ACME Poly-tunnel User manual

ACME Poly-tunnel
Assembly Guide
11 hoops, trenched polythene model.
15m (39') x 5.8m (19')!
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Table of contents I. Before you begin
Your ACME Tunnels kit contains all the materials
required to build your own polytunnel
greenhouse. This guide contains important safety
information, preparation guidance, step-by-step
assembly instructions and maintenance advice.
Sales and support information
ACME Poly-tunnels
1 Agricultural Business Park, City, A1 B01
Phone: 0XX XXX XXXX
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @acmetunnels_service!
II. Safety Notice
WARNING: THE METALLIC TUBES INCLUDED IN THIS KIT CONDUCT ELECTRICITY. TO AVOID
ELECTROCUTION, VERIFY THAT THERE ARE NO ELECTRIC LINES ABOVE THE
CONSTRUCTION SITE BEFORE LIFTING OR HANDLING THE TUBES.
WARNING: BUILDING SITES PRESENT A RISK OF INJURY BY FALL OF MATERIALS AND TOOLS
OR TRIPPING. ENSURE THAT CHILDREN ARE RESTRICTED ACCESS TO THE BUILDING SITE
UNTIL THE STRUCTURE IS FULLY ASSEMBLED. KEEP TOOLS AND PARTS INCLUDED IN THIS
KIT, AWAY FROM CHILDREN. USE RE-ENFORCED SHOES AND ADEQUATE PROTECTIVE
GEAR.
WARNING: THE METALLIC PARTS INCLUDED IN THIS KIT CAN HAVE SHARP EDGES. TO
AVOID CUTS AND INJURIES TO YOUR HANDS, WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES WHEN
HANDLING COMPONENTS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU INSPECT THE METALLIC PARTS
AND REMOVE EXCESS GALVANISATION OR WELDING RIDGES WITH A FILE BEFORE
HANDLING THEM.
Caution: The kit includes long parts that may reach further than you perceive. To prevent
injuries to yourself and other persons while handling the tubes, always look for people around
or behind you and stay away from roads, streets or moving machinery and vehicles.!
I. Before you begin 2
Sales and support information 2
II. Safety Notice 2
III. What you need 3
A) Included in the kit 3
B) Not included with the kit 3
C) Recommended tools 3
IV. Preparation FAQs 4
V. Assembly Instructions 5
A) Preparing the site 5
B) Assembling the frame 5
C) Assembling the door frames 6
D) Trenching around the frame 7
E) Applying protective pads and tape 7
F) Covering the frame 8
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!
To ensure that your polytunnel
greenhouse is assembled properly and
safely, make sure that all persons
participating in the construction have carefully
read this manual before starting. Contact us if
you have any question or need help.

III. What you need
A) Included in the kit
Check that all the parts listed below are included with the kit. If parts are missing or damaged, please
contact your reseller or ACME Tunnels to order replacement parts.
22x Ground pegs (a)
22x Half hoops (b)
10x Ridge bars (1.47m) (c)
4x Prop bars (1.65m) (d)
4x Door posts (e)
2x Door lintels (f)
8x Wood battens (g)
8x Nail plate joiners (h)
5x Ridge cross clamps (i)
16x Q-clips (j)
4x P-clips (k)
200x Galvanised nails (l)
8x Large spacer nuts (m)
16x Bolts & small nuts (n)
30x Self tapping screws (o)
1x Polythene sheet + coupon (p)
10x Insulation tape rolls (q)
1x Repair tape roll (r)!
B) Not included with the kit
Doors are not included. Different types can be purchased separately depending on your needs.
String to mark the polytunnel footprint
C) Recommended tools!
Metering tape (20m)
Spade
Sledge hammer
Electric drill
Carpenter hammer
Cutter
File
Hexa wrench
Two ladders
Digger (depending on terrain)!
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For the purpose of this manual, the illustrations represent a shorter polytunnel. However,
the building method remains the same for your polytunnel model.

IV. Preparation FAQs
Can I assemble the tunnel on my own?
At least two people are required to assemble the structure and install the polythene sheet.
Can I assemble the polytunnel on any surface?
This kit comes with ground pegs so the polythene is trenched into the ground. Choose a flat area or
level the ground if necessary. To build a tunnel on a hard surface or concrete pads you need
mounting plates and a lower rail to attach the polythene on the sides. Call the ACME Tunnel sales
team or visit our website for more information.
How deep do I need to dig the trenches?
The trenches should be at least 30cm (1ft) deep and 30cm (1ft) wide.
What are the best conditions to build the tunnel?
It is easier to dig the trenches and drive the foundation pegs in the ground when the soil is soft and
moist, but not soaked.
Choose a still day so the polythene does not flap when you install it. An excessive flapping motion
can weaken the sheet at its folding seams, causing rupture when pulling on the polythene.
Like most plastics, polythene film expands when warm and contracts when cold. To avoid a loose
and crinkly film during summer days, stretch the polythene on the frame on a warm and sunny day
(> 20 ºC). As temperature reduces, the film contracts and strengthens the structure. If the weather is
cool when you install the polythene, preheat it in a heated room before installing.
How wide should the doors frames be?
The air in a polytunnel can become excessively warm, dry or humid, so it is critical to allow for
adequate ventilation. We recommend to set the door posts as far from each other as possible and
install a door at each end of the tunnel.
We recommend that all the persons involved in building the polytunnel watch the Polytunnel
Construction video guide on ACME Tunnels' YouTube Channel. !
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Scan the QR code or enter the following URL in a web browser:
https://youtu.be/zya_LstXMfs

