Polytunnel Refit

11-05-2021 10:00am #1

Hi All,

Well over a decade ago my father installed a Polytunnel and he grows grapes and strawberries and a few other things in it yearly. The plastic has degraded over time and the big storm we had around christmas tore a massive hole in the side of it so it now needs to have the poly material replaced.

We organised for a crowd to come out and do it at a cost of 1030 euro, but when they arrived they gave me a list of things that need to happen first, e.g:

-strim the inside
-remove the wooden clips on the arches which supports the vine(then the vine will collapse)
-dig out all around the tunnel
-Remove the electrics(this bit is understandable)

Thats not a small amount of work. If I did all that myself with a little help, I think I'd rather fit the material myself and pay myself the 1k euro.

Does anyone know of a company that will replace the poly material and do the work necessary?

Has anyone else experienced a refit of a polytunnel like this?

hirondelle · 11-05-2021 12:14pm

Unless it is ginormous, you should be able to do it yourself. The big issue would appear to be to make sure to put the hot tape on the bars to prevent it overheating and stretching/ripping.

11-05-2021 1:41pm

hirondelle wrote: »

Unless it is ginormous, you should be able to do it yourself. The big issue would appear to be to make sure to put the hot tape on the bars to prevent it overheating and stretching/ripping.

Its 10 metres by 4. Not ginormous but not teeny weeny either.

4Ad · 11-05-2021 1:53pm

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Hi All,

Well over a decade ago my father installed a Polytunnel and he grows grapes and strawberries and a few other things in it yearly. The plastic has degraded over time and the big storm we had around christmas tore a massive hole in the side of it so it now needs to have the poly material replaced.

We organised for a crowd to come out and do it at a cost of 1030 euro, but when they arrived they gave me a list of things that need to happen first, e.g:

-strim the inside
-remove the wooden clips on the arches which supports the vine(then the vine will collapse)
-dig out all around the tunnel
-Remove the electrics(this bit is understandable)

Thats not a small amount of work. If I did all that myself with a little help, I think I'd rather fit the material myself and pay myself the 1k euro.

Does anyone know of a company that will replace the poly material and do the work necessary?

Has anyone else experienced a refit of a polytunnel like this?

I know a lad that got a free frame and bought a roll of plastic for either 90 or150 euro..I can find out for you..

hirondelle · 11-05-2021 3:31pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Its 10 metres by 4. Not ginormous but not teeny weeny either.

A "good sized" tunnel so! That sounds doable.

cityboyjim · 11-05-2021 8:28pm

Not jumping in I hope but seen this online today with a tenner postage .Probably too good to be true I suppose .

【2021 Hot Sale】Aluminum Walk-in Greenhouse Nature Series Hybrid Hobby Greenhouse
⭐Limited-inventory⭐：Limited time special【$23.98 HOT SALE】Aluminum Walk-in Greenhouse Nature Series Hybrid Hobby Greenhouse【Promotion】Aluminum Walk-in Greenhouse Nature Series Hybrid Hobby Greenhouse gloves
$23.98

Flipperdipper · 11-05-2021 10:39pm

My tunnel is 28' X 17' and I fitted the original plastic on my own, doable on a calm day but would be a lot easier with one or two helpers. The biggest and hardest part will be digging out the trench all around to bury the plastic. I can't figure how someone could charge €1000 + to do such a simple job.

12-05-2021 9:33am

Flipperdipper wrote: »

My tunnel is 28' X 17' and I fitted the original plastic on my own, doable on a calm day but would be a lot easier with one or two helpers. The biggest and hardest part will be digging out the trench all around to bury the plastic. I can't figure how someone could charge €1000 + to do such a simple job.

They werent even including the digging out of the trench in the 1000, that was something I'd have to do. Sure, once I've done all that, putting on the plastic is relatively easy - the hardest part being finding a calm day in Galway to do it on.

i57dwun4yb1pt8 · 13-05-2021 9:13am

plastic would cost 300 - 350 or so

anti burn / rub tape - 40 quid.

screws battens maybe 40 quid

digging the trench is the hard part , i suggest hiring a mini digger or person with one for that .
and then pulling the plastic around the ends of the tunnell and battening it down

have a look at dplant.ie they have videos on how its done.

probably do it for 500 - 600 euro in total with a mini digger .

you could roll the plastic your self and a step ladder but need aa really calm day ,but its better with two people.,

Hocus Focus · 21-05-2021 11:51am

cityboyjim wrote: »

Not jumping in I hope but seen this online today with a tenner postage .Probably too good to be true I suppose .

