It might be worth noting here that clear Gorilla tape does a great job of repairing any rips in the plastic!
Also, just for future reference for anyone reading this...
When I first covered the hoop house (after making the wooden frame), I had the idea of using the foam pipe insulation tubes to put over the tops of the hoops, to cushion the plastic and keep it from abrading on the steel. Very bad idea -- the plastic that was contacting that foam insulation degraded really fast! Granted, it was just "regular" plastic, not the UV protected stuff, but I don't think that would make a difference and I would have REALLY been unhappy if it had happened with the expensive greenhouse film.