V. Assembly Instructions
A) Preparing the site
1. Clear the area from vegetation and
debris.
2. Level the ground if necessary.
3. Outline the rectangular footprint of the
greenhouse with 4 sticks connected by
string.
B) Assembling the frame
1. Place ground pegs (a) inside the string every
1.47m on the long sides and at each corners.
2. Drive the pegs into the ground using a
sledgehammer. Cushion each peg's head with a
piece of timber so it does not get distorted. Leave
20cm (8") of the peg stick out so the stopping
screw is just above ground level.
3. Before assembling the hoops, verify that the end of each half hoop (b)
slides onto its respective ground peg. File the tubes if they do not fit.
4. Join each half hoop pair with a cross clamp (i) on the
ground.
5. Mount the first 2 hoops on the ground pegs.
6. Install a ridge bar (c) between the 2 first hoops.
Attach the extremities of the ridge bar onto the
hoops with a cross clamp (i), filleted tips facing down.
7. Mount the next hoop and connect it to the previous
one with a ridge bar. Repeat until all 11 hoops are
assembled.
8. Place Q-clips (j)on the end-hoop and on the extremities of a prop bar (d).!
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5.8m
15m
To ensure the corners form 90º angles, move the opposite stakes so the diagonals are the
same length.
c
i
a
b

9. Attach the prop bar to the hoops: Insert a large spacer nut (m) between the Q-clip's interlocked
wings, then insert a bolt (n) through the wings and close with the small nut (n). Make sure the bolt's
tip points inwards so it does not damage the
polythene.
10. Adjust the prop bar's position before tightening the nuts.
11. Repeat steps 7 and 9 for the 3 remaining prop bars.
12. Drill a self-tapping screw (o) into each Q-clip to secure the assembly. Place the screws on the
inward side of the tube so the heads do not damage the polythene.
C) Assembling the door frames
1. Assemble the door posts and lintel on a flat surface. Join the door posts (e) and lintel (f) with a
nail plate (h) on each side.
2. Mark the position of the door posts on the ground and dig a hole for each door post.
3. Insert P-clips (k) on the end-hoops. One on each side.
4. Position the door frame assembly directly under the end-hoop with the posts into the ground.
5. Nail the P-clips to the lintel (f).
6. Fill in the posts holes with the excavated soil and stamp the soil around the posts.
7. Repeat steps 1 to 6 for the other end of the tunnel.!
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D) Trenching around the frame
1. Dig a trench on each side and around the
corners to meet the door posts.
E) Applying protective pads and tape
Polythene can withstand evenly applied tension and pressure. However, sharp objects like screws, bolts,
clips and cross clamps can create weak points and even cut through the polythene as you install it.
1. Cut 16 pieces (10x10cm) from the polythene coupon.
2. Fold the squares in halves to make protective pads.
3. Apply pads on the cross-clamp and any other sharp
part of the frame that will be in contact with the
polythene. Secure with insulation tape.
During summer, the metallic frame becomes so warm it can melt the polythene film. Install insulation
tape on the metallic frame so the polythene is not in contact with the metallic frame.
4. Peel the printed liner from the self-adhesive side of the
tape to apply it on the steel.
5. Apply insulation tape on top of the hoops, ridge bars
and on the front side of the end-hoops and prop bars.
6. Cover any other sharp points like screws or nail plates.
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When using a machine, be careful not to uproot the ground pegs. Also make sure to keep the
dug-up soil just outside of the trench so it can be shovelled back when burying the polythene.
Leave about 15cm (6") of space between the frame and the trench.
The trench should be 30cm (12") deep and 30cm (12") wide.
30cm
30cm
15cm
1

F) Covering the frame
1. Unfold the polythene and
lift it onto the frame from
the side.
2. Pull the polythene
from door-frame to
door-frame.
3. Weight the polythene at each
gable end with some soil to hold
it in place. Don't fill up the trench yet.
4. Bury the polythene
in the trench. Start
from the middle-
hoop, working
towards a door post.
Half-fill the trench,
leaving the border of
the polythene sheet
visible.
5.Do the opposite side, from the
middle hoop until the door post.
6.Tighten the polythene: One person pulls the outer
edge of the film and applies pressure with the feet to
tension the polythene. Another person shovels the
remaining soil in the trench. Repeat until the polythene
is evenly tensed on the frame and all crinkles are
evened out.
7.Repeat steps 4 to 6 for the other half of the tunnel.
8.Attach the polythene with wooden battens nailed to
the door frame.
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Our polythene has a UV-resistant coating applied on the outer side. Installing the
polythene sheet the wrong side up would make it more vulnerable to the sunlight and
reduce its lifespan.
Install the polythene so the printed markings are readable from outside of the tunnel.
!
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