Green House plastic

old · Feb 24, 2010

Well I think this year I'll cover my green house frame and really put it to use. I can buy a roll of 3mil 20'X25' for $15 or a roll of 6mil 10'X25' for $23 but if I go with the higher price stuff I will need 2 plus rolls but if I go with the lighter stuff I will be able to go with one big roll and one smaller roll for cost total will be $20. I figure neither one will hold up most then into this summer so is the 6mil really going to be worth the extra $$$ What do you guys think and maybe some of you have built your own green houses on the cheap like I have set up
Thanks

Anonymous-0 · Feb 24, 2010

Why not build a frame and use up all that glass you got laying around???
If you want to use plastic, the 6 mil will be cheaper in the long run. Maybe get two rolls of the 3 mil and double it?

Dave

old · Feb 24, 2010

Dave I guess you do not remember my PVC pipe green house frame. As for the 3mil and 6 mil neither one will last more then maybe 6 months tops as per what is said on and by the store people so either way it is sort of money down the drain in the long run. As for the glass as I have said before I have a green house I just need to move it but it has been far far to wet to do so and will not be able to be done till this summer I hope.
So guess what I'm asking is the 6mil really worth the extra bucks for it since neither will hold up long

LOU from WI · Feb 24, 2010

Thought about your question. It just might pay to ask any greenhouse what kind of plastic covering they use on their buildings. Seems to me they hold up rather well year after year.
But again, I'm just throwing out this information for you to consider. LUCK THIS GROWING SEASON Reguards LOU

Anonymous-0 · Feb 24, 2010

We use "UV treated" plastic on our tobacco plant Greenhouses that last 3-5 years. GROWERS I think. May give you mine, do'nt have a contract yet!

Anonymous-0 · Feb 24, 2010

I'll ask what size the thickness, but I deliver my horse sh!t to a guy with two greenhouses like yours (just a lot bigger) that they built 3 and 4 years ago that still look as good as the day they set them up. Think the idea is to keep it stretched tight.

old · Feb 24, 2010

Dave there is a plastic made just for green houses and it costs a whole lot more then this stuff. Last I checked at over $100 for enough to do what i need but it is also something like a 1/16 of an inch thick

Ken Thies · Feb 24, 2010

Hey Old. Go with the 6 mil 3 will almost tear if you look at it wrong. With the wind you get down that way with the storm and all it will do you better. Wish I could get it that cheap up this way.
Up this way we use two layers and blow air in between for insulation.
Gives you almost an extra month on both ends.
Built a few steel buildings in you town back in the 60s.
Ken

old · Feb 24, 2010

Ya I talked to the manager of the store that has the plastic. He said years ago they had green houses and stopped putting them up because of the fact the plastic didn't last but a year or 2 and they then had to replace it so that was running into big $$ with all there stores so they stopped doing them. He is also the person that told me it pretty much would not matter if I use the 3 or 6 mil both would most likely not make it 6 months so figured I would see what you guy knew about it before I spend any $$

old · Feb 24, 2010

The 6mil stuff is from Wal-Mart and the 3mil is Orsalones (sp) farm and home. Wal-mart wants $22.95 a roll that is 10X25'

Anonymous-0 · Feb 24, 2010

Could be..... If it lasts for 4 years, you're money ahead and save 3 times the work.....

old · Feb 24, 2010

Well that becomes a yes, no, and maybe. This green house frame sits in my garden area so when summer is here I will have to remove the plastic. I hope I can get lucky and save it for next year but you know how that goes. So what I'm saying is to buy the high priced stuff might save if I where to keep it up but I will not be but then I guess either way I would have to take it down since it would not hold up to a snow load any how. I may need to see if I can find some of the heavy stuff

Bigmarvfrom Ga · Feb 24, 2010

I have bought some of the clear plastic from Wal Mart and it disintergates in about 4 or 5 months according to how hot it is out side and the amount of sun on it. I like your frame. We had a set up like that in a deer camp I was a member in.

Dave_Id · Feb 24, 2010

I worked at a greenhouse when I was a kid up in Central Minnesota. We replaced the plastic on the houses every fall, 4 mil on the outside, then the cheaper 2 mil on the inside. The 2 mil got torn off in the spring, and the 4 lasted through out the summer.

