| Archive for countrytalkandtips.myfreeforum.org ........................ smallholding, crafts and country life ................................................... IN IRELAND ....................................................... |
| roiphil |
poly tunnel advice neededHi, Thinking about buying a polytunnel, where we are most of the windy weather comes from the west, should i site the tunnel with gable end facing west or should i site it length wise facing west, my thinking is if i go for length wise facing west it will then allow the wind to flow over a curved surface, until we get more sheltered with trees, but if i face it gable end westerdly it will have full sun all day down the length of it, hope that all makes sense. thanks, opinions greatley appreciated |
||
| chook |
Hi roiphil,
I agree with your thinking, even though I've seen other recommendations. We also aligned our tunnel S-N so that westery winds can go over the curved side rather than hit the vertical gable end head on. We also planted a shelterbelt to slow the wind down a bit. See here: http://www.ibiblio.org/permaculture-online/profclogher.html chook |
||
| wayland |
I would want to make the most of the prevailing wind for ventilation, which is always a problem with poly tunnels. | ||
| roiphil |
thans for advice, the tunnel i am looking at is from polydome and they do advise gable end facing windy direction, our first mobile home lost its roof in a gale where we are  , it was like peeling a banana, hence i am a bit undecided as to the best way to site it.
|
||
| chook |
Maybe that's where I read it but I did not think it makes sense. Still don't. Not with the kind of winds we get here near the West Coast. In any case the prevailing winds come from the south-west so ventilation is not a problem even if it faces N-S. The recommendation for raised beds or 'German mounds' is to have their long axis in N-S orientation for maximum sun exposure. I would think the same applies to a tunnel? chook |
||
| bernie |
Chook - Great pics on the permie website ! Have bookmarked for later thorough reading.
Severe polytunnel envy - must do better next spring 
|
||
| David |
We have the same N-S orientation as Chook mentions, seems to work fine. Definitely no problem with ventilation!
The tunnel has weathered 4 years of storms so far (famous last words, I'll probably see it fly past the window any minute) D |
||
| roiphil |
thanks for all ideas etc, whats the best way to fix poly cover to ground,
1, bury polythene in ground, or 2, fix 2x3 timber to base of frame then attach polythene to this useing 2x1 timber (used to do it this way in uk but it was not as windy there as it is here) |
||
| David |
Ours is buried, about a foot deep. The wood batten sounds like a good idea, but I wouldn't trust it with the wind that we can get.
D |
||
| wayland |
I like to be able to roll up one side for ventilation. This is done in some commercial setups that I have seen. The side that is opersite to the prevailing wind has a woodern trough set into the ground. The cover is attached to a scaffold pole and can be wound up the side of the polytunnel. The gap has windbreak mesh over it. Works well even if I have not described it as such. | ||
| David |
sounds like a good idea for ventilation. I think the wind here in the West is too much to warrant extra ventilation...even on summer days we always seem to get a breeze, and the tunnel condensation disappears in minutes. Might be a good plan down there in the sunny South East though?
D |
||