|
Fastening Poly To Your Rafters
Poly must never be attached with bare staples or nails. Some sort of strip must be used to spread the stress of the attachment point. Here are three appropriate choices.
CINCHSTRAP
If you want something smoother & more attractive than wooden lath, try our Cinchstrap. Cinchstrap is plastic lath: an attractive white high-density ultraviolet stabilized polyethylene strip. The white reflects heat, keeping the poly on the rafter’s cooler. Being smooth it does not abrade the poly in strong winds. It bends easily around curves & corners, unlike wood lath. It's flexible, tough & durable. But it can be cut with
sharp scissors. It's almost 2" wide. It’s simple & fast to apply. It can also be nailed down on each stud so that the poly rests on the smooth surface of the strap. This helps prevent abrasion.
POLYFASTENER
Polyfastener is a smooth white 2-piece system for clamping the poly to the frame without making holes in the poly. It is used on the outside/perimeter rafters and base. It is especially used on steel-arched greenhouses, where you can't nail down the poly on every rafter. With Polyfastener poly can be installed on a cold day, & when it gets hot you can easily remove the insert strip in the Polyfastener and re-tighten the poly. This can be
done repeatedly without any puncturing of the poly, since it is clamped rather than nailed.
WOODEN LATH
Wood lath is harder on poly. These are strips of wood perhaps 1/4" thick by 1 1/2" wide. Sometimes you can get lath free from lumberyards where it's often used as spacers between lumber, some of my customers do that. Sand them smooth to lessen abrasion & lengthen poly life. Or use white carpet. Poly disintegrates first beneath the wooden lath. To reduce abrasion, insert a layer of poly on the rafter & also between the woven
poly & lath. The smoother & whiter the surface, the better it is for the poly, so sand & paint if using wood.
|
