tarp alternatives

[gwithrow]

I am looking for an alternative to the expensive tarps, silver ones, that I use on my pastured poultry hoop houses....I love the houses,easy to move and manage,however the tarps, even the 'good' ones only last a year ormaybe two....so I have been wondering if any of you 'outside the box' folks have any ideas....would it work to use heavy greenhouse plastic, and spray paint the top half for shade? I wonder if the chemicals in the paint would destroy the integrity of the plastic...I am ok with replacing the waterproof tops every 4 years or so...but the tarps are not cheap and really only hold up well for about 18 months..the birds have to have shade in the summers....and where is the best source for greenhouse plastic? thanks

[meanwhile]

Would black tar paper work? It would not last but is it cheaper than a tarp? Seems like it would be. We had an old roll of plain ole tar paper and it got wet and so we used it as ground cloth at a spot where we needed erosion control. We just tossed leaves and straw on it and it rotted after a while.

What about one of those wicker or straw type shades? The ones that look like bamboo but the stick type....I am not sure what they are called. We had an old one....but it was plastic that looked like bamboo and we hung it outside..just under the house eaves for shade one summer. It lasted two seasons before it torn up. If one of those was cheaper that might work.....

Would fabric work? Or does it have to be water proof? Once we asked at a fabric place and got (free) several rolls of stained cloth and we used it for all sorts of projects.

Or is a hoop house too big.....just brainstorming here......good luck

[Humburger]

Since you started the brainstorm, I think I will carry it on. Or maybe I am brain cramping...

Anyway, I thought that maybe some greenhouse plastic would be good, but for shade you could thatch with cornstalks or sunflower stalks. Those would provide shade for the birds, protection for the plastic, and be very lightweight. And, I think it would look severely NIFTY!

[Wolf mom]

Good for you! - Thinking about using something other than plastic tarps. I absolutely hate them. After a few years, it's like throwing money away. Plus they look ugly!

I'd use shade cloth. If you go into a hoop house made with shade cloth, it's an entirely different environment. So calm. Shade cloth comes in different weights, to let more or less light through. You can order large rolls on line. It's an investment, but if fastened down correctly so wind doesn't flap it, it'll last forever. Obviously shade cloth can be used for other things than growing vegies.

During the winter, fasten a canvas tarp on top if you're in an area with much snow. I let my girls do what they wish in the snow as I have a heat lamp in their house.

[watcher]

Get a good canvas tarp.

[amwitched]

I am trying a clear shower curtain on my coop windows this year. It is really thick and I am hoping that it will last me a couple of seasons. The 6mil heavy plastic that I used last year, just broke apart when I tried to put it up this year.

[Bret F]

Do you have an outdoor advertising company that does billboard decoration in your area?

Most billboards are now done with a vinyl material that is very durable that has been digitally printed and stretched on the sign with ratchet straps. Once the advertising term is completed, these are replaced with a new "bag".

I have some I picked up from a local sign company that I have used for many years.

[gwithrow]

ok, now we are rolling, the top has to be waterproof....we get monsoon rains here and out on the pasture with no trees around, the chickies will get drenched as well as very chilled....so it has to be waterproof, however I am intrigued by the idea of greenhouse plastic with a shade cloth over the top half...I would love to get away from plastic altogether,but it is lightweight and waterproof...just need it to last a lot longer than tarps....the canvas tarps were my original thought, but they are heavy heavy....and expensive, though that is relative since they last a a ton longer than plastic tarps....by the by, how long will the 6 mil greenhouse plastic last????? not removed and reattached?....these pens are made from cattle panels...and move very easitly with the dolly under one end...but they can't be too heavy hence the concern about the canvas top....if I used shadecloth over the top half of greenhouse plastic, would the shadecloth make the plastic last longer???? the chickens and turkey have to have a shaded area for hot weather..

[Callieslamb]

You could make it more permanent by using the aluminum roofing on an A-frame or just a one-slant roof. It would still be light enough to move around if you wanted too.

To save your covering, run wires over the top to anchor it against your panels. If the tarp (or green house plastic, or shade cloth) is flipping around in the wind, it won't last.

[NCLee]

Check at Lowes and Home Depot for their plastic roofing/greenhouse panels. Some are clear (semi clear) for greenhouse use. Others are solid, as in green or white panels that will provide shade. The greenhouse versions will trap too much heat in the summer. I use them on the east side of my greenhouse. That gets covered with one of those tarps during the summer to provide shade. (Yes, I have to replace them every couple of years.) (sigh) I'd replace those panels with corrugated metal, but the building is grandfathered as a greenhouse.

