I Just Bought A Small Polytunnel

I would like to eventually have a greenhouse, but it will take me a while to save up for one.
So, when browsing on ebay on Sunday night, I found this -
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231387573...49&var=530648675873&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Perfect for my small garden and as I've been using those little "blowaway" mini greenhouses for the last year without any problems, I decided to go ahead and buy it.
It was delivered this morning

Now I need to sort out some timber to reinforce the frame, as my garden is in a bit of a wind tunnel due to the layout of my street and the next one down.

 

Congratulations on your purchase. Make sure that you get it well anchored into the ground and good luck growing in it.

 

Thank you lykewewalker

My plan is to bolt the tunnel frame to a wooden base, secure the tunnel to posts at each side with rope or ratchet straps over the top, and build a windbreak fence in front of the end that's exposed to the wind. Oh, and reinforce the frame inside with wooden rails.
It will be sitting in the sunniest corner of my garden and at 90 degrees to my 6' fence.
I've never grown veg before so that's something I'll be trying now that I have this little tunnel. I'll be able to start seeds in the tunnel next spring instead of germinating them on a table by my living room window then moving them outside, juggling trays around to fit them into my 6' high x 4' wide x 2' deep mini "blowaway" greenhouse

 

Great news @CreakyJoints , can't wait to see your veg next year!

 

Just taken a look at you post and that was a really good price and it looks a good size......I will be very interested in watching your progress and what you will be growing

 

Have a look at how I did that, although I now have a 3 x 6m tunnel (and thinking of getting another), it's my original small tunnel with its demountable staging that houses masses of plants awaiting planting out http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/threads/my-£50-polytunnel-from-ebay.31800/

 

@Scrungee it was your £50 polytunnel thread that inspired me to go ahead and buy this one. Seeing how you and others reinforced your tunnels gave me the confidence to go ahead, knowing that this particular type of tunnel can stand up to strong winds.

My tunnel will sit here,

at this end <- <- and at right angles to my fence. The zip up door end will face the fence.
I've already bought 3 x 6' posts, 100mm square, which I'll use to extend the lower graveled area out this way to make a base for the tunnel to sit on. I have some gravel left over from when I had it put down, so will lay that on top of weed control fabric inside my extended 6' square.
I might even make it so that inside the tunnel has a small step down from the gravel on the lower level in the pic. As long as my posts/base are level with the top of the decking board on the lower level, that would give me a bit more height inside this end of my tunnel.

I'll make a wooden base out of 2" x 4", which I'll fix to the posts with screws, then I'll fix the tunnel's ground poles to the 2" x 4" with pipe clamps.
I have ordered some anti hot spot tape which I should get in the next day or two. Now I just need to buy some 2" x 4".
To give the tunnel a bit of protection from the wind, I'll make a short length of fence out of 5' pickets (see my gate ->) and sandwich a piece of my brushwood screening between the rails and the pickets. I might use a bit of weed control fabric in my windbreak fence too, but just attach it to the top rail so that it doesn't act like a sail when its windy. I'm thinking about trying that out on the fence opposite the one in this pic - staple weed control fabric to the top rail then staple brushwood screening on top of that. The wind comes mostly from that direction (behind me when I took this photo) and can gust from between 60 - 100mph on the worst days.
So, weather permitting, tomorrow I'll start clearing and leveling the ground so that I can put 4 supporting posts in and make the base for my tunnel to sit on

 

Be prepared to replace the cover that comes with it after 2 - 3:years, and if proper polytunnel polythene is used as a replacement you'll no longer have any side vents, so making provision for doors at each end from the very beginning might be a good idea, having the cover fixed with battens to door frames really helps stop it shifting in gales.

 

Thanks @Scrungee
Well, the sun is shining this morning so its perfect for preparing the ground for my polytunnel base
It is cold though, 10c just now and 14c by 3pm. 0% rain here today so I'll be able to get some posts in.
I'll report back later with photos

 

Just in for a spot of lunch. I had a bowl of delicious, home made lentil soup with chunky veg and bacon in it.
While I'm indoors, I've ordered a 10m roll of 20mm x 1mm fixing band and 2 heavy duty 150 x 150mm steel angle brackets. The brackets are for bolting the 6' post ends together where they meet at the corner with the upright 50mm corner posts.

