How to Hold Plastic on a Wooden Greenhouse

Secure plastic greenhouse film with a staple gun.

Greenhouse plastic, which is also called sheeting or film, is a clear or semitransparent material that is designed to allow sunlight through while retaining heat inside the greenhouse. According to the Greenhouse Gardening website, the three most common plastics used for greenhouses are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE) and copolymers. While securing the plastic to metal- or plastic-frame greenhouses requires special fasteners, securing plastic to a wooden-frame greenhouse requires only basic household tools.

Things You'll Need

• Duct tape
• Staple gun
• Staples
• Ladder
• Shovel
• Sand
• Landscaping timbers (optional)
• Cinder blocks (optional)
• 1 1/4-inch screws (optional)
• Screwdriver (optional)

Instructions

1. Wrap each section of the wooden frame where two boards meet with three to four layers of duct tape. The duct tape will prevent the nails and screws from tearing a hole in the greenhouse plastic.

2. Place the end of the greenhouse plastic on the bottom edge of the greenhouse with approximately 1 foot of plastic laying on the ground. Wrap the plastic over the top of the greenhouse and pull it gently but firmly on the other side to remove all wrinkles. You will need another person to assist in this process.

3. Secure the plastic by placing a staple gun on the outside of the plastic and inserting staples into the wooden frame. Although you cannot use too many staples in the wooden frame, a good rule of thumb is to space the staples approximately 6 inches apart.

4. Continue stapling the plastic onto the wooden frame using a ladder when necessary to access the top of the greenhouse.

5. Install additional pieces of plastic in the same manner, overlapping each piece by 1 inch.

6. Place a continuous pile of sand all the way around the bottom outer edge of the greenhouse using a shovel. The sand should be directly on top of the 6 inches of plastic that is on the ground. The mound of sand should be between 6 and 10 inches tall. If desired, you can also use old landscaping timbers or concrete cinder blocks to hold down the plastic.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also hold the plastic onto the wooden greenhouse frame using 1 1/4 inch screws and a screwdriver.

References

• Greenhouse Gardening: Greenhouse Plastic
• University of Kentucky: Greenhouses and Similar Structures
• Pebble Path Gardens: Wooden Play Set Greenhouse