How to Replace a Greenhouse Film
The sun's rays are damaging to anything left outdoors for long periods, including greenhouse film. The cheaper your greenhouse plastic, the sooner it will show signs of wear, including brittleness, tears and holes. Inexpensive construction plastic will need replacement after a year of use, while high-quality plastic formulated specifically for use in a greenhouse may last 10 years or more. Greenhouse plastic is manufactured to make installation simple. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Screwdriver
- Greenhouse locking channels
- Ladder
- Bungee cord
- Greenhouse repair tape
- Carpenter's staple gun
Instructions
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Observe your greenhouse to determine how the current plastic film is attached. Two popular methods of attaching film include stapling the film around the edges to the base of a wooden foundation, or locking the film in place with a polyvinyl locking channel. Polyvinyl locking channels come in two parts that snap together and pinch the plastic between them.
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Slip the flat blade of a screwdriver under staples and gently pry up the staple to release the plastic, or unsnap the polyvinyl locking channel to release the plastic. Pull the old plastic sheeting off the greenhouse frame.
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Inspect the greenhouse frame while the plastic is off of the frame to determine if the frame is structurally sound. Make any repairs such as replacing greenhouse ribs and wires before placing a new film over the frame.
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Analyze the packaged greenhouse film before attempting to unroll it. The way in which the film is packaged will determine the way in which you install it on the greenhouse. Some film is packaged on long rolls. Other film is accordion-folded into W or Y folds and rolled up.
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Carry a W- or Y-folded film to the top of the greenhouse, climbing the ladder. Unroll the film down the length of the structure. Unfold the film so that it drapes down the sides of he structure. If your film is packaged flat on a roll, place the roll on one side of the greenhouse. Attach bungee cords to the end of the film. Pull the cords over the top of the greenhouse. Use the ropes to pull the sheet over the frame and into place. If the greenhouse plastic is not wide enough to cover the greenhouse, overlap multiple sheets and attach them, using greenhouse repair tape.
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Attach your greenhouse film to the bottom of your greenhouse frame, using a carpenter's staple gun or by reassembling the polyvinyl greenhouse sheeting so that it pinches the greenhouse plastic into place.
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