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Clear plastic sheeting
LukeB
Posts: 46
in Fruit & veg
I am going to be building my own lean to greenhouse soon, but wanted some advice, where can I buy some suitable, strong plastic sheeting ?
Ideally 1 metre wide
0
Posts
Good call, think this would work ok?
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-All-Purpose-Heavy-Duty-Polythene-Sheet-3x4m/p/114301#
Any good for you?
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-PVCu-Clear-Corrugated-Sheet-660x2400mm/p/240152
Look in yellow pages for plastics suppliers/manufacturers in your area and call them up and ask if they have anything suitable.
My local plastics company uses quite a lot of Acrylic (AKA Perspex or Plexiglass) and also Polycarbonate (amongst other things they build trolley shelters for supermarkets in clear Polycarbonate). Polycarbonate is tougher so can be thinner and lighter, and it doesn't melt as quickly as Acrylic in a fire. There are other plastics that come in clear but those are the 2 usually used for this kind of thing.
Can't remember the sheet sizes, they can be quite big though so probably best to call up, find out what sheet sizes they have and then design your greenhouse around pane sizes that will nest nicely out of a sheet without wastage. Cutting charges will be minimal and they will get a nice finish without accidental breakage
It might sound quite expensive at first, but try and price up the equivalent from the sheets available in DIY stores and you should find you can save quite a bit by buying direct from a specialist.
Dont know how big you wanted it, but have you looked at ready made. We have made things before, the last being a wooden rose arch, then looking in the garden centre we could have bought a better one cheaper than the cost of the bits.
There are cheaper places to buy on the net.
Ebay or Amazon, Here is one on ebay and it would probably cost you that to buy the stuff plus the agro to build.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lacewing-8ft-x-4ft-Lean-To-Aluminium-Frame-Greenhouse-Polycarbonate-Walk-In-/331433803100