Polytunnel Build – Part 1
This weekend we finally started the polytunnel build after a drier spell of weather had allowed the ground to firm up a bit. The aim for the weekend was to get the metal frame up, ready to then tackle doors, screens and cover in Part 2.
Jack had already cleared and broadly levelled the area with the digger. First part of the process was to dig in the foundation plates and tubes.
Saturday 12th March
Each foundation tube is attached to a 45cm square plate which needs to be buried 60cm deep. 12 in total. Seemed easy until we hit some very solid clay about 20cm down.
We measured, and dug, and measured, and levelled, and measured diagonals, and measured. Then we dug and measured and levelled and measured and levelled….
Turns out that it’s all clay under there.
At the end of Saturday we had 12 post foundations in the ground. Didn’t look like a great deal for about eight hours of hard labour.
Sunday 13th March
After a bit of light rain overnight we re-convened on Sunday morning to continue with the frame. Hoping that we didn’t make a mess of anything later on the afternoon before!
Hoops went together first. It took a bit of time to get it all worked out – particularly putting all the clips on that we will need later. We assembled them all on the ground first….
Each hoop was then slotted in one by one until all 6 were done. Takes a bit of a shove to bend the bars round to fit – but the careful preparation on the sat meant that everything was spot on.
The next set of steps then installed the ridge bars to provide end to end stability and the wind braces to provide a bit of additional support. The tripod ladder on soft ground was an essential.
Crop bars on, and wind stays secured, then lo and behold at 4pm on Sunday afternoon we had the frame up and a whisker away from completion. Only a couple of missing brackets stopped us – but already in the post from a very responsive supplier.