| How many items do you keep outdoors? For some | | | | materials for truck tarps. In general, materials that |
| this may range from wood piles and motorcycles to | | | | cannot be exposed to water, such as wood and |
| seasonal vehicles and cars. The best strategy for | | | | asphalt, should be covered with a vinyl or |
| covering any of these vehicles is using tarps and | | | | polyethylene tarp. Materials that can be exposed to |
| bungee cords to secure them in place. Tarps, | | | | water, such as gravel, can be covered with |
| however, come in several varieties, including | | | | polypropylene mesh. |
| polyethylene, polypropylene mesh, vinyl, and canvas. | | | | Polypropylene tarps, also simply known as mesh |
| With multiple options, how do you know which one | | | | tarps, allow some light through. The material, more |
| will cover your investments best? | | | | specifically, allows for 25 percent of the light to pass |
| The basic type of tarp is made from polyethylene. | | | | through, while the material itself is treated to be UV |
| Medium and heavy-duty varieties are available, with | | | | resistant and waterproof. Aside from use on trucks, |
| the difference being a 14 by 14 and eight by eight | | | | polypropylene is often used for garden tarps, which |
| denier count. All polyethylene tarps are treated to be | | | | give low-light plants the shade they need. |
| UV resistant and waterproof. Because air is able to | | | | Canvas is another common material used for tarps. |
| circulate between the object and the tarp, the | | | | Canvas, however, tears more often than |
| material also prevents any dry rot or mold from | | | | polyethylene and vinyl and only has limited uses. |
| forming. Such tarps can cover nearly any object | | | | Although these tarps can be used outdoors for |
| outdoors, including seasonal vehicles, cars, and wood | | | | protecting objects for a brief period, their ideal use is |
| piles. | | | | as drop cloths. Canvas doesn't move as much as |
| A specific use for polyethylene tarps is as a truck | | | | polyethylene or vinyl and will stay in place to protect |
| tarp. Vinyl and mesh, however, are also common | | | | furniture and other objects from paint. |