Where to buy plastic sheeting for a greenhouse.

[Ignoramus2772]

I built a greenhouse frame out of 1.5" pvs pipes and wooden boards, pictures forthcoming.

N Ill, zone 5.

The objective is to extend the growing sean by maybe 1 month both ways, and it is not my objective to grow plants year round.

The question is, where could I buy strong enough film for the greenhouse.

i

[dps]

You want something like 6 mil UV stabilized plastic film. It comes in widths up to 48 ft and lengths to 150 ft (maybe even larger). If it's not UV stabilized it won't last more than a month or two after which you will have small pieces of plastic littering your neighborhood. The stabilized stuff is rated for 3-5 years. You can buy patch tape, but once it starts to go (after the rated life) it's cheaper to replace it. The patch tape is fine for accidental holes (wild shovel work, flying ice, cats getting locked in, etc.).

Some places will sell you a 37 foot length or whatever you need, but many places sell it in standard lengths like 100 ft. Keep the leftover stuff somewhere where the mice won't chew on it and you can re-skin the greenhouse next time it needs it.

You have to think about how you are going to attach it to the frame. There are several different ways to do it. I use the wire lock. Have had no problems with it. The guy down the road has something different on each of his greenhouses. They all work. The cheapest is just batten tape over the poly film and stapled onto whatever's below it. Only recommended for a small greenhouse (largest dimension less than 30 ft).

Try your yellow pages under Greenhouse Supply. Find someone local with a greenhouse and ask where they got theirs. You want something local so you don't have to pay too much shipping. Plastic is heavy. If they have it as a stock item, they have to pay shipping from the factory (which they pass along to you). If they just order it from the factory and have it shipped direct you can save a bit.

Don't know who's in N Ill. I bought my last batch from Griffin Greenhouse

a company in the northeast US.

[Ignoramus2772]

Thanks, excellent post. Yes, I will buy UVstabilised film.

i

[dr-solo]

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[Ignoramus11156]

Thanks, I found some good stuff in the search page that you posted.

i

than

[simy1]

Not true if you use it in the winter, starting Thanksgiving and removing it by April 1 (what I do). As long as the sun is low on the horizon, the UV index is minimal (the radiation has to cross more air and gets absorbed more). In fact, in five years of tunneling I have always used Home Depot paint film, some of it for two seasons running without any break except when I drop chunks of ice on it. With a high sun, yes, it goes fast.

[Ignoramus11156]

My plan is to use it for a month in spring and for another month in the fall.

i

[Crawford]

Try a plastic sheeting shop

- Crawfor

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[Hal]

might want to do some more research and find other companies that sell a UV resistant plastic. I don't recall what company I bought mine from, but a Google search should bring up a few.

Another thing you need to plan for is to keep the plastic sheet from contacting the PVC. The one I used wasn't compatible and the plastic sheet degrades leaving the ribs poking through after a few years. Don't recall how many years, but it would have lasted much longer had there been no contact between the two. I wrapped the PVC with a single layer of the plastic sheet, but that broke down first and soon after the holes came. I didn't know about this problem when I bought the plastic sheet, but found out when I read about it on a flier that came in the box.

Regards,

Hal

[Ignoramus26239]

Thanks for the tip. The plastic is going to be on the frame for about

2-3 months per year, as I am going to use the greenhouse to extend a growing season, not to grow things in winter. i

[John Bachman]

Take a look at this

is a complete kit, frame, fasteners, plastic and tie downs. I have used mine to extend the season (spring and fall) and love it. Their fastener system for the frame is excellant. Wish I could say the same for the clips that are supposed to clamp the plastic to the frame but they just fall off. Not needed, methinks.

John