Mesh Tarps, Shade Tarps, and Windscreens are made from the types of fabric that are used to provide various levels of protection from the elements. They can be used for a variety of applications including your patio, construction sites, outdoor events, and more. In this blog post, we will discuss the different types of Mesh Tarps, Shade Tarps, and Windscreens available on the market today and help you choose the best one for your application.
As the weather is finally becoming nicer and summer activities start to kick into high gear, you will be spending more time outside over the next few months. Whether it is the patio, deck, or porch of your house; the beer garden at your restaurant; outdoor employee lounge; or the fence at the ballfield there are a lot of areas that you can quickly and easily protect from the sun, elements, and other hazards along with adding privacy and security with Mesh Tarps, Shade Tarps, and Windscreens.
These versatile covers are all great options for a host of uses. When choosing the right one for your application, it is important to consider the type of material you need the tarp to be made from, the size of the tarp, the color of the tarp, and more. With so many options available on the market today, you are sure to find the perfect Mesh Tarp for your needs.
When choosing the right Mesh Tarp for you application, it is important to consider the following factors:
- The type of material
- The size
- The color
- The thickness
- The material weight
- The amount of shade/privacy you want
There is a spectrum of products offered to deliver shade from the damaging UV rays of the sun, provide privacy and security for your fencing, or to cover your supplies, materials, or freight in transit. The materials utilized for these covers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and vinyl are all strong and lightweight generating shade factors that range from 40 percent up to 95 percent depending on your needs and the product. Most Mesh Tarps are fitted with strong grommets (eyelets) that are located in the corners and equally spaced between 12 to 36 inches apart, depending on the product, around the perimeter for the secure tying down of the covers. These Mesh Tarps also allow air to flow through adding to comfort of the area while helping block heavy winds and flying debris. In addition, because of the porous weave of the Mesh Tarps water will pass through, but the fabric design does help to repel heavy wind and rainfall.
What Type of Tarp is best for your Situation?
With countless tasks calling for the cooling shade, comforting privacy, protection of freight, covering supplies, or providing drainage there are a number of products to choose from. Here are the different products and what each is best used for:
Mesh Tarps
Mesh Tarps and Covers not only provide the ideal amount of shading for the location where installed such as in your backyard or restaurant patio, they are also vital in shielding material, supplies, equipment on the jobsite, and for trucking where the loads in transit demand airflow and breathability. Hurricane Mesh Tarps and Poly Pro Mesh Pool Covers are more specialized and very protective tarps that help guard your structures, supplies, and your pool against extreme weather, falling and flying debris, pests, and other hazards.
Shade Tarps
To add shade and additional protection to your outdoor living areas such as decks, patios, porches, and backyards, Shade Tarps live up to their name. Crafted from mesh materials they not only help block the hot rays of the sun they help keep the temperature lower and more comfortable underneath. Extremely lightweight and easy to handle, Shade Tarps are also resistant to UV rays, mold, and mildew. These covers help keep you protected and make your time outside more fun.
Windscreens and Privacy Fence Screens
Whether for your house, condo, athletic field, commercial location, warehouse, industrial plant, or municipality Windscreens, Privacy Screens, and Mesh Screens are great tools for these places and applications where shade, privacy, and security are necessary. Made with woven fabric that not only guards against the sun’s damaging rays along with providing beneficial airflow for applications that include sports facilities, parks, and special events along with a huge asset at construction sites, demolition areas, and at other commercial, industrial, and manufacturing settings. Windscreens, Privacy Screens, and Mesh Screens are installed quite easily, usually connected right to a chain link fence or similar structure quickly with common fasteners such as zip ties.
Mesh Truck Tarps
Heavy Duty Mesh Truck Tarps aid truckers and companies in protecting and keeping freight secured and in place during transit. Manufactured with high-tensile strength material that has hems and stitched hems. These hold up well to all weather conditions especially rain, snow, and wind along with other hazards encountered on the road. Mesh Truck Tarps are available in a large selection of sizes, material weights, and colors to fit any transportation needs. Special Mesh Truck Tarps for very specific applications include Refuse Transfer Trailer Tarps and Asphalt RFL Truck Tarps.
