Topic: Hot spot tape alternative for polytunnel

[elhuerto]

I can't find anywhere here that sells any type of hotspot tape, or any places that reasonably ship to Spain. Does anyone know of any alternatives? I'm thinking it's pretty important here with the Summer heat, maybe something like that lagging stuff cut in half that plumbers use.

Cheers!

[hippydave]

use a hose pipe cur length ways and securer with tie wraps or gaffa tape but the tape may get sticky with the heat.

[goodlife]

You can use fabric strips wrapped around the tubes..or like one of the chaps on lotti did..he nicked his wife's tight, cut the legs off and duck taped those on tubes.. ::) ;D
The idea is just create barrier between plastic and metal..even electrical tape will do the job.. ;)

[elhuerto]

Thanks, a lot, much better than what I was thinking.

While I'm here, apart from burying the plastic and keeping it as taut as possible is there anything else to bear in mind when erecting the polytunnel?

[green lily]

Use a spirit level or the doors won't close properly.... ;)

[Palustris]

If you can buy the self adhesive tape sold for draught proofing doors locally, that is almost exactly the same as Anti hot spot tape, only narrower.
If this is a PVC covered poly tunnel rather than the small ones sold in G/C's then the major difficulty is making sure that the supports are square and in line. Otherwise, the only thing to do is to spread the cover out in the sun for a while before using so that is it full expanded. It will then go tighter in cooler weather and be less likely to flap around in the wind.

[elhuerto]

Great tips, thanks very much - prepared the area where it's going today, can't wait to get started.

[elhuerto]

Been doing a bit of reading, and found some interesting articles on the FirstTunnels site - the last picture here shows a centre bed with 2 narrow paths http://www.firsttunnels.co.uk/docs/kitchengarden2.pdf, making  3 beds across the width of the tunnel. That looks like an interesting approach and more accessible that the normal path down the middle. Has anyone got a set up like that - are the paths too narrow?

[gazza1960]

sounds ideal if you are a practising tight rope walker,ill keep to the single slab path in my 6 foot width.

Gazza

[elhuerto]

Yeah, I've just calculated widths and in a 3  metre (10ft) wide tunnel it's a non-starter really, with an extra metre to play with it would have been neat.