How long has it been up? Regular 6 mil poly is not going to last more
than 6 months to a year in the sunlight. 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.

Gregg Germain wrote:

It all it was, was a blue poly tarp I would just replace it.

But it is not. It's a 33 foot by 20 foot piece of 6 mil clear poly
that I use as a roof on my boat shelter. It works great as a
"greenhouse", and to be honest, I dont' feel like replacing it because
of one tear. But if I don't deal with the tear, it will get larger.

Gregg

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

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

Do a search on "Greenhouse coverings".

What I used is Tufflite IV made by Tyco plastics. I got it from Parks
Seed but they are wholesale only. Search for Tufflite or AT Plastics
Dura-film. It is not cheap. 20' wide cut lengths of Tufflite are about
$2/foot and a 100' roll of Dura-film is about $150.00. Maybe someone
else here with a long term project will split a roll with you.

If it has only been up a month you may as well duct tape it closed and
wait until next year. Better yet is Poly-patch, a tape made for
patching poly greenhouse film. The patch will last longer than your
cover. Try B&T Growers supply. They have 2" wide rolls for about
$10.00. Thye also have Dura-film.

http://www.growersupply.com/polypatch.html

Gregg Germain wrote:
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


--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

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