Temporary clear polyethene windows, what grade/thickness?

[epsilonGreedy]

I am thinking ahead to August when my roof should be on and I will need to close up the build for possibly 6 months to keep the Autumn/Winter weather out.

 

What grade polythene would stand up to 6 months of UV and the occasional gale in what is otherwise a sheltered location?

 

p.s. I have a couple of 1.8m openings for french doors which will be boarded up with 9 or 11mm OSB and apart from these the largest window opening is 1.6m x 1.2m (H/W).

 

p.s.2. I have a temporary CU in the house so I could be persuaded to board up all the windows and use LED work lights for some of the limited incremental 1st fix jobs that might be commissioned before the proper window frames seal up the house completely. 

Edited June 6, 2020 by epsilonGreedy

[Russell griffiths]

Board them all, I had polythene in mine. 

Lasted a month and then got torn to shreds one night in a gale. 

Its very hard to get something tight enough to stop it billowing and tearing over time. 

Is it a money issue, as I would get the windows in ASAP so you can do lots of jobs over the winter indoors, without the windows I think work will grind to a halt. 

[epsilonGreedy]

17 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Lasted a month and then got torn to shreds one night in a gale. 

Its very hard to get something tight enough to stop it billowing and tearing over time. 

 

 

Oh ok, time for a Plan-B.

 

17 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Is it a money issue, as I would get the windows in ASAP so you can do lots of jobs over the winter indoors, without the windows I think work will grind to a halt. 

 

 

It is a number of things:

1. I am sitting on the fence watching another self builder nearby who is trying to persuade the planning office to allow plastic sash window frames. If he wins that would set a precedent for me and would lead to a £6k saving.
2. Custom wood sash windows have a 3 month order lead time and I want to keep rain off the first floor 60-day boards until the proper windows are on site.
3. I have a carpenter and an electrician lined up who are keen to do the stud wall framing upstairs and first fix electrics at an attractive price. I feel comfortable going ahead with this if I can make the structure 95% water tight.
4. We are paying £100 a month for one 20ft storage container that is full of garage/shed calibre stuff that could be kept in the empty house for 6 months.

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by epsilonGreedy

[Vijay]

DPM?

[epsilonGreedy]

4 minutes ago, Vijay said:

DPM?

 

 

The 1000 and 1200 grade DPM would cope with the weather exposure I expect. I can only find 250 grade clear plastic sheeting at a sensible price.

 

Time to price up my total window area in OSB sheet or black 1000 grade DPM.

[Gone West]

We had our TF completely boarded with the OSB3 racking because it was just before the winter. I worked inside over the winter using site lights. The following spring I routed out the openings and covered them with 1000ga clear plastic sheeting until the windows and doors were fitted which was over a few months.

[epsilonGreedy]

56 minutes ago, PeterStarck said:

We had our TF completely boarded with the OSB3 racking because it was just before the winter. I worked inside over the winter using site lights. The following spring I routed out the openings and covered them with 1000ga clear plastic sheeting until the windows and doors were fitted which was over a few months.

 

Ok so perhaps strong plastic sheeting is option. A few further questions if I may:

• What was the largest unsupported area of plastic sheeting within a window?
• How did you secure plastic sheeting to the wood at the perimeter? Someone has suggested staples.

Anyhow entering "1000ga clear plastic sheeting" into Google led me to a Screwfix product at a reasonable price. Think I will install a trial plastic-sheet window and see how it holds up on the first gale.

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/capital-valley-plastics-ltd-plastic-sheeting-clear-1000ga-15-x-4m/2665p 

 

[jamieled]

We used a bit of plastic sheeting to protect our frame last autumn. It was a pain in the arse as it constantly blew out. It was quite windy here.

 

If you go down this route I would suggest not just relying on staples, they will rip through the plastic no bother. Perhaps use the polytunnel approach of trapping the plastic over and under a batten and nail through this?

[Russell griffiths]

Have a look for some second hand twinwall roofing sheets, knock up a quick 3x2 frame and nail it on, tube of cheap silicone, 

and chuck it in the skip when your done. 

A lot of polythene doesn’t like the UV and goes brittle. 

[Miek]

Polytunnel plastic could work, it's mega strong but it needs to be pulled taught over a wooden frame and held in place with nailed or screwed battens which in itself is a fair bit of work compared to sawing down a sheet of ply or OSB.

[tonyshouse]

I used thin clean cover-up poly but cut v slots in the windows for ventilation, lasted 6 weeks at Easter down south ten yrs ago - need some ventilation 

[Gone West]

13 hours ago, epsilonGreedy said:

• What was the largest unsupported area of plastic sheeting within a window?
• How did you secure plastic sheeting to the wood at the perimeter? Someone has suggested staples.

The largest unsupported areas were 1.6m x 1.2m and the largest area was 2.4m x 2.0m but I put some temporary vertical battens in to reduce movement of the sheeting. The 4m high gable end I covered with a tarpaulin again with vertical battens.

I stapled the sheeting to the OSB but I folded the edges twice before stapling and stapled around every 50mm.

This was done in the spring so didn't have to stand up to winter weather.

[Ferdinand]

15 hours ago, epsilonGreedy said:

 

Ok so perhaps strong plastic sheeting is option. A few further questions if I may:

• What was the largest unsupported area of plastic sheeting within a window?
• How did you secure plastic sheeting to the wood at the perimeter? Someone has suggested staples.

Anyhow entering "1000ga clear plastic sheeting" into Google led me to a Screwfix product at a reasonable price. Think I will install a trial plastic-sheet window and see how it holds up on the first gale.

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/capital-valley-plastics-ltd-plastic-sheeting-clear-1000ga-15-x-4m/2665p 

 

 

There 4m x 25m rolls  of Visqueen on Ebay for under £30, which may be suitable. That is where I have had this from in the past.

 

Ferdinand

 

[PeterW]

OSB - your local scrote will go through PVC with his lighter and you’ll find your nice garage storage stuff on Facebook marketplace ... OSB is £10/sheet if you shop around and makes for a much nicer working environment indoors. 
 

I doubt your insurers will cover you for 1st fix wiring either without secured windows and doors - cable is very easily nicked.  

 

Don’t bank on changing your windows either - no such thing as precedence in planning, you could be waiting 18 months and still lose on appeal. You will have to also potentially submit an NMA or even a variation - consider the cost. 

[ProDave]

How about search your local gumtree /  faceache / freecycle for old windows.  you won't get the correct size of course but you can tack them in or on the openings and fill in around with OSB.  It will be secure and (mostly) rain proof and will let some light in as well.

 

This is what I have done with our sun room until we can get the proper windows. Most just boarded with OSB but one is a pair of French doors that became spare when next door was having new ones and it at least lets some light into the room.