Repairing Holes in Greenhouse Plastic

[Cole_Robbie]

I'm going into year 6 now on my plastic that was rated 3-5 years. My greenhouse is 14x48. The plastic is 20' wide. Looking long-ways down the piece, I can see the seams in it. That's how they make it at the factory. They heat-seam together plastic on rolls to make larger pieces. My 20' span over the hoops has about three seams in it. These seams are the weakest point on the plastic, and the first place that it will fail.

Originally I bought the expensive tape they like to sell you. It's great as far as tape goes, but it only lasts a year at best, and it is very expensive.

Last year I was sewing up seams with a needle and fishing line. That was a cheaper fix, but did not last more than a few months in the sun.

This year, I've had the most holes to patch, and the best I've done so far is using clear 100% silicone and a patch of a piece of scrap material glued over the hole with the silicone. It's as cheap as any repair, and seems to be holding quite well.

[Jimbotomateo]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

I'm going into year 6 now on my plastic that was rated 3-5 years. My greenhouse is 14x48. The plastic is 20' wide. Looking long-ways down the piece, I can see the seams in it. That's how they make it at the factory. They heat-seam together plastic on rolls to make larger pieces. My 20' span over the hoops has about three seams in it. These seams are the weakest point on the plastic, and the first place that it will fail.

Originally I bought the expensive tape they like to sell you. It's great as far as tape goes, but it only lasts a year at best, and it is very expensive.

Last year I was sewing up seams with a needle and fishing line. That was a cheaper fix, but did not last more than a few months in the sun.

This year, I've had the most holes to patch, and the best I've done so far is using clear 100% silicone and a patch of a piece of scrap material glued over the hole with the silicone. It's as cheap as any repair, and seems to be holding quite well.

Great idea Cole! Are you getting new plastic after this year?.

[Cole_Robbie]

Probably. I only use the greenhouse from March to early June, so I try to make that call in the winter, after the ice and snow season has passed. I would hate to put new plastic on in the fall and then get a giant ice storm the next winter. The sharp chunks of ice sliding down when they fall off are not nice at all.

Putting on new plastic in late February is always challenging, at best. The only nice weather days tend to be windy, and wind is very bad for that endeavor.

[Ricky Shaw]

Same here, if you get a nice February day, it's because of strong southerlies.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw

Same here, if you get a nice February day, it's because of strong southerlies.

At least the south is good for something.
Worth

[KarenO]

Originally Posted by Worth1

At least the south is good for something.
Worth

Wind and Hot air?

KarenO

[AKmark]

I use the tape you were referring too, or clear Gorilla tape, then I spray over it with Plasti dip. Some damage is good for a year, others get beat up by the wind and I repair them at least twice per year. I had a huge tree close to the GH's, winds sent many sticks through the roofs like arrows, dull arrows.

[KarenO]

I used to have a small greenhouse made of lumber and covered with greenhouse plastic. I learned to repair little holes right away or the wind would soon make them bigger holes. I used patches and silver duct tape sticks to everything. It wasn`t pretty but it worked
my Dad could fix anything with duct tape and bailer twine and I am my father`s daughter
KarenO

[FourOaks]

Cole.... Im just curious if you used Silicone I or Silicone II? Im sure it wouldn't really matter. I think S II has antifungal properties.

[Cole_Robbie]

I didn't know there were two different silicones. I just looked at the tube, and mine is SI, not the SII.