hoop house tarping question

[triggfamily5]

I hope someone can help me understand this, what should be easy, construction.

We are building several "hoop houses" for various things (geese shelter, chicken run, hay storage). Due to our weather here we have chosen to use cattle panels attached to t-posts. This appears to be our most stable choice. We have bought some billboard tarps, http://www.billboardtarps.com/ , to cover our shelter's with, but I have NO IDEA how to do that without compromising the tarp or the structure.

Can someone help me in figuring out how to secure tarps to a cattle panel hoop house?

I am looking at something like this (but I can't tell by the picture how and when to put the tarp up....

http://riveroaksfarmstudioblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/cattle-panel-t-post-sheep-shelters.html (my chicken run will have a front and back)

 

[patandchickens]

Like, a cattle-panel type hoop?

There are some good threads on here "somewhere" where people show very successful versions of tarping them AND internally bracing them against snowloads... but I have no idea whose threads or how to find them. Maybe try 'search' on the terms "hoop tarp snow", or things like that? I dunno, sorry, but if you have some time on your hands there ARE good threads to be found SOMEwhere.

It seems to me you would either lash the tarp grommets to the 4x4 (or whatever) that you're using as the skid along each side of the hoop; or lash them to the bottom-most horizontal bar of the cattle panel there. Stretch as tight as you can, and if you have doubts, try lacing back and forth and back and forth over the hoop with rope or roundbale baler twine or some such thing, so you are strapping the tarp tightly against the cattle panel so it cannot flap so badly.

For areas with significant (or wet) snow, you will want to brace the thing from inside. There are several ways of doing it, but, do it BEFORE you need to, because Yes, cattle panel hoops *can* get flattened real good.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[WildflowerJLH]

You can get grommet sets, from places like JoAnn's, that will allow you to make a hole in the tarp without that hole ripping further.

Like this: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=xprd602276

You will also need the tool: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=xprd602276

You make a small hole in the tarp, put the top and bottom pieces of the grommet on either side, then use the tool with your own hammer to set the grommet together.

 

[Donner]

Mine is not cattle panels. If you have a wood base, you can use a furring strip (I used 1x4). Wrap the plastic around the strip and screw the strip into the wood base.

 

[Cargo]

Wiggle Wire is great for holding plastic on as well. They use it for putting plastic on greenhouses.

Check with your local nursery. They probably have some and can save you shipping.

This Video Series is a must watch for building hoop houses.
Lots of relevant info even when using alternate construction methods.

 

[triggfamily5]

Thank you everyone for all of your replies and suggestions.

I have bought some grommets already, because the billboard tarps don't have grommets, they are fold over so you can stick like rope or dowel all the way down (on two sides) .

I have been all over the threads on here, and on the internet, which is why we came up with this design. I love the resources this group provides. There is A LOT of information to sort through. It's just the fine tuning that I seem to have trouble with. I am almost done with my big coop (to bad winter is here already and my poor flock is still in their shabby, drafty, too small coop) I have a few finishing touches and they will be moved soon, to a 12 x 10 insulated coop. It's a good thing they free range and I don't worry about predators too much because I don't see this run being done before I move them. (I realize that might be a problem keeping them there) The run is just for emergency lock ups, and a shelter from the elements if they want out of their coop.

I have never seen a wiggle wire, I will do some searching on that, thank you.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Grommets are a good way to go if you don't use a track system like the Wiggle Wire.

You can't make it out in the photo, but I wire my tarps down using grommets. Four of my tractors have tarp coverings (just Wally World tarps). At each corner I use some seventeen gauge electric fence wire to secure it to the tractor. If they were going to have to deal with frequent gale force winds I'd probably wire it down at each grommet hole, but these last three or four years just wiring the corners has worked well enough. The tarps are good for about eight months or so before the Florida sun eats them up.

Do look out for sharp spots in the area the tarp will cover. Eventually the wind will wear a hole through it.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
If you have not used them already, and can still return them, you might consider instead doing what Donner (earlier post) describes -- wrap the edge of the tarp around a furring strip or 2x4, and staplegun profusely, then screw thru the tarp-and-wood "burrito" into the ground frame of your hoophouse.

This is significantly stronger and more long-lasting than grommets, especially DIY grommets.

It does not give you versatility of use for the tarp in future situations -- but then, in your case you don't NEED that, as it will presumably be a "dedicated" cover for the run. Easy to remove and reinstall yearly if required, and a much sounder arrangement than grommets.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat