Tarpaulin

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An improvised tent using polytarp as a fly
Abandoned homeless shelter using plastic tarp

A tarpaulin (

cloth such as canvas or polyester coated with polyurethane, or made of plastics such as polyethylene. 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 has become so commonly used for tarpaulins that people in some places refer to it colloquially as "poly tarp" or "polytarp".

Uses

Truck with tarpaulin to cover cargo
A tarpaulin being used to keep rain off a stage

Tarpaulins are used in many ways to protect persons and things from

wood piles dry, and for shelters such as tents
or other temporary structures.

A perforated tarpaulin

Tarpaulins are also used for advertisement printing, most notably for billboards. Perforated tarpaulins are typically used for medium to large advertising, or for protection on scaffoldings; the aim of the perforations (from 20% to 70%) 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.

Plastic tarps are sometimes used as a building material in communities of indigenous North Americans.[4] Tipis made with tarps are known as tarpees.[5]

Types

Tarpaulins can be classified based on a diversity of factors, such as material type (

vinyl, etc.), thickness, which is generally measured in mils or generalized into categories (such as "regular duty", "heavy duty", "super heavy duty", etc.), and grommet
strength (simple vs. reinforced), among others.

Actual tarp sizes are generally about three to five percent smaller in each dimension than nominal size;[citation needed][clarification needed] for example, a tarp nominally 20 ft × 20 ft (6.1 m × 6.1 m) will actually measure about 19 ft × 19 ft (5.8 m × 5.8 m). Grommets may be

flexibility
is especially significant under cold conditions.

Type of material

Polyethylene

Advertisement printed on a tarp

A

UV
treated material will quickly become brittle and lose strength and water resistance if exposed to sunlight.

Canvas

Canvas tarpaulins are not 100% waterproof, though they are water resistant. Thus, while a small amount 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

Polyvinyl chloride ("vinyl") tarpaulins are industrial-grade and intended for heavy-duty use. They are constructed of 10 oz/sq yd (340 g/m2) coated yellow vinyl. This makes it waterproof and gives it a high abrasion resistance and tear strength. These resist oil, acid, grease and mildew. The vinyl tarp is ideal for agriculture, construction, industrial, trucks, flood barrier and temporary roof repair.

Silnylon

Tarp tents may be made of silnylon.

U.S. color scheme

For years manufacturers have used a color code to indicate the grade of tarpaulins, but not all manufacturers follow this traditional method of grading. Following this color-coded system, blue indicates a lightweight tarp, and typically has a weave count of 8×8 and a thickness of 0.005–0.006 in (0.13–0.15 mm). Silver is a heavy-duty tarp and typically has a weave count of 14×14 and a thickness of 0.011–0.012 in (0.28–0.30 mm).

Some of the more common colors in that scheme are:

Color Name Approx. thickness
Blue light-duty tarp 0.005–0.006 in (0.13–0.15 mm)
Yellow or orange medium-duty tarp 0.007–0.008 in (0.18–0.20 mm)
Green medium-duty tarp 0.009–0.010 in (0.23–0.25 mm)
Silver heavy-duty tarp 0.011–0.012 in (0.28–0.30 mm)
Brown super-heavy-duty tarp 0.016 in (0.41 mm)

Etymology

The word tarpaulin originated as a

better source needed
]

In the mid-19th century, paulin was used for such a cloth.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ "tarpaulin - Definition of tarpaulin in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries - English. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017.
  2. ^ "tarpaulin". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  3. OCLC 477290692.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  4. ^ Printed program for Dear Listener: Works by Nicholas Galanin. 2018.
  5. ^ Hopper, Frank (10 May 2018). ""Those Are Sacred": A First-Person Account From the Tipi Demonstration That Shut Down Traffic". The Stranger. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  6. ^ Tar, Online Etymology Dictionary