Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

Discussion forum for the various methods and structures used for getting an early start on your growing season, extending it for several weeks or even year 'round.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old March 7, 2017   #1
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default Repairing Holes in Greenhouse Plastic

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.
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 7, 2017   #2
Jimbotomateo
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Santa Maria California
Posts: 1,014
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie View Post
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?.
Jimbotomateo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 7, 2017   #3
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default

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.
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 7, 2017   #4
Ricky Shaw
Tomatovillian™
 
Ricky Shaw's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Zone 6a Denver North Metro
Posts: 1,910
Default

Same here, if you get a nice February day, it's because of strong southerlies.
Ricky Shaw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 7, 2017   #5
AKmark
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Wasilla Alaska
Posts: 2,010
Default

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.
AKmark is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 7, 2017   #6
KarenO
Tomatovillian™
 
KarenO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
Default

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
KarenO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 7, 2017   #7
FourOaks
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: NC
Posts: 511
Default

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.
FourOaks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 7, 2017   #8
Cole_Robbie
Tomatovillian™
 
Cole_Robbie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
Default

I didn't know there were two different silicones. I just looked at the tube, and mine is SI, not the SII.
Cole_Robbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 7, 2017   #9
Worth1
Tomatovillian™
 
Worth1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ricky Shaw View Post
Same here, if you get a nice February day, it's because of strong southerlies.
At least the south is good for something.
Worth
Worth1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 7, 2017   #10
KarenO
Tomatovillian™
 
KarenO's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 5,931
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Worth1 View Post
At least the south is good for something.
Worth
Wind and Hot air?

KarenO
KarenO is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:11 AM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★