

I guess it is trial and error getting the length correct fot the arches!?!?!

Also, is it worth concreting in the scaffold poles??!?

Sorry for all the questions!

[1066]

PSI I was looking at the MDPE pipe on Screwfix the other day - don't need as much as you will for your polytunnel, but it might be worth checking out the price there  :-\

[Unwashed]

Don't Screwfix just do the 25mm stuff?  That's not going to be man enough is it?

[Buster54]

The scaffolding poles only need to be 4' depending on your soil type I just gave them some welly with a 7lb hammer 2' into the ground(don't think I would concrete them),I ordered 25m of the MDPE Pipe and had a 6' length left over(think each length I cut was was 19'and that gave me a height of around 8')the MDPE Pipe fits very snug on the poles and on some I had to lube them up to get the pipe on,didn't help doing it in February.I would suggest using proper polytunnel skin unless you've got an endless supply of polythene,the one I used was donated from a polytunnel twice the size of mine that was damaged on another site  ;),I fixed scaffolding boards to the outside of the poles with some clamps that fit on a scaffold pole and go over the top of the boards to hold them down and battened the cover to one side then on the other side did the same but left it a little short off the ground then had 3 people stand on the boards to stretch the skin then clamped it to the poles.if you go onto first tunnels there is a automatic calculator you input your height-length and width of your tunnel and it tells you the size of the skin you need  and depending on what type you choose the price as well,if I had paid for the skin my total outlay would have been £230 same size(15'x10') on first tunnels was £340 but I was fed up of waiting for freebies so decided to spend some cash total cost give or take was about £150 around £2.90p a week.I also put a door at each end with a mesh window in each for ventilation just in case I couldn't get to vent it in the hot weather(making a plastic covered window frame to put in for the winter) but ended up loosing all my tomato's to blight that blew in from my potatoes :'(,hope this helps a bit any more info just ask. :)

[Buster54]

Don't Screwfix just do the 25mm stuff?  That's not going to be man enough is it?

You can use it but you will have to build a wooden frame or you may not see it next year
http://www.albertahomegardening.com/how-to-build-an-inexpensive-hoop-style-greenhouse/

[davyw1]

If you have or can get transport.... Ideally if you can get them 8ft scaffolding poles are best 2ft in the ground. If there is a scaffold firm near by they usually sell off any damaged poles at about a £1 each.
To knock them into the ground a hand post driver is best as this does not damage the top of the pole allowing the tubing to go over easily, two people can knock a pole in very easily and quickly.
Find out where the nearest water board depot is they will either give you any end of roles or sell them for next to nothing.