Clear poly roof for run?

[AntiqueB]

I am in NYC, and have been covering my 13' x 10' run with tarps and plastic sheeting for the past few winters, but none hold up. The run is completely covered with hardware cloth, and with the wind making it flap, I get holes. I also have a hard time keeping it on the run anytime it gets windy. Repairing it in mid-winter is not pleasant, so I want to put up more permanent panels.

The run is mostly shaded in summer, and I can always put a shade cover over it, so I've pretty much set on clear corrugated (the wavy kind) panels. But there are so many choices!

There are different weights (.8 mm and 1.6 mm), different brands, and different names within the brand. Does anyone have a clear roof, and can suggest what might work best?

 

[tlcmurphy]

We used opaque corrugated panels for the roof of our run, sunlight gets in (they’re beige) but doesn’t bake the chickens in the summer. We used the thinner panels (I think?) but are in GA with no snow, although the roof has a heck of a slope to it so I doubt snow would stick. Our small coop has the same kind of roof, I’ve been happy with it.

 

[Penpal]

We have a greenhouse and the plastic used for such is quite sturdy. You might want to look up that. Also, they may heavy duty tape to mend the plastic.

I always secured my tarps on the hoop house by tossing rope over the top and securing it at the bottom. This keeps it from being abused by the wind.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I'm using clear roofing panels on the sides for winterizing, and I'll tell you they amp up the heat from the sun SUBSTANTIALLY! So great for winter, but I wouldn't dare use them as a roof in summer. Frosted, tinted, or solid panels would likely be a better choice.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I have this stuff over about 1/3 of my run, attached on a slant to my coop. My run is way to big to cover the whole thing so it gets plenty of ventilation and that would probably be why it's never hot. It took a pretty decent snow load a few months ago like a champ. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Palruf-26-in-x-8-ft-Corrugated-PVC-Roof-Panel-in-Clear-100423/100038031

 

[tlcmurphy]

I have this stuff over about 1/3 of my run, attached on a slant to my coop. My run is way to big to cover the whole thing so it gets plenty of ventilation and that would probably be why it's never hot. It took a pretty decent snow load a few months ago like a champ. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Palruf-26-in-x-8-ft-Corrugated-PVC-Roof-Panel-in-Clear-100423/100038031

We have the same stuff but in white. Or at least it used to be white

 

[SandyRiverChick]

We have the same stuff but in white. Or at least it used to be white

LOL. Yeah it used to be "clear," I'd call it light brown-green now....

 

[Sally PB]

I have polycarbonate panels on the roof of half of my run. They're 83% transmission, not clear, and it gets plenty warm in there in the summer. The other half of the run has an opaque roof, and that's where they hang out on sunny days. It is much brighter in the winter, though, and that's why I got them.

The 4x8 panels were about $53 each a few years ago, so it wasn't cheap. They will last a long, long time, so I thought it was worth it.

 

[AntiqueB]

Thank you all so much for your input! It is a rather large investment, @Sally PB , which is why I'm so grateful for everyone sharing their experiences.

 

[LaurelC]

I am in NYC, and have been covering my 13' x 10' run with tarps and plastic sheeting for the past few winters, but none hold up. The run is completely covered with hardware cloth, and with the wind making it flap, I get holes. I also have a hard time keeping it on the run anytime it gets windy. Repairing it in mid-winter is not pleasant, so I want to put up more permanent panels.

The run is mostly shaded in summer, and I can always put a shade cover over it, so I've pretty much set on clear corrugated (the wavy kind) panels. But there are so many choices!

There are different weights (.8 mm and 1.6 mm), different brands, and different names within the brand. Does anyone have a clear roof, and can suggest what might work best?

I highly recommend going with the polycarbonate (suntuf is the model I'm thinking of, but i'm sure all polycarbonate is roughly the same) vs the PVC. Many years ago, the polycarbonate had angled corrogations, and the pvc had the wavy ones.

We had a covered deck that we splurged on the big polycarbonate panels for, in a pretty exposed area of our house. The run was in a sheltered area and I tried saving money by using the clear PVC instead of polycarbonate, and was regularly dealing with panels that had broken by getting clipped by a smaller tree branch or from wind. The covered deck would regularly take decently high winds and rough weather, so much that sometimes it flexing as it caught wind would wake me up in the middle of the night, and it never so much as popped a screw. It's not worth the cost savings to use a product you're going to have to replace all the time.