So in February 2016 I decided to move my ultimate polytunnel my 32ft by 14 ft polytunnel that
I built a few years ago from the old plots to the new plots.
I did make a video series on that, however, It never got published and the reason for
that was because When I recorded it there was a lot of bad weather and I was using a
microphone and I didn't realise at the time that the microphone was only working intermittently.
When it came to me editing that footage some of the sound quality wasn't really up to scratch
and I decided that I wasn't going to release that footage.
However, there was a sponsor for that video series which was supposed to have been three
episodes and that sponsor gave me the plastic in which to do the polytunnel, so I have been
in a bit of dismay really about it all because I wanted to be able to fulfill my obligation
to the company that gave me the plastic firstly and secondly it was a series that I wanted
to be able to give to you.
So I have really sort of struggled with whether to put this footage up.
However, over the last 9 or 10 months I have had hundreds and I mean hundreds of people
emailing me and messaging me saying look I understand what your saying, the footage might
not be great but I would still really like to see it.
So that's what these next couple of episodes are going to be about guys, It is the footage
I've edited it the best I can where the footage is bad I've put the cc in for you guys so
if for any reason you can't hear what I am saying or anything like that, you'll be able
to read it if you decide to all you got to do is click the cc button below.
So without any further ado guys let's get on with the footage.
This is February 2016 dismantle and move to the new premises build.
Anyway I will see you in a minute
So as you can see behind me guys we've got our 32ft by 14ft polytunnel.
Now it's a home made structure utilising scaffolding poles and timber.
We do have a series on it but what we are going to do over the next three episodes is
take down this tunnel and we are going to move it and rebuild it at the site.
I got my brother helping me because we've already taken out some of the internals out
of it.
But it's the end of February now, I really need this tunnel up and going at the new place.
I purposely haven't planted anything because of that.
Now I would like to tell you, that the next three episodes as far as this tunnel is concerned
are going to be sponsored by First Tunnels because they have very kindly donated the
new plastic that we need for this, So you're gonna see their link to their site there.
Now First Tunnels have a superb range of polytunnels not like this obviously, eventhough they can
provide you with the covers.
but they got proper polytunnels with you know the hoop structure and everything else and
they've got water collection systems and all sorts of stuff.
If you look at these sorts of polytunnels that people have made, or the cheaper £150
tunnels you know half of them are on the floor with the weather we have had this year.
So It really is worth getting yourself over to FirstTunnels If you're thinking of buying
a polytunnel and investing in just that little bit more money and benefitting from something
that's gonna be there and is gonna last you for quite a few years.
So once Dismantling the polytunnel As you know these posts were down a fair way, a couple
of feet.
Some of them are down three feet, some of them are down four feet.
they are down into a lot of soil, So we had to devise a way to get them out of the ground,
now I am not sure how far down this one was, but I think it was only about three feet two
and a half three feet.
but it's wedged right in there.
So, today we are just gonna show you a quick way of pulling these that we came up with
and we are gonna put a scaffolding clamp around the pole like this we are just gonna tighten
it up right.
ok, so the next step we need a chain which we just gonna feed under this one here its
locked together so all I need to do is do that.
In fact, what I'm gonna do I'm gonna shrink that chain down a bit, and I think we are
gonna go there and I am gonna make a smaller loop and I'll put a different lock on it there
you go.
right, so we've got a smaller loop there guys ok?. alright, we just gonna hook that loop
underneath the other part of the scaffolding chain and now we need our third part which
is our third part which is this guys.
I put a piece of timber on the floor just to take a bit of weight of the soil and all
we need to do is put this jack there and literally jack it up.
Now this Jack comes off a landrover so all I am gonna do is just get it up to the height
at the moment we are not far from it hook the chain around, Here we go, right, so all
we need to do now is hold it back with our foot there and just jack the post out.
Well, that's good that lock was undone so I am gonna keep going up until I hit the other
lock, There we go.
I just keep jacking it There we are.
and it's the easiest way I know of getting a post out of the ground.
There we are, we are free now, so I can literally move that and send this backdown. and now
I can just lift it out of the ground.