Leroy · Feb 24, 2010

I would go with the 6 as it might hold up for the 2-3 months you need it but I would be afraid the 3 would rip off in the first wind and rain and if you would get any snow on it then goodby to any plants you had in there.

old · Feb 24, 2010

Ya I was figuring if I do this it will be a yearly thing if I do it every year that is. This year I'm thinking about it because of how long. cold and wet it has been this year

old · Feb 24, 2010

Back in 2007 I sent out who knows how many emails with the full set of pictures of this frame. I have used this for a temp. car port, a temp paint booth and a temp shed/sun shelter. I bet back then I did one e-mail for every day of the month of Feb and the pictures show it from start to finish and all what it takes to build it. This one has been in my garden area ever since I took the pictures in Feb of 2007

Ecnerwal · Feb 24, 2010

If you are long-term cheap rather than short-term cheap, look into a different source of plastic, in a larger piece. Best I recall 20x100 6mil clear poly (aka visqueen, which might be someone's brand name) was about $45 the last time I bought one at the lumberyard.

This is the building vapor barrier plastic, not UV resistant greenhouse cover.

On smaller structures (chicken tractor, cold frames) I get about a year out of it. You might get less time with it flapping in the breeze - if you can set up a small blower and make the greenhouse tight enough that the blower will inflate the plastic, that will reduce flapping and increase life. Roll out enough to get X by 20 and cut it off. The roll (stored out of the sun) does not go bad with age (or hasn't in quite a few years).

ChrisinMO · Feb 24, 2010

Old,

We put up a seedling greenhouse years ago when we were first starting out at the farmers markets. I used 6 mil construction grade plastic from a big box store. It lasted a little over 4 months before a heavy thunderstorm destroyed it. That fall I sprang for much more expensive greenhouse plastic (still 6mil) from a mail order place in California. It is still on the seedling greenhouse, uhh, 5 years later. The only problems with it have been holes from cats climbing up the outside of it :>(. Going with something more expensive can be cheaper later.

Just my 2 cents.

Christopher

old · Feb 24, 2010

Can understand what your saying. But to tell the truth I hope to get the green house my mom gave me a couple years ago down to my place this year. But you know how the best laid plans of mice and men go. The one O have that I need to move has the fiberglass panels on it and was built probably 15 plus years ago

Wesley Stephens · Feb 24, 2010

We used 2 pvc and 3 steel greenhouses for about 20 years. We always used the greenhouse cover plastic that was 6 mil, not the hardware store 6 mil. We could get about 4 years out of a 3 year rated cover on a steel one, but the pvc reacted with the covers and they would only last about 2 years. We painted the pvc pipe with white latex paint and we could get 3 years out of a 3 year rated cover. Make sure that you use good stapling tape along the bottom and have the cover as tight as you can get it. We are in a hurricane-prone area and we never lost a cover, even during Fran and Floyd. We would seal up the ends and turn the fans on to suck the plastic down so they wouldn't flap. You'd be surprised how much wind a greenhouse can take if the cover doesn't flap and the wind doesn't get under it. When you thump a greenhouse cover it should sound like a drum.

old · Feb 24, 2010

Hey Dave here is another name to add to the possible ear flickers if you get out of line LOL. My moms moms maiden name is Stelts so that is another one to add to may family. I hope to call my aunt Ruth in the next day or so and she should have a lot of info that I'll pass on. Might be neat to find your paying one of my relatives for your place

GordoSD · Feb 24, 2010

Old. You seem to be at odds with the greenhouse and the garden. What is the purpose of the greenhouse?
I'd say move that thing off your garden. Build some racks and tables inside it. Use it to START plants, and then MOVE them to the garden. You only need it from Feb to May right? Looks small for a garden anyway.
Or just before fall frost move whatever in there.

Gordo

old · Feb 24, 2010

I do not know if you understand the square foot garden thing or not few seem to . I garden small but get a lot because of the way I do things. Tall plants to the north short south and those in between as they grow in size. I also use 6 or 7 raised beds. I have a true green house just need to load it up and haul it from my mom place to my place about a mile by drive way just one of those round to it things but I guess you don;t have that problem LOL ya I know if you don't you have more $$ then you know what to do with LOL .

Green House plastic

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