A Greenhouse cover needs continued maintenance to lengthen its lives for as long as possible. Growers may struggle to decide whether they should repair or replace their covers. While many rips, tears, and degradations can be avoided or repaired, greenhouse sheeting should be replaced every few years.
How Often Should I Change My Greenhouse Cover?
Greenhouse covers typically need to be replaced every one to four years. That lifespan is impacted by factors such as weather conditions, greenhouse conditions, environmental surroundings, the type of material, and the thickness of the sheeting itself.
Thicker sheeting is less susceptible to rips and tears than thinner sheeting, allowing it to last longer. Additionally, thicker sheeting takes longer to degrade in the sun. Additives like UV stabilizers can lengthen the life of your plastic sheeting, and string reinforcement, such as the qualities present in 10 Mil SolaScrim Reinforced Greenhouse Plastic Sheeting, can make sheeting stronger without adding excessive thickness or weightiness.
Options for Extending the Life of Greenhouse Covers
If you are growing in especially harsh conditions, your cover may last for an even shorter time than you anticipate. Luckily, the life of your plastic sheeting can be extended through careful maintenance and repair. Here are 3 tips to help you get the most out of your greenhouse cover.
- Clear Potential Debris: Remove any loose branches or overhanging boughs from the area around your greenhouse. This preemptive measure limits the chances for debris to scratch, tear, or puncture your greenhouse cover.
- Create a Barrier Between Plastic Sheeting and Frame: Greenhouse covers tend to degrade the fastest where the sheeting meets the frame. Wooden frames can pull and puncture sheeting, and plastic or PVC frames can chemically degrade the sheeting. Growers can insert felt tape between the frame and the sheeting, or they can coat PVC frames in latex paint.
- Greenhouse Cover Repair Tape and Heat Shrink Tape: If tears occur, growers can rely on repair tape or heat shrink tape for reliable fixes
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| Learn more about10 Mil SolaScrim Reinforced | Learn more about our Greenhouse Repair Tape. | Learn more about our Felt Tape. |
Even though you can repair your greenhouse cover, at some point it will need to be replaced. A damaged greenhouse cover can limit the amount of sunlight that your plants receive as well as cause hot spots due to uneven wear and tear. When you are ready to shop greenhouse covers, our product experts are here to help you understand what your options are and choose a solution that best fits your needs and budget.
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Americover is the smart source for plastic and polyethylene sheeting. Trusted by contractors and distributors across construction and agriculture industries, our American-made products combine reliability with quality and innovation.
As an Americover customer, you will receive the personalized support of a dedicated account manager to simplify the ordering process and ensure the best solution for every one of your projects. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff is here to answer your questions and fulfill orders Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. If you would like to speak with a representative, call us at 760-388-6294 or contact us.