[Shay]

As per my previous post I finally completed my DIY polytunnel a couple of weeks ago. Shortly afterwards we had some serious winds (up to 100Km) and its still standing. It was hard work to construct. Driving in scaffold tubes 600mm into stiff clay while trying not to flatten the tops proved difficult. However, it provide quite cheap and is quiet robust. I varied the construction a wee bit from the original web link.

[Her Outdoors]

That looks excellent Shay, well done.
Can I ask where you bought the polythene and what guage it is? We live on a windy hill and it has always put me off paying an exorbitant price for it to blow into th next parish. Can I ask what the overall cost was? It looks really impressive.

[James Kilkelly]

Nice one Shay.
It makes good use of that oft dead part of the some gardens where the ESB pole stainer hit the ground.
Plastic conduit on the bars I see, but what is the white stripping outside that?
I like the way you left the the bit of venting above the door.

Need materials? Irish home delivery.	Need materials? UK home delivery.	Need materials? US home delivery.

[Shay]

The cost was around €180 for the ducting pipe, polythene, hot spot tape and timber (I already had the scaffold tubes).

Its 6x3m and would have cost in the €500-600 range for a full kit.

I got the polythene from First Tunnels in the UK , its 720 gauge.

The white stuff over the ducting pipes is the hot spot tape.

Scaffold tubes should be quiet cheap to purchase in the current climate.

I've rigged up some irrigation pipe to my water butt adjacent the shed and got a timer to connect to the pipework to water the plants at gound level inside the tunnel. The timer cost around €30 on ebay, €25 cheaper than local DIY stores.

Its amazing how quickly the water butt empties (210l) so I think I will have to connect a few in series or maybe some cheap IBC's.

[BlackBird]

Looks great Shay. You on the road to being self sufficent. Solar cells on the shed roof as well, very snazzy. What you hoping to grow in your first season?

[Shay]

Lots of tomatoes, peppers, chillis, a couple of watermelons, some basil, abergine, some early lettuce and rocket...thats the plan.

[juliep]

we're starting to make one of these ourselves.will show pics whemn we get them sorted

[Shay]

Hi Juilep,

Just a couple of tips if your interested.

I found it difficult and time consuming to drill through the scaffold tube to place a bolt/nail to stop the piping slipping down so I fitted a Queen pipe clip instead. So far it seems ok.

I fitted hot spot tape but it would not adhere to the scaffold tube section so I used cable plastic cable ties along that part.

Spray plenty of oil over the tubes and into the duct pipe to make it easier to fit on.

Best of luck.

[juliep]

Hi , shay , i have a master when it comes to pipes,etc, not me but my partner, although i did help enormously. just one question, can you tell us how you managed to join the polythene to avoid leaks. we won't be getting back to it until tomorrow,as we are away today

[Shay]

Join the Polythene?
Its one complete sheet with sections cut out for the doors and vents. Fix at the door frames with timber battens and the rest buried.

[brennan.jm]

Hi Shay, what lengths are the ducting pipes used. Do you think there is potential to increase the width of the tunnell. What space is between the hoops.
I think there is enormous scope for people to make there own tunnells using the ducting.

[pjdub22]

Hi jm, I'm in the middle of constructing a similar polytunnel. Mine is 11ft wide 20 ft long and the length of pipe I used is 19ft. Distance between hoops is 5 ft. I've taken a different approach in that my pipe is pushed into the steel pipe as opposed to around it. Time and storms will tell if it's up to the job. I'm at the stage of putting in the wooden supports and gable ends and was looking for info on best size of wood to use. Looks like Shay is using 2x2 or less. I've discovered an Irish supplier of polytunnel plastic also www.polydome.ie. I have not used them yet so can't go as far as to make a recommendation.

[pjdub22]

2 useful resources here... http://www.self-sufficient.co.uk/Make-Your-Own-DIY-Polytunnel.htm http://www.overthegardengate.net/UserPages/pp_view.asp?FName=Polytunnel&Page=1

[brennan.jm]

Hi pjdub looks like a fine job. Can you tell me why you picked 11ft for the width.
I hope to learn from yourself and Shay so I hope to make my poly as wide as possible maybe 5-6m. I do think its possible to make a perfectly good poly that will be as good as you can buy as a DIY project. Once we discover a way to get extra width the size is down to what an individual requires.

[pjdub22]

I had planned on it being 10ft wide but had to extend it a bit to allow for a feature on site. The 19 ft of water pipe left plenty of room to maneuver.
That's an ambitious width your going for. you could do 2 spans but I don't know how or what you would need to stretch the polythene in that scenario.