BTW, I've used shower curtain liners as mini tarps. The cheap ones won't hold up. The white, heavy duty ones will hold up for a while. As will the transparent heavy duty ones. However, if it's a fixed situtation, in which one of those panels mentioned above will work, those panels are less expensive in the long run.

Lee

[Ed Norman]

I go to the guys out back at our local lumberyard and beg a few of the woven tarps that come on the ricks of lumber that is shipped in. They always fold them up and stash them in the corner. I get several a year for various needs. Usually they have a black and a white side. They last for several years outside. Free is pretty cheap.

[tnokie]

Howq about the rubber roofing they use under pebble roofs? Might cost alittle more,but lasting longer might make it penny wise.

[Freeholder]

In spite of the weight and cost, canvas tarps (you could make your own) would be a good investment. Especially if painted once in a while, they will last for a LONG time. I've seen an estimate of a hundred years (don't know how accurate that was, though)! I've got a hoop house type structure for my goat shelter, and even though it's heavy duty and had a good-quality tarp on it, it isn't going to last much longer. I'm planning to replace the plastic tarp with painted canvas.

Kathleen

[texican]

GF made a hoophouse. Lawdy, the bleepin tarp cost almost 40$. A 'square' of metal roofing 'seconds' is less than that, and it lasts for a lifetime. Nothing beats good old fashioned metal roofing, corrugated or flat, whatever. If you poke around and get your scrounge on, you can find old barn tin for free. The worst old tin will outlast a brand new tarp by decades.

[ibcnya]

Originally Posted by texican

GF made a hoophouse. Lawdy, the bleepin tarp cost almost 40$. A 'square' of metal roofing 'seconds' is less than that, and it lasts for a lifetime. Nothing beats good old fashioned metal roofing, corrugated or flat, whatever. If you poke around and get your scrounge on, you can find old barn tin for free. The worst old tin will outlast a brand new tarp by decades.

I second that Tex. Tin layed horizontally on a hoop house and screwed or wired down (like them carports you see for $695) will last a lifetime. And it's not that heavy.

[Big Dave]

Just a thought. I have seen this done but not done it my self. The advertizing bill boards are now ( in my area) made of one sheet of plastic. They are big enough to cover a lot of things. I have seen them over hay, leaky barns and equipment. Recycle eh?

[Harry Chickpea]

Painted old bedsheets. Get the junk paint at a recycling center and put on a couple coats.

[Freeholder]

Originally Posted by texican

GF made a hoophouse. Lawdy, the bleepin tarp cost almost 40$. A 'square' of metal roofing 'seconds' is less than that, and it lasts for a lifetime. Nothing beats good old fashioned metal roofing, corrugated or flat, whatever. If you poke around and get your scrounge on, you can find old barn tin for free. The worst old tin will outlast a brand new tarp by decades.

Texican, I've thought about putting corrugated metal roofing on my 'hoop house' horizontally, but don't know where to get used tin. Any suggestions?

Kathleen

[ibcnya]

Blue JF Try farm auctions. Watch craigslist in your area. Check local newspapers. Ebay is another source. Put an ad in the local rag for used tin. A certified bonified scrounger like me always finds what I am looking for in time. It takes 15-20 mins a day to check all this. I just built a 22 X 39 shed with an 8 x 39 loft above with used tin and mostly used lumber and might have 1500 into the deal. And do you know why I built that shed? So I can store more scrounged materials and cheap trucks. Haha! My DW is gonna have one he** of a farm auction someday, LOL. I think if a guy could scrounge all he possibly could within a 100 mile radius, he would have a mansion in a few years. Of course he has to do it himself. Good luck. Prime example here.....http://ottumwa.craigslist.org/mat/1475157936.html

[PhilJohnson]

Originally Posted by BlueJuniperFarm

Texican, I've thought about putting corrugated metal roofing on my 'hoop house' horizontally, but don't know where to get used tin. Any suggestions?

Kathleen

Myself, I just look for a half fallen down tin building and offer to remove it free of charge. Usually works for me. One time a guy gave me two pickup loads of tin which I have slowly been using up over the past few years. Mobile home places sometimes will have a pile of scrap skirting.