Storm Damage

Dogmum

My poly tunnel has been up just 4 days and the winds tonight have totally shredded the cover away from all its anchor points. What a waste of money 😞

fidgetbones

The last winds like this we had, mine took off, frame attached to cover, over hedges and ended up on a neighbours conservatory.  I bought a new cover, that lasted three months.

Dovefromabove

Oh @Dogmum I’m so sorry …stay safe ((hugs))

bertrand-mabel

Our polytunnel has been in situ for over 15 years.

It is showing wear and tear and we will have to recover this year.

But thankfully with all the storms that have happened over these years we have never had problems with the covers.

Hopefully a new cover will be as good.

Hostafan1

it's dark, I've not checked mine. 
According to ch4 last night we're due "gusts of 80 - 100mph" tomorrow

Fritillary

My son and daughter bought one together. It was put up here on the farm. It has housed the chickens over winter because of bird flu and also to help prepare the ground. The whole lot has lifted off the ground and blown over. I will get some photos when it is light.

Dogmum

Hope everyone has stayed safe.

In the cool light of day it is only a poly tunnel, we weren’t hurt and our home is ok and at least it wasn’t full of crops. It’s just so disheartening, I’d put a lot of hours into getting the ground dug and manured before I put the actual structure up, so the beds would be ready and at their best.  The trampoline ground anchors I bought did a great job and there was no chance of it taking off, the plastic just didn’t survive.  Our winds were forecast as gusts of up to 42mph, which isn’t that unheard off in the uk and I’d already decided that I was going to take the cover off today because of the winds forecast for tomorrow.

I suppose the biggest question is what to do now?  Do I risk buying a replacement cover? Or shall I cut my losses and wait until I can afford/justify the expense of a glass greenhouse?

@bertrand-mabel what brand is your tunnel? Maybe I just need a better made one.

If I don’t put a new cover on does anybody have any suggestions for what I could use the frame for?

Fritillary

A couple of photos of poly tunnel.

Dovefromabove

Oooh bu**er ........ not a lot of help now but I seem to have a memory of Bob Flowerdew or someone saying that if strong winds are forecast you should lift the plastic at the sides of polytunnels to give the wind an exit.  

Obelixx

Our polytunnel is 8m x 4m with a door at each end.  It is at the bottom of our plot and has a thumping great mimosa tree behind it and then the cow and straw barns of our neighbours' beef cattle farm.  The structure is strong and well pegged down and the single plastic sheet that covers it is attached to the frame with metal clips as well as buried in the ground all along the sides.   No ventilation panels but there are gaps round each door and we leave them ajar anyway - except at night in deepest winter - for air to flow and pollinator access.

It has survived 100mph winds and the side blow from the tornado that did this to our barns just 50m away.



I would fix the frame and get a new cover.  Cheaper than a greenhouse and less expensive to replace after the next strong winds blast a glasshouse to pieces.

bertrand-mabel

@Dogmum Sorry no idea the make but we bought it (frame and cover) from S&W Polytunnel.

We erected it ourselves and the cover was buried deep into the ground. It has a door at either end.

So a new cover will be put on but not until the weather is warmer as this helps the manipulate the plastic.