A tarpaulin, or tarp, is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof
material, often cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with urethane, or made of plastics
such as polyethylene.
In some places such as Australia, and in military slang, a tarp may be known as a hootch.
Tarpaulins often have reinforced grommets at the corners and along the sides to form
attachment points for rope, allowing them to be tied down or suspended.
Inexpensive modern tarpaulins are made from woven polyethylene; this material is so associated
with tarpaulins that it has become colloquially known in some quarters as polytarp.
Etymology The word tarpaulin originated as a compound
of the words tar and palling, referring to a tarred canvas pall used to cover objects
on ships.
Sailors often tarred their own overclothes in the same manner as the sheets or palls.
By association, sailors became known as Jack Tars.
When used for a tarpaulin, the word hoochie comes from the Japanese uchi.
Huts in various parts of rural Asia are known by this or similar names, and during the Korean
and Vietnam Wars English-speaking soldiers came to use the word to refer to their own
makeshift shelters, which often consisted of little more than a tarpaulin.
In the mid-19th century, "paulin" was used for such a cloth; here General Rosecrans tells
a subordinate how to improvise a boat:
"A boat has been ordered up, but to make sure a large paulin will be sent down to you, with
which, spread under a lot of wagon-beds, you will be able to make a large scow."
"Two wagon beds ... were placed upon frames ... Thus constructed, they were placed upon a
duck paulin, which was drawn up tightly around the beds and secured."
Uses
Tarpaulins have multiple uses, including as shelter from the elements, i.e., wind, rain,
or sunlight, a ground sheet or a fly in camping, a drop sheet for painting, for protecting
the infield of a baseball field, and for protecting objects, such as unenclosed road or rail goods
carrying vehicles or wood piles.
Such was the demand for tarpaulins by the New South Wales Government Railways, up until
1990, they operated their own tarpaulin factory.
It is also used on outdoor market stalls to provide some protection from the elements
of nature.
Tarpaulins are also used for advertisement printing, most notably for billboards.
Another historical use of a tarpaulin is to cover seats in a stadium that would most likely
not be sold except against a marquee opponent.
The entire third deck of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum is also covered in tarp for
Oakland Athletics games, but is uncovered for Oakland Raiders games.
Perforated tarpaulins are typically used for large-medium advertising, or for protection
on scaffoldings, the aim of the perforations is to reduce wind vulnerability.
Polyethylene tarpaulins have also proven to be a popular source when an inexpensive, water
resistant fabric is needed.
Many amateur builders of plywood sailboats turn to polyethylene tarpaulins for making
their sails, as it is inexpensive and easily worked.
With the proper type of adhesive tape, it is possible to make a serviceable sail for
a small boat with no sewing.
Types Tarps can be classified based on a diversity
of factors, such as material type, thickness, which is generally measured in millimeters
or generalized into categories, and grommet strength, among others.
Tarps can also be classified by size—a common determining factor for consumers in acquiring
tarps—and measured in width by length.
Actual tarp sizes are generally about three to five percent smaller than the advertised
size.
Some other factors that may influence a purchase decision include color, grommet type, and
grommet-to-grommet distance.
The weave count, a measure of tarp strength, often runs between and the greater the count,
the greater its resistance against ripping in high wind conditions.
Tarps may also be washable or non-washable and waterproof or non-waterproof, and mildewproof
vs. non-mildewproof.
Tarp flexibility refers to its ability to remain pliable during cold winter months;
some tarps offer more flexibility than others in cold weather.
Some manufacturers also advertise their tarps as "rot-proof", but this may be more an subjective
than an objective measurement.
Type of material Polyethylene
A polyethylene tarp is not a traditional fabric, but rather, a laminate of woven and sheet
material.
The center is loosely woven from strips of polyethylene plastic, with sheets of the same
material bonded to the surface.
This creates a fabric-like material that resists stretching well in all directions and is waterproof.
When treated against ultraviolet light, these tarpaulins can last for years exposed to the
elements, but non-UV treated material will quickly become brittle and lose strength and
water resistance if exposed to sunlight.
Canvas Canvas tarps are not 100% waterproof, though
they are water resistant.
Thus, while a little bit of water for a short period of time will not affect them, when
there is standing water on canvas tarps, or when water cannot quickly drain away from
canvas tarps, the standing water will drip through this type of tarp.
Vinyl Yellow vinyl tarps are super-industrial-heavy-duty-grade
tarps.
They are often 10 oz coated yellow vinyl tarps, are waterproof and have high abrasion resistance.
They resist oil, acid, grease and mildew.
The vinyl tarp is ideal for agriculture, construction, industrial and trucks.
They also have a high tear strength.
Silnylon
Tarp tents may be made of silnylon.
Color For years manufacturers have used color to
indicate the grade of tarps, but not all tarp manufactures follow this traditional method
of tarp grading.
Following this color-coded system, a blue tarp indicates a lightweight tarp, and typically
has a weave count of 8x8 and a thickness of 5–6 mils.
A silver tarp is a heavy-duty tarp and typically has a weave count of 14x14 and a thickness
of 11–12 mils.
Some of the more common colors in that scheme are:
Blue - light-duty tarp - approx. 5–6 mils thick
Yellow/Orange - medium-duty tarp - approx. 7–8 mils thick
Green - medium-duty tarp - approx. 9–10 mils thick
Silver - heavy-duty tarp - approx. 11–12 mils thick
Brown - super-heavy-duty tarp - approx. 16 mils thick
See also Basha
Fly Gym Floor Cover
Loue Tent
Tarp tent Visqueen
Tonneau cover References