Quality Tarp

The odd looking part in the pic is just light reflecting

 

The best tarps I've ever used were semi truck tarps. We have quite a few tarp companies around here, with dump trucks and covered wagons as the main clientele. Some times they are free, other times I've paid $5 a piece. They are really thick and last forever.

 

They did not Heidi. Real disappointment. The sun toasted them all. Company said they were UV proof... uh huh. If you're OK with replacing them every 2-3 years... they were stronger than the average green or blue tarps... but no better against the sun.

This is the company I got them from...
Clear Heavy Duty Greenhouse Tarps

 

If you are buying tarps at the big box or farm store...get white or silver...they seem to hold up the best...especially if they are a medium or heavy weight material...

 

Yes, those blue ones are crap. A little UV light from regular daylight and they start falling apart.

 

Hahah....I picked up a few of them as well just because that blue is an eye sore. Can't beat it, I know they are crap & not going to last but with a coupon you can have a bunch of tarps for under $20 and get your hard work covered from the elements. Mine are going on 2 years now, no issues, BUT they don't have the sun beating on them daily. HF also has some thicker ones (Silver) I use on the bass boat, they have held up pretty well.

With that said I've been given a bunch of mental roofing panels from my bro in law who had a roof job on his workshop go sideways and needed to be redone. He had a bunch of the removed panels to spare, minus some minor screw holes they seem to be working pretty darn good and should last.

 

tarps = old billboard signs, hold up very well

 

I was going to go that route till I saw shipping.. I'll stick to replacing my HF ones every year.. Or till I get up by Brenndatomu's way and buy some epdm off him.

 

I got a "metric crapton" of plastic from greenhouses that had failed in last years storms.
If you have greenhouses in your neck of the woods, put a want ad on Craigslist - you might just be surprised.
Or call a greenhouse supplier and tell them next time they replace a greenhouse's sheathing that you'll come haul off the old sheathing for free.

I also use the smaller torn pieces to cover my burn piles so that I can torch them when everything else is soaked. Seems to work juuuust fine.

 

I got some of their green (7mil?) tarps going on 3+ years now. For the $8ish bucks apiece for the 8'x11's that's really not bad in my opinion. Sometimes I'll get the 11'x15's and i think those are around $15. Most of my tarps are from there actually.



Also, I have 10+ cords all stacked in single rows, some almost 100' long. Each row is tarped, and junk wood stacked over that to secure the tarp. Before I had that much wood, I would uncover for the summers and re-tarp in late September. Now it's not worth the hassle, and I prefer to just keep it covered once it gets stacked and until I use it.

 

I was looking at those years ago. Had gotten one free from the job and it was certainly heavy duty.
Looks like the prices went up pretty high and shipping is up there too.
Take care of them and they last a long time. In the cold they can get brittle they are so thick. Mine was pretty beat up when I got it already. Think I used it for another 15 years. Some cracking in the vinyl that leaks but I certainly didn’t baby it any.
Reused Billboard Vinyl | Billboard Tarps

 

how do you know they have issues?

 

I use the heavy duty ones from Tractor Supply. They're beefy and better priced than Home Cheapo.

 

if you are near any construction sites the lumber wrap works well and they are glad to be rid of it ,has a tight weave and lasts quite a while just cut it to the size you need i prefer the black stuff

 

I have some rigid plastic corrugated panels from a greenhouse that insurance paid to replace the sheathing.
The wind here plays with it no matter how much I try to tie/weight it down but it beats tarps that rip and tear in the wind.

 

Just going to throw it out there, I'm still using the same bunker silo plastic from before I put my reply.

 

See my reply on bottom of page 3