Polyethylene tarps (poly tarps) are a perfect solution for many applications. Poly tarps are waterproof covers because they are made of polyethylene, which is a plastic that is naturally resists water. Poly tarps can be used for a variety of purposes, including residential, commercial, and industrial applications. In this buying guide, we will discuss the different types of poly tarps, their features, and uses. We will also provide tips on how to choose the right tarp for your needs.
Poly tarps are available in a variety of sizes, thicknesses, colors, and materials. These tarpaulins can be used for many applications including covering items outdoors such as boats, cars, furniture, and other outdoor items. Poly tarps are also great for covering large construction sites and roofs or for creating temporary shelters in case of emergency situations. They can even be used to help make pools, ponds, and ice rinks in the backyard. There is a poly tarp for just about every application imaginable.
With the wide variety and selections, it is important to choose the right poly tarp for your application. One of the most important factors is size. You want to be sure that the tarp will cover completely whatever you need it to protect. Additionally, you will want to consider the features that the specific product possesses. Special features for some poly tarps include fire retardancy and reinforced material.
Finally, poly tarpaulins depending on the exact product are available in many colors to provide aesthetic matches, safety, and privacy for the intended applications. Clear, translucent, and even a variety camouflage options are available for certain poly covers.
Poly tarps are a readily available, cost effective, and a reliable solution for many uses, providing durable, waterproof, and UV ray protection in one cover. With this ultimate buying guide, you now have all the information necessary to choose the poly tarp that best suits your needs. By taking the time to consider size, material, and color, you can ensure that your poly tarp will provide the necessary protection with the peace of mind.
Popular Poly Tarp Products
To say that poly tarps are popular is proven by the fact that they account for around 56 percent of the total tarp sales within the $7 billion international tarp industry. There are many different types of polyethylene tarpaulins available, much much more than the few cheap versions that you might find down at the big box hardware store. Here are descriptions of the more common and popular poly tarps readily available:
General Purpose Poly Tarps – Lightweight, waterproof, and durable, general purpose poly tarps are manufactured as laminate on both sides for effective protection that lasts for a long time. These woven and bonded covers are crafted with multiple UV ray stabilized polyethylene layers that also resist tears, abrasion, acid, rot, and mildew. The general purpose poly tarps are typically thinner and lighter in material weight than other covers. The benefit of this is the convenience, cost effectiveness, ease of handling, and waterproof features. General poly tarps are commonly applied as material covers, equipment covers, ground covers, construction tarps, roof tarps, paint tarps, tent tarps, temporary shelters, and divider curtains.
Medium Duty Poly Tarps - Made with high-density polyethylene layers providing strong covers that are lightweight and easy to handle for medium duty uses. medium duty poly tarps are strong, waterproof, rot-resistant, and mildew resistant covers are utilized for a wide variety of applications in residential, construction, roofing, landscaping, agriculture, commercial, warehousing, and industrial settings.
Heavy Duty Poly Tarps - A high level of protection is generated from heavy duty poly tarps that possess UV ray resistance, tear resistance, abrasion resistance, acid resistance, rot resistance, and mildew resistance. These durable poly covers are 100 percent waterproof standing up to the issues encountered from rain, snow, and water along with wind, dirt, dust, grime, insects, and pests. Heavy duty poly tarps are extremely productive for protective tasks for homes, garages, pond liners, ice rinks, warehouses, construction sites, demolition sites, asbestos containment, shipyards, offshore oil rigs, and landfills. The heavy duty poly tarps are available with fire retardant options for select products.
Super Heavy Duty Poly Tarps - Super heavy duty poly tarps deliver multi-ply waterproof material construction that provides selections up to 24 Mils thick. The exceptionally strong and 100 percent waterproof products are also resistant to UV ray, tear, abrasion, acid, chemicals, rot, and mildew. super heavy duty poly tarps are great for a wide selection of industries that include residential, manufacturing, construction, painting, roofing, landscaping, and agriculture along with specialized tasks that include heavy equipment covers, building enclosures, asbestos removal curtains, membrane structures, and landfill covers. In addition, fire retardant options are available for numerous super heavy duty poly tarps.
Roofing Tarps and Storm Tarps - To help guard roofs, buildings, and other structures from extreme weather damage and other concerns along with the typical operations involved in construction, roofing, and other heavy duty tasks, roofing and storm tarps are offered. These are also administered to structures following storm damage to shield from additional issues and loss after an initial incident. Many super heavy duty and heavy duty poly tarps are provided for these types of vital protection. The covers are 100 percent waterproof, durable, lightweight, and easy to handle meeting the challenges and delivering the required protection. The roofing tarps include the stereotypical blue poly tarps in many thicknesses and sizes along with other colors including white poly tarps, silver poly tarps, tan poly tarps, green poly tarps, and clear poly tarps.