Debris Netting and other Construction Mesh Products
To help protect and secure scaffolding and other enclosures at construction areas, equipment, materials, employees, and the general public, scaffold debris netting, fire retardant debris netting, and fire retardant netting is constructed from high-density knitted polyethene material in a variety of grades and convenient sizes necessary for the best in protection as safety barriers. When security and privacy is needed for construction fence line or the creation of cool shade, Debris Netting can ideally be used to handle these tasks as well.
Containment Tarps
Specialized Mesh Tarps for construction, restoration, demolition, and other industrial projects and applications are available in products such as Containment Mesh Tarps, Fire Retardant Containment Tarps, and Airbag Containment Tarps. These deliver a confident shield to protect against debris created from operations such as sandblasting, abatement, shipbuilding, and tank construction. The Containment Tarps keep the debris isolated within in the covers safeguarding people and structures outside the barriers along with the surrounding environment. Custom Size Option are available to create special dimensions for Mesh Containment Tarps.
Custom Mesh Products
Although Mesh Tarps, Mesh Tarps, and Windscreens are offered in a huge assortment of common sizing, there are needs you will have where there are unique dimensions or special features that are required for your situation that will not be satisfied by the stock sizes. Custom Mesh Products including Custom Mesh Curtains and Mesh/Shade Tarps can be created to those special dimensions.
Mesh and Shade Fabric by the Yard and Full Roll
A wide selection of Mesh fabric is offered by the Yard for some products and more available by the full roll. For the do-it-yourself operations or for the projects or ongoing tasks that require large amounts Mesh and Shade fabrics that provides the barriers and buffers to the sun, wind, and debris that also allows airflow to pass through.
Solid Material Tarps and Covers
The typical Solid Material Tarps and Covers also provide protection from the sun, wind, rain, snow, and debris or to generate privacy and security. Tarps Made from solid fabric such as Vinyl, Polyethylene, and Canvas can also be utilized for many of the situations mentioned so far in this article.
Common Features and Options for Mesh Tarps
A rather wide variety of Mesh Tarps, Shade Tarps, and Windscreens exist to provide the best shade necessary for your situation. In this section we will look at some of the common features and options that are available for these products. Mesh Tarps are lightweight and easy to handle making them effortless to install at you house, apartment, condo, business, boat, shop, restaurant, tavern outdoor areas, warehouse, plant, or on your truck.
Colors
Depending on the type of Mesh Tarp, Shade Tarp, and Windscreen these protective covers are offered in a spectrum of colors to help aesthetically match the surroundings or provide a safe and overly noticeable cover. Some of the more common and popular Mesh Tarps are available in colors that include white, black, tan, brown, blue, green, and gray. Other products are only offered in a single color such as black, green, or white.
Material Construction
Mesh Tarps are made from lightweight yet strong fabrics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and vinyl that is knitted in variety of deniers or densities, with a weave that affects the thickness, weight, and the shade factors of the covers. The construction of the tarps allows for airflow to pass through helping create a comfortable setting. Although water will pass through the fabric weave, Mesh Tarps do help resist heavy rain and heavy winds.
Grommets
Metal grommets, or eyelets, are fitted in most of the Mesh Tarp and Shade Tarp products. Grommets are utilized in study and rust resistant metals, mostly brass for these Mesh Covers. They are located in the four corners and spaced equally apart for secure tie down purposes at distances of 12 inches to 36 inches depending on the specific product.
Shade Factors
The material construction and the weave of the Tarps and Windscreens contributes to the shade factors, the feature that provides the shade aspect of these covers. The Shade Factors on the most common mesh products typically range from 40 percent to 95 percent.
Sizes
Mesh Tarps, Shade Tarps, and Windscreens are provided in common, convenient, and calculated sizes specific to each product to help ensure the best and most useful sizes available. Many of these common sizes are stocked and ready to ship immediately to locations in North America. Also, custom options are available for a number of the Mesh and Shade Tarps to have special and unique dimensions created for each individually made order.
Fire Retardant Mesh Tarps
For many applications in industries such as construction, industrial, and agriculture, Fire Retardant Mesh Tarps are often required to protect equipment, supplies, areas, and people from heat and flame issues. In addition, these covers are resistant to abrasions, tears, grease, acid, oil, and mildew to provide extremely strong and reliable protection for the specific tasks that they are needed for.
