Topic: Polytunnel Advice please

[GodfreyRob]

We are considering getting a polytunnel about 10' x 20'
I would really appreciate people's experience/recommendations as to price and company?

I want a complete kit as I don't have the time for DIY at the moment.

[Old bird]

Hiya Godfrey Rob!

Mine came from First Tunnels.  I got a 12 x 25' for about £500 with the added crop bars which are invaluable for allsorts!

This was easy to erect - if you don't have idiots helping you!!!! - so long as the base is correct and the doors are hung ok then "bob's your uncle".

I would make one point and - as you are a DIY man anyway - you probably won't make the same mistake as I and my not so trusty workmen did!!! when you have the doorframes in place and have measured the doors to them - put a piece of wood accross so that when the film is put on it does not pull them out of true and so the doors don't fit!!!

First Tunnels were great as I asked them a couple of times for extras or whatever and they were very obliging and when asked for help over the phone - they were very useful!

Good luck with yours - I would offer to help - but you are miles away!!

Old Bird

 :D

[manicscousers]

all of the tunnels on our site, 2 20x10, 1 30x10, 1 42x14 are all from northern polytunnels..excellent service, comes complete with the wood and plastic for doors, the bigger one came with the doors made up  :)

[Eristic]

My tunnel came from First Tunnels as well and I am happy with it.

Regarding advice, I would say get the biggest possible you can afford and secondly get as wide as is practical for the site. Mine is 12 x 25 and when I put it up I thought it was huge and would never get filled but 2 months later pots and trays were parked on the floor waiting for staging space. Given that the central path uses the best bit of the tunnel, you still require a decent work surface each side but some space close to the walls is not really usable.

[djbrenton]

I've dealt with tunnels from both Northern and First and found them equally good.
My main tips are - take the option of the high side upgrade, buy crop bars, hot spot tape and also the ventilated ridge kit. It's worth getting the tunnel right first time rather than wishing you'd got the extras before covering it.

[GodfreyRob]

Thank you all for those tips and info. I had not looked at Northern and their 'kit' seems more complete (less thinking for me!).
How does the ridge ventilation work? Does it mean the roof is split down the centre?

[manicscousers]

we haven't got the ridge kit, we had our previous one for 3 years then were forced to take it down for the paths to be widened for wheelchair access, we wer bought another cover so we extended fom 20 to 30', northern were great, sent all the extra bits we needed, still fill it completely  ;D
I agree with dj..get the best you can afford, ours is the anti fog cover, fourth year and it's still as good  :)

[asbean]

Ours is from First, 10x15.  We got all the extras, high sides, extra strength poles, crop bars, storm braces and ventilation ridge. And the wider doors.  It's fantastic, and we were delighted with the service from First.

[Old bird]

Eristic

I have used the centre of the tunnel for the tall stuff beans cucumbers etc and two thin paths either side - it seems a waste to lose all that extra height in the middle plus the side beds would be too deep for me reach to the back!

O B