right some photies
for showers the overhang has worked well with the tarp before but this looks less unsightly
and for rainy days - note the gaps on the sides for air to get it (I can put ringlets in to allow air through if its too sweaty)
front view, not completely see through, but enough for me
Still got to make a frame to put the bottom part on which will prop it open more without letting any water in but I wasnt sure how this would work out from the start so its an ongoing project till I am happy - currently long enough to be held open in place with bricks. But not bad for my first ever rain protector.
How to make:-
you will need,
* a hammer and short nails - or a nail gun, with stapels and nails just long enough to go through the wood and into the hutch,
*wood trim - mine was 6' pieces of moulded wood trim from a hardwear shop (called proper job). It needs to be flat, about 1/2" wide by 1/4" and soft wood.
* plastic sheet - mine came from wilkinsons, £4 for a pack - makes 2 of my size, normally used for greenhouses or germinating seeds in the ground.
*decide what size you need to make your protector, I had mine just slightly wider than the hutch, level with the roof overhang. Cut the wood to the right size and cut (if you need to) the plastic sheet to the right size. My sheet wasnt wide enough but I doubled up the middle part. Remember to add extra length each end to go round the wood supports.
*you can use two pieces of wood and "trap" the sheet inbetween the wood but I decided to wrap the plastic round the wood once and staple inplace to hold it. Fix each end of the plastic to the wood.
*attach one end of the cover right up underneath the roof overhang (if you have space or alternatively you can put it on the top edge of the roof to hang down from the roof if space is not available), nail in place, I rolled the plastic round another half a turn to protect the wood as well before nailing in place - so the staples are facing outwards (and so I can check the durability of the sheeting)
*to secure the bottom section you can use hook and eyes on the hutch, both where you want the protector to sit when down and if like I will do, make a square type ewe (the letter that keeps being replaced, not an actual sheep
) frame from any left over or additional wood to prop open the bottom section to allow air in but not water. My dad made one like this for a bunnies hutch which lasted years - you have spare plastic if you only needed half like me to make a replacement when it starts to become brittle. You could see the flap like an awning from his hutch and look underneath to see him sitting there (wanting to be out rolleyes ) if you looked underneath.
Cost
plastic £4
wood £2.40
already had tools so total cost = £6.40 - bargain
