6 Best Hoop House Plastic For High Tunnels That Withstands Harsh Weather
Selecting the right high tunnel plastic is key. Our guide reviews the 6 best films, comparing UV resistance, durability, and tear strength for harsh weather.
Nothing tests your resolve like seeing a high tunnel flattened by a surprise snowstorm or shredded by a severe thunderstorm. The structure might be sound, but the plastic is your first and most important line of defense. Choosing the right greenhouse plastic isn’t just about covering your hoops; it’s about protecting your investment, your time, and your future harvests from the worst that weather can throw at you.
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Choosing Plastic for High Wind and Snow Loads
The first thing everyone looks at is the thickness, but that’s only part of the story. While a 6-mil film is the standard for a reason, the plastic’s actual composition and features matter far more when the wind starts howling. A cheap, thin plastic will stretch, flap, and eventually tear itself apart on the frame, no matter how well you secure it.
The key is a combination of strength and proper installation. A high-quality, UV-stabilized plastic has resilience built in, allowing it to stretch slightly under a snow load and return to form. But even the best film will fail if it’s not pulled drum-tight during installation. Any slack gives the wind a place to grab, creating a sail effect that puts immense stress on both the plastic and the structure itself.
For truly harsh conditions, look beyond standard polyethylene. Woven plastics offer incredible tear resistance, acting more like a heavy-duty tarp. While they might sacrifice a small percentage of light transmission, that’s a small price to pay for knowing your tunnel will still be standing after a blizzard. The right choice is always a balance between your climate’s demands and your crops’ needs.
Ginegar Sun Selector: 4-Year UV Protection
Ginegar is a name you see on commercial farms, and for good reason. Their Sun Selector series is engineered for longevity, with a 4-year rating for UV degradation. This isn’t just a warranty; it’s a statement about the quality of the UV inhibitors mixed into the plastic itself.
What does that mean for you? It means the plastic won’t get yellow, brittle, and crack after one or two seasons of intense sun. It maintains its flexibility and strength, which is critical for shedding snow and resisting wind. A brittle plastic is a failed plastic waiting to happen.
Beyond durability, Ginegar films often include advanced features like anti-drip coatings and specific light diffusion properties. The anti-drip prevents condensation from forming into large droplets that can fall on your plants, reducing the risk of fungal diseases. This combination of toughness and plant-friendly features makes it a top-tier choice for a serious high tunnel.
Klerk’s K50 Clear for Superior Light Clarity
In some situations, every photon counts. For growers in northern latitudes with short days or those raising light-hungry seedlings, maximizing light transmission is the primary goal. This is where a film like Klerk’s K50 Clear truly shines.
This type of film is engineered for optical clarity, allowing over 90% of available light to reach your plants. While many films diffuse light to prevent scorching, a clear film delivers direct, intense sunlight. This can be a huge advantage for getting early-season growth or finishing sun-loving crops like tomatoes and peppers.
The tradeoff, of course, is the potential for hot spots and sun scald on sensitive plants. You have to manage your ventilation and potentially use shade cloth on the brightest summer days. Klerk’s K50 is a specialized tool: choose it when you’ve identified a lack of light as your main limiting factor.
Sun Master IR/AC Film for Cold Climates
If you’re trying to push the seasons in a colder climate, standard greenhouse plastic is working against you. As soon as the sun goes down, the heat it trapped all day radiates right back out into the night sky. Sun Master IR/AC film is designed to solve this exact problem.
The "IR" stands for infrared, and it’s an additive that reflects a portion of that escaping heat back down toward your plants. This simple feature can keep your high tunnel several degrees warmer overnight without any additional heating. Those few degrees are the difference between a light frost and healthy crops, effectively extending your growing season on both ends.
The "AC" means anti-condensate, a crucial feature in a tunnel that experiences wide temperature swings. It prevents moisture from beading up and dripping, which keeps your plants dry and less prone to disease. For anyone overwintering greens or starting seeds in late winter, an IR/AC film isn’t a luxury; it’s a fundamental piece of equipment.
