Yea, search for greenhouse film. Monsanto makes it, as do others. It uses a
nickle UV inhibitor that will give it a reasonably long life, as long as
it's installed properly. If the clear plastic has a greenish tint to it, it
has nickle UV inhibitors in it. If it's clear, it doesn't. Regular poly has
no uv inhibitors, and will crack up in less than a year, especially clear.
The best UV inhibitor BTW is carbon black, so black plastic will last the
longest. White plastic will cut down on the transmission of UV to whatever
is underneath it, but will still allow some. The pigment is titanium
dioxide.

"Gregg Germain" wrote in message
...
Glenn Ashmore wrote:
: How long has it been up?

1 month.


Regular 6 mil poly is not going to last more
: than 6 months to a year in the sunlight.

It's not like this is the first time I've done this:

I've gotten pretty good lifetimes out of this stuff in thw
past. This is because in the winter what sun we do get is low angle.

And in the summer, I cover the clear plastic with a white tarp to
reflect the sun off the shelter/boat. So the harsh summer sun is not a
factor in breakdown of the clear plastic tarp.

However, as I wrote in another note, the production qualityof this
stuff has fallen off severely. So I might be interested in a substitute.

:Any repairs on old sheets is
: wasted effort. I suffered with it for a couple of years and then went
: to real greenhouse film. It has been up for over 3 years now and is
: still just as strong as new. It cost about 3 times as much as regular
: builders 6 mil poly but it will last 4 or 5 times as long and you are
: not faced with the hassles of replacing it.

Ah ok I'm interested in this. Who sells it? Is "Greenhouse film" the
actual name? Shoudl I use that for a google search?

thanks!


--- Gregg
"Improvise, adapt, overcome."

Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Phone: (617) 496-1558