[frimleyrose]

Hi there I am new on this forum.

I aquired a greenhouse (freecycle) which I glazed in polycarbonate last Autumn but this last couple of days have seen me hanging onto the sheets fro dear life and using ducktape to secure them in case they blew away to the North Sea....seriously I am sore, bruised and heart sick now.  :oops:

I used silicone and wire clips to attach the panels initially. What can I now do to stop this happening with the next gales we have?

I have googled all sorts and found Bar capping? but thats going to be expensive and the greenhouse is an old 10' x 8'.

Can I buy a sort of aluminium strip by the metre that I can bolt across the panels?   :?

Would appreciate all the help I can get please....I am a hardy lady but need this sorted soon.

[daveinmanc]

hello there  

welcome to the forums, there are no moderators online this minute but they'll ask you to pop into the welcome forum to introduce yourself so i'll save them a job lol  

you didn't say what the frames made out of?? if its aluminium why not just drill through the two and bolt them on with M5 nuts and blots or maybe smaller?  wouldn't have thought you'd need aluminium strip or owt to do that, you could maybe get some UPVC window edging strip if you want summat as a buffer to stop the plastic windows cracking ?? are they flexible?

if you're carefull enough you should get away with nut n bolting it i woulda thought  . . . .

[frimleyrose]

Thank you so much for yu reply and so quickly too...

Yes, I will introduce myself shortly  

The frame is aluminium yes...what a great idea - hope I don;t sound too  dizzy but what is UPVC window edging strip? Is that the same as the stuff you can seal windows with?

Also, are M5 nuts and bolts th short short of ones?...sorry for all the questions but hope I will be able to contribute to the forum in other areas  

[daveinmanc]

hello again,

no problem  

not sure if its called edging strip or finishing strip, it comes in different widths from about an inch upwards - thought you may be trying to 'sandwich' the poly  between the frame and the strip  to have summat to fasten to ?

the M5 nut n bolts were only a suggestion in size, that (m5) determines the diameter, lengths are variable but i woulda thought inch n half should be enough at a guess.........

i think you'll get away with the nuts and bolts, bolt head on the outside, then a washer inside to stop it pulling into the poly/plastic you're using for the windows. . . . . . . maybe seal it with silicon after to put paid to any draughts? shouldn't get much though once its done

 

[frimleyrose]

Ah yes, I see what you mean - I'll hot foot it to B&Q tomorrow and see what there is - take it I can cut it with a fret saw then....

I did seal the panels with clear supposedly waterproof silicone before but it all jus came off!! LOL  maybe it was the way I did it  :oops: and if I use a buffer with that stuff and bolt it too it should stay put this time....just want to potter in the greenhouse without all this DIY  :x

x

[daveinmanc]

you can cut some of it with a stanley knife lol  . . . . . .


good luck, its a doddle really, not rocket science at all  . . . just nuts n bolts  

am off now to the other halfs so keep us posted n take some piccies of ya handy work when yer done     we all like piccies on ere lol

[frimleyrose]

I will do and thanks again...watch out for pics of my handi / messy work in the next couple of weeks  

[noshed]

I screwed planks onto the roof of my greenhouse to keep it all together. Not pretty but it worked. You could put some netting over the whole lot - just an idea

[frimleyrose]

You are all so kind with your replies   The only worry I have is that wood will then rot and will have to be replaced again at a later date...because I am an older lady    I am trying to save myself further work down the line.

I did hot foot it to B&Q but they looked at me as though I was a dizzy woman (Hmm!) anyway I have found some stuff on the web that might be the ticket for slotting between the polycarbonate panels and the frame before screwing in...

I will find the link and post it here today for your opinions if I may.....

[frimleyrose]

Hi Dave in Manchester.

Below is the stuff I have sourced from the web although I haven't ordered it yet.

FLAT 18mm x 3mm square edge FF183SEW FLEXIBLE PVC WHITE 3x25M COIL £30.66

Do you think this would do the trick between the polycarbonate sheet and the aluminium frame then bolt through it?

Thanks again.

[daveinmanc]

hello again

this is the stuff i was thinking of . . . . . .




well, its as near as i can find on the net, its just solid plastic, usually white and sold in lengths/widths  of various sizes. not sure about the stuff you've seen as i haven't had a look at that stuff hands on so to speak, sounds alright in the description though,  i still think you'd be ok just drilling through and nut n bolting it using washers to stop it pulling through the plastic/poly. just dont over-tighten them !

 

[frimleyrose]

What an absolute star you are  

Thanks once again...I'm off to order it...my, my, whatever did I get myself into :x