Tufflite IV: Resisting Sun and Chemical Damage
Durability isn’t just about wind and snow. The sun’s UV rays are constantly working to break down plastic, and so are some of the chemicals we use inside the tunnel. Tufflite IV is known for its exceptional resistance to both of these threats.
This film is formulated to withstand not only solar radiation but also degradation from contact with chemicals like sulfur and chlorine. If you use certain pesticides or fungicides, or if your structure has PVC components, a standard film can become brittle and fail prematurely where it makes contact. Tufflite’s chemical resistance helps ensure you get the full lifespan out of your plastic.
This makes it a workhorse film for growers in the sunniest, most intense climates like the desert Southwest. It’s also a smart choice for anyone running a more intensive operation that requires regular chemical applications to manage pests or diseases. It’s about protecting your investment from all angles, not just the weather.
Bootstrap Farmer Film: A Hobbyist Favorite
Finding high-quality film in sizes that make sense for a backyard or small farm high tunnel used to be a challenge. Bootstrap Farmer has filled that niche perfectly, offering professional-grade film in more accessible roll sizes. This saves you from having to buy a massive, expensive roll intended for a half-acre greenhouse.
Their 6-mil, 4-year UV-rated greenhouse plastic has all the hallmarks of a quality product. It’s tough, reliable, and has the UV inhibitors needed to last. It strikes a great balance, providing the durability a serious grower needs without the specialized (and more expensive) features like IR that a beginner might not require.
This is the go-to recommendation for most hobby farmers building their first or second high tunnel. It’s a significant step up from the cheap, flimsy plastic you might find at a big-box store, offering real-world resilience at a fair price point. It’s a smart, practical choice for getting started on the right foot.
Farm Plastic Supply Woven for Extreme Weather
When you live in a place where 60 mph winds are a regular occurrence or hail is a serious threat, standard polyethylene film is a gamble. This is where woven poly, like the kind from Farm Plastic Supply, becomes the only sensible option. It is, without a doubt, the toughest material you can put on a high tunnel.
Imagine the difference between a plastic grocery bag and a heavy-duty woven tarp. That’s the difference in tear strength. A puncture from a falling branch or a piece of hail might create a small hole in woven poly, but it won’t run into a massive, structure-ending tear. It’s incredibly difficult to rip.
The tradeoff for this extreme durability is slightly reduced light transmission, as the woven fabric isn’t as crystal-clear as smooth film. However, for growers in places like the Great Plains, the high Rockies, or coastal areas, this is a more than acceptable compromise. When survival is the top priority, woven plastic is the answer.
Key Factors: Mil Thickness, UV, and IR Explained
Navigating the technical specs can be confusing, but it boils down to a few key concepts. Understanding them allows you to evaluate any plastic, not just the brands mentioned here.
Mil Thickness: A "mil" is one-thousandth of an inch. While 4-mil is available, 6-mil is the industry standard for high tunnels for good reason. It provides a baseline of strength and puncture resistance needed for a permanent structure. Don’t be tempted to save a few dollars on a thinner film; it’s a classic false economy.
UV Protection: This is arguably the most important factor for longevity. Ultraviolet light from the sun breaks down the polymer chains in plastic, making it brittle. High-quality films have UV-inhibiting additives. The "4-Year" rating you see means the manufacturer guarantees it will retain a high percentage of its original strength for at least four years in average sun conditions. Without this, a film might not even last a single season.
- IR and AC: These are performance-enhancing additives. IR (Infrared) helps trap heat at night, crucial for cold climates. AC (Anti-Condensate or Anti-Drip) is a coating that causes water to sheet off the plastic instead of forming droplets, which protects plants from water damage and disease. You’ll pay more for these features, but they can pay for themselves in extended seasons and healthier crops.
Your high tunnel plastic is a dynamic part of your farm’s ecosystem, not just a passive cover. The right choice depends entirely on your specific goals—whether that’s maximum light for seedlings, heat retention for overwintering, or sheer brute force to survive a hailstorm. View this decision as an investment in resilience, and you’ll be rewarded with a productive, protected growing space for years to come.