There you go, guys, so I don't know if you can quite make this out no, let me alter the
camera lens.
Ok guys, so too here this was how far down this post went into the ground we got one
two at least three feet on this one, so that's why we couldn't get them out, we got one more
to do and then the polytunnel is down.
All the parts are on the new plot, and where we are standing is where it is going to go.
Now the polytunnel itself is the actual land itself isn't quite flat, so what we need to
do is we need to build a line to a level that we can work from, ok? and then we will end
up shovelling some of this soil away.
To get it level, we may raise the front yet I am not sure about that.
but essentially all the parts we need are around the green shed there the door is leaning
against the shed as you can see.
there is timber all along here and timber on the other side of the shed timber here.
so the first port of call for this now to get this back together is to get these 18
posts in the front and the rear walls, and then we can start with the rest of the structure.
so, I will come to you when I have got some of the posts set, because we wanna keep this
video quite a short series, so once I have got some of the posts set I will come back
to you and explain what we are doing next.
So as you can see here now, we just started getting in the posts, we have got the front
up.
and that's all nice and level and the door will go on there shortly.
now, here we basically have to put the posts in we got a datum line across the bottom which
is the bottom rail it is not screwed in at the moment, as we are having to move it to
dig the posts in the right area and we have to fit the windows.
this would be quite easy if I had just come here, when we originally built it we just
put a post in then we built the windows to fit where the posts were.
but now obviously all the window frames are already pre-built so we have to get the posts
in the exact right place, and then it has to be exactly level and plumb so that it all
works.
You will see in a second some of the posts are quite long and we are hitting bedrock
so we are having to cut this much of some of the posts.
It's another pain in the backside but it will allow us, it's not an issue here because we
are quite sheltered.
we have got all of these buildings along here we have got a big tree and stuff behind us
with gardens and houses and stuff like that.
and then we got all that netted area and just in front of us here will be our shed.
so, and the reason we can do that is because the sun rises over here and comes around the
back of us, so it doesn't ever come through the front of the tunnel so the tunnel will
have light pretty much all day.
even if the shed is in front of it.
So, what we need to do is literally I have numbered all of these so I know exactly where
they go.
Put the next post in screw it and carry on right the way up until we have got it all
in and then we will put the back wall and we will do the exact same thing on the other
side.
So, it's a bit of towing and froing and like I said, I am having to redig some of the holes
because although I measured them correctly in the first place, they are not quite lining
up with the windows and things like that, so, the chamfers are different so we have
to do that and then we are having to cut down some of the posts as well because they are
just way to long.
So anyway, I will come back to you now when we get some more of this wall up, but in fact,
I will leave you running for a little bit for one of these, and then you can see exactly
what we need to do.
So, what we do here now, I just got to drive these through, I am sorry if the sun is in
your eyes.
I am not sure how dark it's going to make the video.
So the idea now Is just to drive this through.
There is number one.
And if you notice, It's a bit of a post because obviously, I need to try to get everything
perfectly aligned and I am not at the moment.
But we will get there.
Because I'm There we are looking.
Because I'm working off other things.
and later on, I am just gonna pull it back so I got the tip sticking through.
Later on, we will then bury these posts, but I just wanna make sure they are all level
first.
And I'm just lining it up where they need to be.
Its a bit awkward ok I can leave that go now a minute and drive this one home.
So, That's another post done.
and, we will go along now to the next one.
Now, for those who haven't seen this tunnel before these are pull out windows, now at
the moment they are obviously just netted.
But there is windows that go in and I don't think I am going to recover them when I recover
the polytunnel because they are ok.
These windows will go in and then it can stop the wind.
The great thing about doing it this way is the fact that we have total control over the
humidity over the temperature and everything within the polytunnel.
One thing you will find with a lot of polytunnels is that they are very under ventilated and
in the summer temperatures get so high things get scorched and before you know it your running
shading over things.
and This helps us to prevent all of that as we control the temperature as we want.
If we want to reduce it a little bit we can remove one window, and in the height of summer
all the windows are out.
and it gets a really good cross ventilation.
Right, let's crack on.