Tarp Talk

[bdhsfz6]

Yeah, another post on tarps.

I no longer burn coal, so I don't have ash to spread on my steep 1.25 mile private road. Instead, I have anti skid material delivered in bulk. My question is, what kind of tarp would work best to cover the 20 ton pile? I've used many different tarps outdoors to cover various things in the past, but none last more than a couple of years exposed to sun & wind.

The plastic tarps, regardless of color or thickness, seem to break down under prolonged exposure to UV light. I've had the best luck with heavy duty paraffin treated canvas but they are expensive and getting harder to find. I'd also like something with a darker color to help keep the pile from freezing.

Anything new on the market? What do you all use?

I'm also going to have to figure a way to load the anti skid into a 48" wide hopper using a 72" FEL bucket.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yeah, another post on tarps.

I no longer burn coal, so I don't have ash to spread on my steep 1.25 mile private road. Instead, I have anti skid material delivered in bulk. My question is, what kind of tarp would work best to cover the 20 ton pile? I've used many different tarps outdoors to cover various things in the past, but none last more than a couple of years exposed to sun & wind.

The plastic tarps, regardless of color or thickness, seem to break down under prolonged exposure to UV light. I've had the best luck with heavy duty paraffin treated canvas but they are expensive and getting harder to find. I'd also like something with a darker color to help keep the pile from freezing.

Anything new on the market? What do you all use?

I'm also going to have to figure a way to load the anti skid into a 48" wide hopper using a 72" FEL bucket.

You can get billboard advertising “tarps” for pretty cheap and they are big. They last a really long time.

 

[Equatorial Malaise]

You can get billboard advertising “tarps” for pretty cheap and they are big. They last a really long time.

We use these on construction sites to cover dirt piles. They work well.

 

[yanmars]

I often get "Goodyear" or equivalent rubberized take off roofing to cover my items. Thick and lasts for years is in fairly narrow sheets, 10 foot or less unless bonded/seamed together. For my purposes the width does not bother me, for you probably too narrow.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I have some old rubber roofing, haven't used it yet, but dang it is extremely heavy. 1/4" thick, 10' wide and can't be more than 15' or so long. Changed the project I needed it for, now looking for a use. Need tractor to move it.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I like Haydukes idea. That stuff is thick and has a nice flexibility to it.

What about that 10mil reinforced plastic they use for crawl space damp proofing? It's pretty tough.

I really think the thing that kills tarps is that they are a woven material. Once they start to breakdown the integrity of their structure is compromised and it is all over. And because they are woven they make a mess as they degrade. I have a bunch of tarps covering some lumber piles temporarity until I can get them stacked well. Thank you for seeing the folly in this. I need to look for some of this billboard material. I bet FB marketplace has it. Gonna check now, will report back.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Prices are decent. Not much cheaper than a tarp of he same size but if they last 2 or 3 times as long it is a win
.

 

[jmc]

Have you tried heavy black visqueen? I bought a large roll at the local hardware (a "real" hardware store) Held up for years under/over a sand pile. Finally retrieved it after the old pile became overgrown and getting snagged by the bush hog.

BTW, what is anti-skid material?

 

[bdhsfz6]

Around here, quarries sell a mix of stone dust and 1/4" crushed stone and call it "anti skid".

I get a couple of tri axle loads every few years and need to cover the pile. 20' x 20' minimum.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Another cool thing about the PVC billboard tarps is they are customizable. They can be cut and glued using PVC cement. I have used this to make dry bags for rafting. People make really nice inflatable sleeping pads out of them They would make excellent covers for lots of things with a quick and easy cut and glue job.

I plan I getting bigger tarps and cutting them down to make the perfect sized temp top covers for my lumber stacks. I will double over the edges with PVC cement and then add grommets in strategic locations. Maybe reinforce corners that fold over the edges of my piles. For instance a tarp for a 4' wide stack of 2x4x10s make a tarp 6'wide by 13 or 14' long so there is just enough overhang to protect the wood from most rain. The next goal would be to develop an easy solution to secure these tarps. Thinking maybe corner grommets with paracord to throw a quick truckers hitch around the pallet.