 

Just thought I'd give a quick update.
I'm waiting for timber to arrive to build a framework to strengthen my tunnel.
I ordered a pack of 8 4x2 @ 2.4m long and a pack of 10 3x2 @ 2.4m long, which cost £77.15.
I've also bought a set of 6 mini circular saw blades for my dremel, because with having arthritis, that will be easier on my joints to use to cut the wood than a saw will be.

So far, the costs relating to my tunnel are -
2.5mx2m polytunnel - £48.99
Anti hot spot tape - 4 rolls @ 20mm wide x 9m long - £8.99
3 100mm square by 1.8m pressure treated posts - £28.75 (for base to sit the tunnel on).
6 50mm square by 1.8m pressure treated rails/posts - £21.15 (these will be used as 4 x upright corner posts and 2 sides of the door frame).
Pack of 8 100mm x 50mm (4"x2") by 2.4m long CLS/C24 timber - £39.78.
Pack of 10 75mm x 50mm (3"x2") by 2.4m long CLS/C24 timber - £37.37.
1 roll of 10m long by 20mm wide steel multi purpose builder's fixing band - £4.75.
2 x heavy duty steel angle brackets, 150mm x 150mm x 63mm - £2.21 (these are for fixing the base posts at the corners).
I already have screws and nails so didn't have to buy those, and I have a heavy duty staple gun and staples too if needed.
So, the total cost comes to - £191.99
Any left over timber can be used to make a bench to sit seed trays on, and I would be able to sit at least one of my mini walk in greenhouses inside the tunnel to have a more protected section inside for any seedlings or plants that need it.
I think I have everything I need now but can anyone think of anything I've missed out ?

 

Hi just a word if you use ratchet straps you will pull the plastic inwards and the ends will not be over the hoop, so the zips will have to much tension and it will make it hard to zip up.

I used webbing straps so I can loosen or tighten depending on the weather, plus I have no tension so the zips work as they should. Clear as mud yeh.

 

Thanks very much for the heads up @Jimcub
My timber was delivered today so I now have everything I need to get started.
Although I already have plenty of screws and nails, I decided to buy some 4" Torxfast premium wood screws. I bought a box of 100, which cost £9.59.
I chose these because they are strengthened and are designed to flex slightly when used in load bearing structural timber constructions. My garden sits in a wind tunnel due to the layout of my street and the next one down, so these screws really will be tested in that department.

Now I need to read through other people's threads on constructing a timber frame to strengthen their tunnels, then crack on with doing my own

Quick question while I'm here, I'll be using 3 6ft posts (4" square) on their sides to extend the level of my graveled area, which will form the base for my tunnel to sit on.
Should I put in concrete footings for these posts to lie on ?
I have a spirit level and a rubber mallet, so getting my base level won't be a problem.
Thanks in advance

 

Slight change of plan...
I'm going to have a greenhouse built out of the timber I bought and will cover it with polytunnel polythene. I'll buy that from First Tunnels so it will be the proper stuff. A joiner is coming out tomorrow morning to take measurements and discuss plans .
That will make it a hybrid - a polyhouse (pinched that name from someone's post on the greenhouse growing board ).

I'll have to have a rethink on where my little ebay tunnel will go now. I'm wondering if it will fit over my raised bed in the photo and run parallel to my fence, with the greenhouse at the bottom where the tunnel was going to go ?

It's all so exciting ! My first ever polytunnel AND greenhouse !

 

Update !
The joiner came out this morning and measured everything up for my greenhouse/polyhouse.
There's a possibility that he may build one bigger than 8' x 6', so that's even better, it could be 10 or even 12 feet long.
His quote for 2 days work was very reasonable too at £200, and he's the kind of guy who isn't shy about working in rubbish weather so I'll have my greenhouse/polyhouse up and running before Christmas.
The little polytunnel won't be redundant either because I've decided to put that up over my raised bed. I think I'll have to raise it up in height to clear the clothes pole because that will end up being inside the tunnel. A timber frame around the base will do that as well as giving me somewhere to attach a strengthened frame inside the tunnel. I'll have a proper framed timber door put in too so no faffing about with zips
That will give me even more covered growing space, ideal for our rubbish Scottish weather, so I'll be able to get a good start on growing veg for the first time next year.

Wanders off now to find out how and when to start growing veggies...