Fire Retardant Poly Tarps - There are many polyethylene tarp products that are provided for an array of fire retardant and flame resistant uses. These covers meet fire safety standards, their ratings include NFPA 701 (large scale); CPAI-84; CAN/ULC S-109-M87; ASTM E-84 (Class A); California State Fire Marshal and CSFM Title 19. In addition to the fire safety specifications, the fire retardant poly tarps are 100 percent waterproof along with being UV ray, abrasion, tear, rot, acid, and mildew resistant.
Camouflage Poly Tarps - In an effort to provide functionality, fun, and fashion, a handful of camouflage designs are provided for poly tarps in a selection of weights, sizes, and camouflage colors and patterns. These are ideal for outdoor activities, sports. and work uses. Camouflage poly tarps are popular with hunting, fishing, boating, camping, storage, and for many other applications not only for the disguise benefits of the camo color scheme but also because they are 100 percent waterproof along with being tear resistant, abrasion resistant, UV ray resistant, acid resistant, rot resistant, and mildew resistant.
Poly Sheeting / Plastic Sheeting - Designed for construction and many other industrial applications such as enclosures and scaffold coverings, poly sheeting / plastic sheeting is an easy and effective way to shield fixtures, structures, materials, and areas. Available in a spectrum of features in full rolls of clear and translucent colors. These products fully transmit sunlight while guarding against rain, snow, wind, dirt, and other issues. Poly sheeting is made with polyethylene plastic in thicknesses of 5 Mil, 6 Mil, and 10 Mil that are offered in widths of 15’, 20’, and 40’ and roll lengths of 100 and 200 feet. Many of the products have optional special features such as flame retardant and string reinforcement.
Super Heavy Duty Clear Poly Tarps - The super heavy duty clear poly tarps are created with 14 Mil thick polyethylene fabric that is reinforced with white string. The material used for these covers is translucent and not visually clear. The design of these covers allows natural light to pass through. They are commonly used for residential, construction, industrial, and commercial applications such as greenhouses, porches, enclosures, scaffolding, structures, and other areas. A super heavy duty clear poly tarp contains grommets that have spacing 36-inches apart around the entire perimeter. These covers are 100 percent waterproof, tear resistant, UV ray resistant, acid resistant, rot resistant, and mildew resistant.
Clear String Reinforced Poly Tarps - The clear string reinforced poly tarps are utilized for a spectrum of uses in shielding structures, materials, supplies, and areas that also require the transmission of light. These durable covers are manufactured in three layers, two outer layers of polyethylene film that is laminated with a middle layer of molten polyethylene that has a heavy duty white diamond pattern string reinforcement between the layers for additional strength. Clear string reinforced poly tarps are constructed with 7 ounces per square yard polyethylene material which is 10 Mil thick. These covers are 100 percent waterproof, UV ray resistant, rot resistant, and mildew resistant with durable brass grommets with spacing every 24-inches around all four sides. The polyethylene fabric is translucent with a milky finish along with the patterned reinforced string. Although the material does not have a clear view, light does easily transmit through making it ideal for applications including greenhouses, enclosures, and animal shelters.
Greenhouse Tarps and Sheeting - Greenhouse tarps and greenhouse sheeting are available in heavy duty 10 Mil thick polyethylene material that has a translucent view. The fabric is 100 percent waterproof and UV ray resistant in shielding against wind, rain, snow, and other issues protecting the plants inside as well as the entire structure. The design of the greenhouse poly fabric generates excellent light saturation while also helping diffuse shadows that aids in the plant growth process. This product is very durable, lightweight, and easy to handle with a 5.7 ounces per square yard material weight. The greenhouse tarps are reinforced with rope in the hems delivering added strength. In addition, the tarps are fitted with strong metal grommets with spacing 36-inches apart along all four sides to help safely tie down the covers to the structure. Greenhouse tarps are offered in two popular sizes of 40’ x 60’ and 40’ x 100’ to work with common greenhouse designs and structures. This polyethylene product is also provided in the same size as greenhouse poly sheets that do not have grommets.
Hay Tarps - Hay tarps are extremely helpful for farmers and others looking to shield hay bales from the elements. These poly tarps are crafted from heavy duty reinforced polyethylene material that is UV ray, rot, and mildew resistant along with as being 100 percent waterproof. Hay tarps are offered numerous sizes to cover your hay bales and are easily applied. The poly covers provide many benefits that include crop protection, shielding from sun damage, heat damage, rain damage, and wind damage. The covering of hay bales with a designated cover will extended the length of their use and help improve the overall quality. An additional benefit is that hay tarps can also improve the crop yield. When hay is protected from the elements, it is far less likely to spoil or be damaged aiding in improving overall profitability.
Custom Poly Tarps - Poly tarp and related products are offered in a wide assortment of popular and effective stock sizes. However, there are unique dimensions and situations where normal stock sizes will not work effectively. To help provide the best fit possible, a variety of poly tarps can be custom made to deliver the exact sizes.
