Showing 0 products
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a polyethylene tarp made of?
Woven PE tape laminated with PE film on both faces.
The weave gives strength and the film gives waterproofing.
It is the cheapest tarp material available by a wide margin.
It is also the most common.
Light enough to handle alone in large sizes.
Inexpensive enough to be treated as semi-disposable.
How do I tell a good one from a cheap one?
By grade - weight per unit area, weave density and film thickness together.
Those figures are what distinguish one PE tarp from another.
A lightweight and a heavy-duty tarp look similar rolled up.
They behave completely differently in wind.
Buying on size alone is why so many tarps fail early.
The grade is normally published and is worth reading.
How long will it last outdoors?
Months rather than years unless it is UV-stabilised.
Untreated polyethylene becomes brittle in sunlight.
A tarp flexible in spring can crack and tear by late summer.
UV degradation is the property most often underestimated.
Stabilised grades last considerably longer.
For anything left out permanently, they are worth specifying.
Where do they fail?
Almost always at the eyelets.
Wind loads a tarp enormously and the load concentrates at each fixing.
The material tears away from the eyelet first.
Reinforced hems and closer eyelet spacing both help.
So does a heavier grade.
Tying to every eyelet rather than every second one spreads the load where it concentrates.
Why does flapping matter?
Because it destroys tarps that would otherwise survive.
A loose tarp beats itself apart within weeks.
The repeated impact fatigues the material and the eyelets.
A properly tensioned tarp lasts far longer.
Tension also stops water pooling on the surface.
Pooled water adds enormous weight and tears the tarp from its fixings.
Is it actually waterproof?
Yes - the film laminate makes it waterproof rather than merely resistant.
Water does not pass through intact material.
Seams and eyelets are where leaks start.
Punctures let water through immediately.
Condensation underneath is a separate problem entirely.
Covering damp material with a waterproof tarp traps moisture rather than removing it.
What should it not be used for?
Anything needing breathability, long outdoor life or resistance to abrasion.
Covering damp timber traps moisture underneath.
Permanent outdoor structures need a more durable material.
Dragging over rough surfaces punctures it readily.
Heat sources melt it immediately.
For those situations canvas, vinyl or mesh are the appropriate alternatives.