【2021 Hot Sale】Aluminum Walk-in Greenhouse Nature Series Hybrid Hobby Greenhouse
⭐Limited-inventory⭐：Limited time special【$23.98 HOT SALE】Aluminum Walk-in Greenhouse Nature Series Hybrid Hobby Greenhouse【Promotion】Aluminum Walk-in Greenhouse Nature Series Hybrid Hobby Greenhouse gloves
$23.98

That's priced in dollars, so the postage and Customs Duty will be a bit more than a tenner:)

Hocus Focus · 21-05-2021 11:54am

Jaelyn Narrow Petroleum wrote: »

plastic would cost 300 - 350 or so

anti burn / rub tape - 40 quid.

screws battens maybe 40 quid

digging the trench is the hard part , i suggest hiring a mini digger or person with one for that .
and then pulling the plastic around the ends of the tunnell and battening it down

have a look at dplant.ie they have videos on how its done.

probably do it for 500 - 600 euro in total with a mini digger .

you could roll the plastic your self and a step ladder but need aa really calm day ,but its better with two people.,

The hire of a space heater should perhaps also be taken into consideration, as a bit of heat will be required to get the best stretch on the plastic. Also, don't forget to get a roll of repair tape and immediately repair any small damages, so as to prevent another blowout.

deirdremf · 07-01-2022 6:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058185021/polytunnel-refit

Do you mind me asking how it went in the end? I have a polytunnel and while I won't be replacing the plastic soon (fingers crossed) I was wondering whether to put on a polycarbonate covering when the time comes.

have2flushtwice · 08-01-2022 8:07am

A small digger for this size work would be less that 500 euro for the week. I hire all the time for garden maintenance and dig outs.

Depending where you go, it's <200 a day, hire it for 3 days and you can have it for 7 days. Do a few more bits if you have work for it. Dig out shrubs, drainage etc.

For what the lads were asking you would have it done yourself.

08-01-2022 11:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435265#Comment_118435265

Ive not done it yet. Im in the west of Ireland. Finding a calm, non-breezy, dry day for the plastic is a challenge in it's self. Digging out the trench is what I'm trying to limber up for.

deirdremf · 09-01-2022 12:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118441879#Comment_118441879

I dug the trench for a 10mx5.5m polytunnel just around the time the pandemic was kicking in. No joke in stony soil - but the work helped keep me sane! If you have the opportunity to use a digger I'd say go for it. You could probably hire in a small one for 100 or 200 euro.

SouthWesterly · 13-01-2022 10:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118442272#Comment_118442272

I've 2 trenches since last summer. Never got a chance to put up the Tunnel frame.

My wife dug them 😂

2011abc · 16-01-2022 3:37pm

Just got an amazing polytunnel in the school I work in.I think it’s 12m long ( x4m wide?) A concrete base with two rectangular beds( 12x1.8m) was installed beforehand .Very impressive ! While there is concrete at the outer sides and ends of the beds it’s too small to walk ,let alone kneel on .I’m thinking we should put walkways across the two big beds . There seems to be some kind of stones ( not quite hardcore but def some dark grey ‘slatey’ ‘gravel’ of varying sizes .)There are a few weeds growing on it so it’s not completely ‘sterile’ .At the moment the beds are only about 10 cm or a bit more deep .I’d guess def not enough for spuds .Should we dig deeper ?Fill with topsoil ? ( Mixed with anything ?) I reckon it would take three tones or more even to fill the 10cm .Any other advice welcome .This thing is way too good to leave idle ! We might start with containers for now .

looksee · 16-01-2022 5:10pm

A pic would help! Where is the gravel (sounds like limestone chippings, used for driveways)? Are the beds intended for use by teens or younger children? 1.8m is really too wide for cultivation, you need to be easily able to reach the middle. A walkway down the middle might not be practical though. Are you saying there is a small concrete ledge all round the beds? What purpose does it serve? It would need to be widened with - say - more of the gravel that is in (?) the beds. 10cm isn't really deep enough for anything, I gather that is the depth of the frames of the beds. Its really not clear how it all works, can you give us a pic please?

Edit, I have just realised this is in the middle of another thread. It would be better if you started another thread with it. Its not as easy for mods to move posts as it used to be.

Polytunnel Refit

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