Installing Your Tarps or Windscreens
When you are ready to put up your Mesh Tarp, Shade Tarp, or Windscreen you will want to make sure the area you select is free from items such as bushes, trees, plants, cables, power lines, and any buildings or structures. Installing the Shade and Mesh Tarp is fairly easy and quick. Each cover has grommets (eyelets) installed in the corners and around the entire perimeter. These are used to connect the tarp to structures such as posts, poles, trees, pergolas, fascia, or walls anchored with fasteners such as zip ties, wire, bungee balls, cord, hooks, and other hardware. The cover is to be stretched taught (not too tight, this can lead to damage to the grommets and or hems) and even across the desired area. The key is then to connect all or as many of the grommets as possible to generate an even and strong hold with tension spread evenly across the entire cover.
A Windscreen is slightly different than a Mesh Tarp or Shade Tarp in that it is typically installed vertically on fencing and does not contain grommets. Depending on the product, it is included with buttonholes or nothing where the slits are to be cut (an easy process with scissors, knife, or utility blade) by the user. A Windscreen is typically fastened to the fence with zip ties. In addition, depending on the product and where it is being installed, wind holes are recommended to be cut throughout the cover to help relieve the pressure and tension of a sail effect that can be created by heavy winds. The holes or slits can be created intermittently as small rectangle corners, crescent shapes, x-cuts, or complete cutout shapes. The material will not fray from the cutting of the wind holes.
Proper Care for your Mesh Tarps
As you experience the benefits of Mesh Tarps, Shade Tarps, and Windscreens., you will learn the durability and adaptability of these covers in providing the shade and other protection that you expect. You will also notice how they are designed for resistance to UV rays, abrasion, tears, and mildew makes them an even tougher tool. Although they are strong and resilient to the elements and surroundings, a little bit of occasional care will go a long way in their continued performance and the defense they provide for a long time to come. Here are a few simple acts that will help you care for your Tarps:
Cleaning
Keeping your Mesh Tarp clean can require two simple processes. The first and more frequent act is to brush off the cover when you notice debris such as twigs and leaves that may collect. The patting with your hand or the use of a broom can easily do the trick in a few quick seconds. It is very important to quickly remove anything of considerable size that may fall on the tarp such as a tree limb or other large pieces of debris. The weight of these items will create stress on the grommets and can lead to damage if not addressed.
The second way to clean you tarp is with soap and water. As dust, dirt, grime, bird droppings, tree droppings, and dead bugs collect and stick to the covers it is a good idea to take it down and thoroughly wash every once in a while. Simply rinsing it with a hose might do the trick. If a little cleaning more is needed, basic mild dish soap (no detergents) and warm water applied with a soft to medium bristle brush will work great. For even better cleaning, Tarp Cleaning products are available. Once you apply the soap or cleaner, rinse off and the Tarp is ready to go.
Drying
When you are putting your Mesh or Shade Tarp right back up after cleaning, it will be fine with very little water residue on it as it passes through the openings of the weave. If you are taking the cover down for the season and placing in storage, make sure that the tarp dries thoroughly first. This will be accomplished quite quickly with any amount of wind and sun. Uses a towel or other soft cloth product if it is necessary to complete the task.
Maintenance
As you are cleaning your Mesh Tarp, Shade Tarp, or Windscreen it is a good time to do a quick inspection of the cover to make sure there is no damage to the tarp or the grommets. Although these are extremely durable products, something may happen. By addressing an issue early and while it is small your tarp can continue to generate the protection you require by fixing issues with items such as Tarp Tape or Tarp Cement along with Grommet Kits.
Storage
If you hare storing your Mesh Tarp, it is best to clean and dry by sun or with a cloth before doing so. After it is clean and dry, fold or roll it up and put it away. It is always best to store your cover in a cool dry area. You will want to avoid high heat, humidity, and any direct sunlight. The extended exposure to these hazards can lead to the weakening of the material, protecting features, and any coatings that are applied.
Tarps Now is your One Stop Shop for Mesh Tarps, Shade Tarps, and Windscreens
If you are looking for a Mesh Tarp, Shade Tarp, or Windscreen along with any other type of Tarp or accessories, Tarps Now is your source for these valuable items. If you have any questions or are ready to order, please contact us toll free at (888) 800-1383 or by email at sales@tarpsnow.com to speak with one of our helpful and knowledgeable staff located at the St. Joseph, MI headquarters. We look forward to hearing from you!
