HELP! How-to cover cattle panel w/plastic

[chiknGeek]

I use the giant roll of 6 mil plastic. I cut a piece long enough to overlap onto the ground about a foot on either side. Get some 1x2 boards, roll the end of the plastic around the 1x2 two or three times then screw the 1x2 into the base frame of your hoop structure. Do that on both sides. Make sure you pull the plastic taut over the hoop.

 

[R Wind]

Look for "wiggle wire" and the channels that go with them. This is a standard way to attach greenhouse plastic to different types of frames. The plastic is laid over a metal channel and then a sinusoidal-shaped wire (that wiggles back and forth) is laid over the plastic to keep it in place. Check out a video on YouTube by Farmer Leon on his "high tunnels vs hoop house or low tunnels" video and he introduces wiggle wire and talks about how it works to keep the plastic in place while also being removable. He also secures the plastic over the top with removable baling twine in an X fashion to help with high winds. It's a long video but the info is in there.

 

[mowin]

People generally don't want shade for the run in the winter.

Covered half of mine with a tarp. It's the only part they use in the winter if there's snow. Mine won't put a toenail in the snow.

 

[Poppy Putentake]

I had a somewhat similar setup and I sewed the plastic sheeting on with thin nylon string and a large curved (upholstery) needle.

Detailed instructions:

(Ideally on a windless day), start at one end of the line you want the "seam" to follow. If you are using 6" mesh cattle panels, it would probably work best to follow one of the horizontal wires. Cut maybe 6 feet of the line, tie a stopper knot in one end and thread the needle. A double overhand knot makes a good stopper knot for nylon.)
Start at a spot where the vertical and horizontal wires cross. Go through the plastic on one side of the crossing and come out on the other (diagonally), then maybe go around once more to really secrure the start. Now go 6"ahead to the next crossing and again go in on the forward part of the crossing and out diagonally backwards. Keep repeating until you run out of line, then rethread and continue. Have the loose ends coming out of the sheeting on the outside on opposite sides of a crossing so you can tie them together wth a square knot.

Near the ground you can leave maybe 8" - 12" unfastened. In the summer this could be raised for ventilation.

This has worked well for me for five years. The fastenings outlast the plastic.

Wiggle wire is another option -- I use that on my (larger) greenhouse. It's more sturdy and more permanent, bu also more expensive and could be more strength than you need for a small structure. More work to install initially but a little less when you replace the plastic.

 

[Krugerrand]

Covered half of mine with a tarp. It's the only part they use in the winter if there's snow. Mine won't put a toenail in the snow.

Every time I see pictures of your setup, I wonder how you get into your coop. it looks like the run is blocking the door's ability to open.

 

[mowin]

Every time I see pictures of your setup, I wonder how you get into your coop. it looks like the run is blocking the door's ability to open.

Man door on the backside.