Winterizing, vinyl Vs. Poly sheeting

[WI chickens]

Whoa!!! Seriously? How big? I haven't looked in years... I got mine pre-pandemic and they were $17 per panel at 26"x6'...

Just looked them up - they are about $28 now, so definitely more expensive but nowhere near $200!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Suntuf-...ER_CONFIRMATION_MIXED__V1_M1_CA-_-Product_URL

4'x8' sheets of flat poly are $189 a sheet at Home Depot. They are thicker than the one you attached. The one you mentioned are .032" The 4'x8' sheets are .177" thick. The ones you mentioned are about the same thickness as 30 mil marine vinyl.

Clear poly sheeting

 

[K0k0shka]

It all comes down to how thick and the overall size.
I would not use anything less than 1/8 inch thick. Any thinner and you might as well use roll vinyl. The thinner stuff can crack relatively easy if you aren't careful when cutting or handling. And not all clear plastic panels are the same, certain ones will yellow much faster than the others...

I've been using mine for several years now, and it hasn't cracked or yellowed. I cut it with wire cutters and it didn't seem easy to split/crack at all, it actually feels quite durable. If price wasn't an issue, I'd much rather use this than any kind of rolled sheets, because the panels being solid/stiff makes it SO much easier to put up and take down. And they don't flap in the wind. I'm in an extremely windy location and anything not solid turns into a sail. Even if the edges are securely fastened, the middle billows out and flaps. Maybe it would work better in calmer areas.

 

[K0k0shka]

4'x8' sheets of flat poly are $189 a sheet at Home Depot. They are thicker than the one you attached. The one you mentioned are .032" The 4'x8' sheets are .177" thick. The ones you mentioned are about the same thickness as 30 mil marine vinyl.

Clear poly sheeting

They don't need to be much thicker than that. Like I said above, the main selling point to me is that it's a stiff panel and not a loose sheet. Makes working with it easier and it sits more secure on the frame.

 

[WI chickens]

I've been using mine for several years now, and it hasn't cracked or yellowed. I cut it with wire cutters and it didn't seem easy to split/crack at all, it actually feels quite durable. If price wasn't an issue, I'd much rather use this than any kind of rolled sheets, because the panels being solid/stiff makes it SO much easier to put up and take down. And they don't flap in the wind. I'm in an extremely windy location and anything not solid turns into a sail. Even if the edges are securely fastened, the middle billows out and flaps. Maybe it would work better in calmer areas.

By all means, if it holds up well, I would use it. Since you had good results, I may buy some to cover a cattle panel hoop house that I am making to put in my dogs' kennels. I need something the chewer won't destroy so he has a covered, dry spot for winter. My one dog destroys tarps. Maybe the sheets you mentioned would work for him.

 

[DickMidnight]

Clear poly sheets are almost $200 a piece now

Just looked them up - they are about $28 now, so definitely more expensive but nowhere near $200!

these are the ones i use. again, nowhere close to $200.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sunlite...e-Clear-Multiwall-Roof-Panel-132506/202091947

 

[K0k0shka]

these are the ones i use. again, nowhere close to $200.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sunlite...e-Clear-Multiwall-Roof-Panel-132506/202091947

Do you find things crawling and hiding in the hollows? When I pull my panels out of storage for the winter, I always find thick cottony insect cocoons, spiderwebs and various eggs in the valleys of the corrugations... I can't imagine having completely enclosed spaces that I can't get inside of or clean well Also, can you see anything through the panels, with the extra layers?

 

[DickMidnight]

Do you find things crawling and hiding in the hollows? When I pull my panels out of storage for the winter, I always find thick cottony insect cocoons, spiderwebs and various eggs in the valleys of the corrugations... I can't imagine having completely enclosed spaces that I can't get inside of or clean well Also, can you see anything through the panels, with the extra layers?

i haven’t had that issue at all. i store them in the mechanical room off my basement when they’re not on the coop.

you can mostly see through them. they let all of the light through but are more translucent than transparent. from the yard, i can see the shapes of chickens moving around, but can’t clearly see which is which. so they almost act like privacy glass in bathroom windows.

my main concern is stopping the wind, so these work perfectly for my needs.

 

[Badchickenpun]

i haven’t had that issue at all. i store them in the mechanical room off my basement when they’re not on the coop.

you can mostly see through them. they let all of the light through but are more translucent than transparent. from the yard, i can see the shapes of chickens moving around, but can’t clearly see which is which. so they almost act like privacy glass in bathroom windows.

my main concern is stopping the wind, so these work perfectly for my needs.

My greenhouse has the "corrugated" style clear poly panels. It has held up well in he wind and rain. It's been up for over 18 months. No bugs inside the tiny tunnels.

 

[TwoCrows]

I have used clear, heavy duty shower curtains on windows and parts of my run. It doesn't tear easily, even in wind storms, it doesn't turn brittle and its not all that expensive compared to other materials. It is best stapled to wooden parts of the structure.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I got the 10 ply shower curtains. I installed them on the inside of the run EEEEk the wind got them flapping around the same day. I need to install them on the outside. The girls are spooked by them flapping in the wind.