Polly Tunnel

[Geordie_Rob]

Listen mate, is your timber treated with woodstain or whatever? Condensation will build up inside the tunnel. Warm & damp conditions for untreated wood isn't going to last long. Sorry if you've mentioned it already. If not, hopefully my input will help extend the life of your tunnel.

[Highlander]

I have had this wood stored inside for quiet a while now, its not been treated recently, but it was bought original as treated timber,.... but I have thought that it might be a good winter job to do

[Luci_ferson]

be carefull what you treet it with because as the condensation drips it leaches chems. into the soil.
taken up in the plants, and hopefully never eaten.

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had similar problem with a greenhouse.

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only it was directly dripping into plant pots and poisoning the plants.

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if its good wood just give it a few coates of good gloss before you put the plastic over.
then just remember to wipe it down frequently. (if you dont youl get mold)

[Highlander]

Does anyone have any recommendations as to which preservatives might be best to use?

[Luci_ferson]

forgot to say , great build man, hope mine turns out half as good as yours is looking

as long as the timber is pre treated, just get a few coats of good anti mold gloss.
wipe it down frequently and your away.

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thats probably the most impressive poly tunnel I have ever seen.

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it makes my design look like its come from a meccanno kit.

[Luci_ferson]

shame you didnt live closer, i could do with your expertise to help with this new shed/house.
im having a nightmare just working out all the wood.

[Scythe13]

(6 March 2013, 21:59)Highlander Wrote: Does anyone have any recommendations as to which preservatives might be best to use?

Why not use good old ronseal? Does exactly what it says on the can. If it works for fences, your tunnel wood should be fine.

You can use a thin material mesh to catch condensation before it hits the wood. Kind of like in butterfly enclosures.

[Luci_ferson]

the mesh would aslo act as a good shader too.

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stop your plants burning

[MaryN]

Tunnel is looking good, Highlander. Have you thought about adding heating to give you a longer growing time? I read some interesting stuff on greenhouse heat sinks, and noticed that the Victorian gardeners used to utilise manure. Handy stuff.

[Highlander]

(7 March 2013, 12:55)Scythe13 Wrote:

(6 March 2013, 21:59)Highlander Wrote: Does anyone have any recommendations as to which preservatives might be best to use?

Why not use good old ronseal? Does exactly what it says on the can. If it works for fences, your tunnel wood should be fine.

You can use a thin material mesh to catch condensation before it hits the wood. Kind of like in butterfly enclosures.

Ronseal sounds good to me, its probably the way I will go, thanks,... you also touched on a slight worry I have with the design,.. in order that the plastic doesn't rub on the wood, I have covered the wood with pieces of carpet,... with condensation running inside the plastic, if it gets into the carpet it would take time to dry,..and I don't want a rotting area there

I thought about running a couple of lines of silicon down each side of the timber about half an inch from the carpet/wood,... so that any condensation doesn't find its way to the carpet

(7 March 2013, 20:29)MaryN Wrote: Tunnel is looking good, Highlander. Have you thought about adding heating to give you a longer growing time? I read some interesting stuff on greenhouse heat sinks, and noticed that the Victorian gardeners used to utilise manure. Handy stuff.

I watch the program about a year ago called [ something like ] The Victorian Gardener,... and I remember them talking about the same idea, with this is mind, I do have an idea to include a compost area within the tunnel to see if I can generate some heat,... how successful it will be, time will tell