Polytunnel in high winds

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Katejs

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Polytunnel in high winds
« on: June 07, 2012, 10:03 »
Although they're now not forecasting quite such strong winds for here, I was wondering what people do with their polytunnels in gales?  It's a small 'prefab' style rather than just hoops and sheeting and it's on a south-facing slope - the edges of the cover are buried and there are some extra metal posts, hammered in quite deep, inside the corners of the frame.  The door faces north and there are small roll-up windows in the west and east walls.  Gale winds are ususally from the west or south west.

If I close up the west window the wind has to go around rather than through it - increasing the force on the west wall and making it more likely to blow over sideways.

If I leave it open the wind gets inside and is potentially more likely to lift it upwards.

What do I do for the best?!

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Polytunnel in high winds
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2012, 10:08 »
Pray?   That's what I do.  I think personally you're better off keeping the window closed, but I don't have any experience of that shape.  My polytunnel has hoops and the only ventilation is the front and rear doors, plus all the holes the birds peck in it when they get trapped inside, and the rats have made holes along the bottom, and gashes where we let the chickens in there the other year.

But, considering it was 2nd hand, including the polythene 6 years ago, and a 6ft length of the roof split last year and is now taped together, it is holding up well in the Lincolsnhire winds.

If we were staying here, I'd get a new cover, but hoping to sell this place pretty soon, so not worth it.

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jrko

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Re: Polytunnel in high winds
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2012, 16:06 »
I'd open some vents to allow some wind penetration.  As you say that stops the wall taking all the power of the wind.  I'd also, if yours doesn't have them already, install some diagonals from each corner to the 2nd hoop in.  Make them of something like scaffold bar if possible.  Also maybe a vertical from the middle hood buried deeply in the ground below.

The more you spread the load around the hoops the more it is shared and the less each hoop has to withstand

hope its still up
Hello.  My name is James, the builder of Evil Shed mkII and The Greenhouse of Doom.  Please enjoy the madness of my Plot Diary here:
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=107298.0

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nuzuki

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Re: Polytunnel in high winds
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2012, 15:47 »
I bought a couple of 3m x 2m polytunnels earlier this year. One took off in the recent high winds and managed to turn itself round 180degrees and was parked on a barbed wire fence about 10 metres away from its original place.. This was with 4 bricks attached to the frame also. I have since attached 2 more bricks to the frames so 6 bricks to each frame. I pegged down some wooden planks at the bottom edges of the polytunnel and then put some bricks on top. We had some 30mph winds here about a week ago and they stood up well. My main problem now is the covers sagging and collecting rain. I have put rope along the inside of the frame in an attempt to push the cover out and stop rain collecting but havent had much luck so am going to try using some bamboo canes to push the cover out. I belive these tunnels I have are the prefab ones, around £30-50 each on ebay.

I hope thats of some help to you.



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