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Insulating my polytunnel with bubble wrap - any advice?

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  • #1

    Insulating my polytunnel with bubble wrap - any advice?

    Evening all,

    I am about to purchase quite a few bubble wrap rolls to insulate my polytunnel and I was wondering if anyone has any advice/tips about this before I embark on trying to make my tunnel more warmer?

    Thank you for your advice,

    Samuel
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  • #2
    Hi Samuel, I've bubble-wrapped a greenhouse but never again. Too much faff & too much condensation.
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    • #3
      I do the greenhouse out years, personally I find it easy. Have polystyrene panels at the bottom the bubble wrap fixed to the frame with bungies at the eaves and mid point of the sloping roof to keep it up. It's very quick and easy on a greenhouse but not sure how you'd do it on a tunnel as there isn't the same frame. I have used cloches and a cheapo cold frame in there which was easy but tend to use it for stuff that doesn't need the extra protection.

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      • #4
        I insulate one end section of the tunnel with bubble wrap. I support the wrap with string tied between the uprights and create a flat "roof" So there an air space between the inner layer and the outside of the tunnel. The wrap is held together with clothes pegs. You need to find some method of holding the bottom of the wrap down. I have wooden boards to contain the soil in the beds so use drawing pins to fix the bottom. The end section is then blocked off with the wrap curtain fashion. It doesn't keep it much warmer with out some heating which I use from the beginning of March, any earlier is a waste.

        Hope this helps
        Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poet

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        • #5
          Condensation, humidity and rot are the biggest issues. If you have electricity to the structure then just running the heater on "fan only" will pretty much solve that, and not cost much (I put mine on a segment timer 15-on and 45-off, and then I put it on the heating setting (and disconnect the timer) if we get really cold nights that would take the temperature below 0C (I maintain mine frost free) and on the heater setting in the Spring when I want a minimum of 10C to bring on things like Tomatoes and Peppers.
          Last edited by Kristen; 23-11-2014, 10:13 AM.
          K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

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          • #6
            Hi Samuel,

            We usually just cover any ventilation net (eg, in the doors) with bubble wrap using drawing pins (our doors are timber), stretching the bubble wrap tight and getting right into the corners to keep out draughts. On the rare occasions that we have insulated the whole polytunnel, we have used cable ties and string to fix the bubble wrap to the steel hoops/frame.

            If you are planning to heat the polytunnel during winter, a tip to keep costs down and ensure you are not wasting energy is to divide the polytunnel into smaller areas which can be heated more economically. Use polythene or bubble wrap to section off areas of the tunnel which can then be heated separately.

            Please be aware that if the bubble wrap used is not UV stabilised it is likely to only last one year.

            Another great tip is to use a polythene cloche inside the polytunnel to act as 'double glazing' - we love this method! It is so easy!

            Good luck.

            Premier Polytunnels

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            • #7
              That's more or less what I do.
              Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poet

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