Lumber tarps on flatbed

Flatbed Lumber Tarps – A Great Protector of Goods

Firstly, let us check the meanings of lumber and what type of tarp this is. A lumber in the simplest language is a load of raw wood material. Have you ever seen trucks carrying wood? Have you noticed the wood covered with a waterproof polythene or nylon tarpaulin sheet? That is exactly what we will discuss in this article. A tarpaulin sheet in short is what you call a Tarp. So that’s how we get the two words conjoined as Lumber Tarps for trucks.

How are Lumber Tarps Manufactured?

You must have heard the name of nylon or polyester. The material used for manufacturing lumber tarps is polyester which is PVC coated. 14oz nylon fabric is used to make the lightweight lumber tarp. This assures that the tarps are lightweight. The weight of tarps depends on how much ‘oz’ they are made up of. While tarps made of 14oz fabric are lightweight, 18oz fabric tarps are heavier.

What is the Stitch and Thread in Tarps?

Though heavy-duty tarps are welded, but mostly tarpaulin is stitched. The edges are double locked which means each stitch is twice locked by the next stitch. The hemstitch pattern is used to stitch tarps. #207 bonded threads are used to stitch tarpaulins. At the underside edge of the tarpaulin brass grommets are fixed.

Two additional rows of D rings are adjusted by hem stitch on the inner edge of the tarp border at a gap of 30 inches and 60 inches.

What are Lightweight and Heavy Duty Lumber Tarps?

Broadly tarps can be categorized into two types— lightweight tarps and heavy-duty tarps. Lightweight tarps are made of 6oz nylon fabric. Heavy duty tarps mean the tarpaulin covers are made of 14oz or 18oz vinyl fabric that is heavier.

Lumber Tarps

If we go to the bottom of the discussion, there are many sub-types of tarpaulin. Both lightweight and heavy-duty tarps have their respective subcategories. For example, the lightweight tarps are also available in super light type which in texture feels nothing heavier than the parachute material. On the other hand, heavy-duty tarps are available in different subtypes depending on whether they are three pieces or two pieces. Lightweight tarps usually don’t weigh beyond 90 lbs. The super-light one weighs approximately 65 lbs. The heavy-weight tarps weight over 100 lbs and the very heavy ones that are two pieces or three pieces weight up to 215 lbs.

For flatbed lumber tarps the flap on the rear side edge is a mandatory part. The flap is necessary to overlap the edges so that the tarps wrap around the lumber underneath.

For flatbed lumber tarps the flap on the rear side edge is a mandatory part. The flap is necessary to overlap the edges so that the tarps wrap around the lumber underneath.

What are the Uses of Lumber Tarps?

From the name you can well understand that tarpaulin sheets are used to cover lumber that is loaded. It can be any kind of load, but mostly it is wood that is transported. The main purpose of the lumber tarps is to protect the wood being carried in the truck. The tarpaulin sheets protect the goods from rainwater and sunlight. They are acid resistant so there are fewer chances that they will be affected badly. Also, the tarps are fungus free so even in moisture or humidity or after rainfall, they don’t allow mushrooms or fungi to grow on the wood and spoil its quality. The tarps are manufactured with double-layered polyester so that they attain a certain thickness. Tarps are not fully waterproof but they don’t usually allow water to seep through the material.

Are all Tarps Waterproof?

Tarps are made waterproof as much as possible during the time of manufacture. But tarps cannot be made fully water resistant because in case of very heavy rainfall, sometimes rainwater seeps through the tarps into the wood underneath. But usually, tarps are made with a bi-layer of polyester which disallows water to seep through the two parallel sheets.

What to Do If Tarps Get Torn? Can They Be Repaired?

Tarps usually last longer if you can take adequate care of them. Do not leave tarps in water or dirt like in a go-down kind of area for a long time unused. If you keep using tarps, they last longer. Tarps always last a long life if you keep them clean and they don’t usually get torn easily. But in case tarps get torn, they can be re-stitched if they are of the lightweight type. The heavy weight 18oz vinyl fabric tarps are difficult to stitch so these tarps get welded in case they tear off.

Tarps are repairable but re-stitching repeatedly may harm their quality and they would anyways wither off after a certain period of time. The lightweight tarps are more durable.

What are D Rings in Tarps and What is the Utilization?

D rings or Dee rings as they are called are the brass grommet like things that are hem stitched on the edge of the tarps so that the ropes to tie the sheet over the wood can be entangled through. The D rings are stitched in rows and sometimes in fact in double rows to ensure safety.

So What Do You Have to Keep in Mind Before Buying Lumber Tarp?

When we talk about tarpaulins we are reminded of their versatile use. Sometimes not only to cover goods on flatbed trucks but the material is also used even to cover construction sites in days of monsoon. From here we understand that this is a very useful material. So the next time you need a tarpaulin sheet, you know what it is made up of, how to take care of it, what are D rings, which type to buy according to your requirement, which is lightweight and which is heavy duty, and how to select your choice.

Do not compromise on quality and always make it a point to buy a branded tarp. Branded material lasts longer and can be relied upon for its durability.

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