Poly Tarp Features
Poly Tarps are crafted in multiple layers from polyethylene (PE) sheeting that cover a woven layer of mesh material. Polyethylene is a polyolefin resin, a thermoplastic polymer that is created from ethylene gas. This is the most produced plastic utilized around the globe. In addition to being used for tarps, polyethylene is used in containers, cable, piping, and other plastic items.
To follow are summaries of the valuable features of poly tarps:
Waterproof - Through the laminated layered construction of the polyethylene material, almost all poly tarps are 100 percent waterproof. This is one of the most important benefits and a popular reason that poly tarps are bought along with their affordability. They help protect your supplies, equipment, vehicles, furniture, areas, and people from getting wet is essential. Water from rain, snow, leaks, and other sources is a hazard that poly tarps help guard against.
Mildew and Rot Resistance - The waterproof qualities of the polyethylene material just mentioned help along with the chemistry and treatments of the products in contributing to poly tarps also being very resistant to both mildew and rot issues.
Size - With the wide variety of poly tarp products a spectrum of commonly used sizes is offered to consumers through fast and convenient delivery. Some of these tarp sizes begin as small as 5’ X 7’ and can measure up to 100’ X 100’ for some items. Custom options are provided for many poly tarp styles as well.
Thickness - For most tarps in this industry, the thickness is measured in Mils which is 1/1000 of an inch. An example is a 20 Mil tarp is 0.020-inches thick. With Poly Tarps, the thickness will help establish the level of protection. Most light duty cover will be 6 Mil and thinner, medium duty will usually be 7 to 10 Mils thick, heavy duty from 11 to 13 Mils in thickness, and super heavy duty 14 Mil and heavier - the thickest poly tarps readily available can run 24 Mils thick.
Material Weight - The material weight of poly tarps helps define the durability of the covers. Material weight is measured in ounces per square yard. The heavier the material weight, the more dense and heavier the fabric will be. In most cases, the heavier the material weight the stronger the protection of the fabric will be. Heavy duty applications call for heavy duty material. A huge benefit of poly tarps, even for the heaviest of material weights (the 12 ounces per square yard is one of the heaviest fabrics for poly) are still incredibility lightweight and easy to handle.
Color - Many poly tarp products come in a spectrum of color selections that include white, silver, tan, green, red, yellow, orange, and camouflage. Other poly products are only offered in a single white, silver, or blue color and a couple of clear poly products. Colors can blend with surrounds, be functional, or set themselves apart especially for safety purposes.
Grommets - Metal grommets (eyelets) are fitted in the hems of the poly tarps. These are offered in strong and rust resistant metals including brass and aluminum. Grommets are positioned in the four corners and spaced equally around all four sides at consistent distances of 12 inches up to 36 inches apart depending on the style of tarp. These metal eyelets aid in tying the tarps down or connecting to structures with a variety of fasteners such as zip ties, hooks, bungee ball cords, rubber straps, rope, wire, and other items.
UV Ray Resistance - Most of the poly tarps on the market are UV resistant through treatments that help in protecting against the deterioration of the material covers by resisting the damaging effects of the sun’s ultra-violet rays.
A Spectrum Of Poly Tarp Applications
Poly tarps are protective, easy to use, and affordable. They aid in covering and protecting valuable items including materials, supplies, equipment, vehicles, structures, areas, and people. The list below includes some beneficial, fun, and creative uses for poly tarps.
• Christmas tree wrap for transport and disposal
• Holiday decorations and tree floor cover or backdrop
• Catch tree and bush trimmings
• Cover damaged areas of structures
• To drag or haul items
• Protect plants from cold weather
• A waterproof shield for materials and supplies
• Banner and sign creations
• Slip and slide runners
• Temporary shelters
• Emergency blankets
• Waterproof ponchos
• Sleeping bags
• A stretcher/gurney
• Tent creation and covers
• Painting covers
• Ground covers
• Picnic covers
• Kids forts
• Hammocks
• Divider curtains
• Wind shields
• Privacy barriers
• Roofing tarps
• Construction site tarps
• Backpacks and totes
• Catch rainwater
• Pond liners
• Ice rink liners
• Emergency boat sails
• Pet liners for cars and furniture
• Car trunk and pickup bed liners
• Arts, crafts, cooking, and baking floor covers
For Poly Tarps And All Of Your Cover Needs - Tarps Now Is Your Source
If you have a need to cover or protect your possessions or areas, chances are there is a poly tarp for the job. These effective, easy to handle, and affordable covers come in many products. We have a complete line of poly tarps for sale as well as other types including canvas, vinyl, clear vinyl, and mesh. When you are ready to buy one or require help finding the best solution, Tarps Now is your source. Please do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced, helpful, and pleasant tarp team members located at our Michigan headquarters by calling (888) 800-1383 or emailing sales@tarpsnow.com. Our staff looks forward to hearing from you.
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