More from: Throw Tarps

Home Renovations: Choosing a Spot for Your Demolition Tarp

P , by

Home renovation projects almost always involve some measure of demolition. As such, you need somewhere to put the debris until it is hauled away. A demolition tarp is one option. Demolition tarps tend to be easier to use and less expensive than dumpsters.

Believe it or not, one of the most important decisions when it comes to demolition tarps is location. More than one homeowner has gotten himself into trouble by not thinking things through. Just because you can buy a demolition tarp all folded up and wrapped in a nice, neat little package does not mean you can lay it out wherever you want.

Here are some tips for choosing a good location:

Place It Outdoors

First and foremost, you should lay your demo tarp someplace outdoors. We know this sounds like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people lay demo tarps in a garage so as to keep everything nice and dry. They only discover what a bad idea it was when the trash hauler arrives to pick it up. It is no fun taking everything off the tarp, moving the tarp outside, and then loading everything back on.

Choose a Hard Surface

Next, choose a hard surface if at all possible. Usually this means your driveway. Why do you want a hard surface? Because a soft surface is prone to sinking. If you put half a ton of construction debris out on your lawn you may find that it leaves a depression in its wake.

The other thing to consider is the length of time your tarp will be laid out. If you put it in your yard and leave it there for a week, you could kill the grass. You will not have that issue if you lay the tarp in your driveway.

Provide Easy Access

The next consideration is access. Note that there are dual considerations here. Ideally, you want a place that is easily accessible to those who will be throwing debris on top of the tarp. Let’s say you have a double-wide driveway and you’ll be carrying construction debris out the front door. Placing the tarp on the near side of the driveway cuts the distance you’ll have to walk.

The other consideration is access for removal. Wherever you place your tarp has to be accessible to your trash hauler. Don’t place the tarp in the back of your house unless you’re okay with the trash hauler driving his truck around to get it.

Along those same lines, remember that your trash hauler will have to use a boom truck to lift the tarp off the ground. This could present a problem if you place the tarp somewhere in close proximity to trees, power lines, or any other structures that could get in the way. Think about that very carefully.

Look for a Pitched Surface

If all of your other parameters lineup correctly and you can still lay the tarp on a pitched surface to boot, that’s a bonus. A pitched surface will allow water to run off the tarp. This could be very important if you expect to have the tarp laid out long enough to have to worry about rain or snow. Remember that any water that accumulates in the bottom of the tarp will add weight, reducing the amount of debris you can dispose of.

Your choice of demo tarp location is more important than you might think. So if you are planning to use one of our tarps on a future project, think location through carefully. Do not place your tarp somewhere you’ll end up regretting.

What You Should Know About RV Covers and Resale Value

P , by

Do you own a motorhome or camping trailer? If so, how would you determine the price if you decided to put it up for sale? A lot of people use something like the Kelly Blue Book or NADA Guide, but is that the best way to go? Maybe not. To understand why, we will talk about RV covers and how they affect resale value.

Official guides can give you a baseline to start with. But the people who write those guides have never seen your RV. They haven’t seen the RVs of any owners who might use their guides to determine price. So how do they come up with their numbers? The estimate value based on best case scenarios.

The problem is that there are a lot of different things that can affect resale value. In the end, the true value of a used RV is what someone else is willing to pay for it. If the market will only support a price of $20,000 for unit, you are wasting your time listing it for $35,000. What the market is willing to pay is the actual value.

Value and Overall Condition

With that understood, let us get to RV covers and how they affect resale value. After mileage, the second most important thing buyers tend to look at is the overall condition of an RV. And when you are talking overall condition, understand that the first thing any buyer is going to see is the exterior. It is no different than buying and selling houses.

If the exterior of your RV is in pretty poor condition, it will create a perception in the buyer’s mind that suggests the rest of the RV is in poor condition – even if it’s not. The interior could be pristine; the mechanics could be sound; the engine could be meticulously maintained. But if a buyer sees a faded finish and dried out seals around the windows, the value of your unit could fall by thousands in his mind.

What the Buyer Cannot See

The other thing to consider is that there are things a buyer cannot see without a detailed inspection, things that could be influenced by how you store the unit when it isn’t being used. For example, consider the air-conditioning unit on the roof.

Assuming your RV is stored with a cover, you are keeping the sun and other elements at bay while your unit is in storage. If it’s left uncovered, the air-conditioner spends every off-season exposed to sun, wind, precipitation, and perhaps even the winter freeze-thaw cycle. The inside of the air-conditioner could be prematurely worn due to this exposure.

The fact remains that RV covers protect the units underneath from the elements. They also protect against dirt, airborne debris, animals, and other not so kind forces. Covering your RV protects it against things that could harm it both aesthetically and mechanically.

Maintain Your RV’s Resale Value

When it all comes down to it, the reality is that RV covers help to maintain the value of motorhomes and camping trailers. It’s a lot like storing a classic car in the garage and keeping it covered when not in use. The more you can do to keep the car from exposure to things that can harm it, the more valuable that car will be on the open market. The same is true for your motorhome or trailer.

It is worth the investment in a good RV cover if you intend to sell your RV someday. It will more than pay for itself when it comes time to negotiate price.

Cohesion and Adhesion: The Chemistry of Drip Diverters

P , by

There are some people in this world who like to explore beyond the basic or expected functions of any object. They want to know how and why it works as well. If you belong in that specific group of knowledge seekers, we want to talk to you about drip diverter tarps. Also known more simply as drip diverters, these are small vinyl tarps that are deployed to divert water away from sensitive areas.

We have customers who buy drip diverters to protect hay or equipment stored in a barn with a leaky roof. We have sold them to commercial property owners looking to protect sensitive equipment while maintenance crews are trying to figure out why an air-conditioning unit is leaking. We have even sold them to truck drivers dealing with leaky trailers and sleeper cabs.

In terms of the science behind what makes drip diverters effective for task, it is all about chemistry. In fact, it is all based on two properties that water possesses: cohesion and adhesion. If not for these two properties, a drip diverter tarp would be a useless piece of vinyl suspended from the ceiling.

Water Molecules and Cohesion

In chemistry, the property of cohesion is the ability of identical molecules to attract one another. One water molecule sticks to another water molecule to form a drop because of this property. Indeed, cohesion is what makes a water drop a drop.

Water’s cohesive properties are found in the way the two hydrogen atoms are aligned in relation to the single oxygen atom. Opposite charges keep the molecule together. As an added bonus, those same charges also attract other water molecules. Why does this matter when using drip diverters? Because it is cohesion, combined with gravity, that causes water to run off a drip diverter.

Gravity begins the process before cohesion takes over. It is a lot like a siphon. Once water molecules start flowing out of the drip diverter and down its tubing, each water molecule flowing in a downward motion pulls other molecules along with it. This is what prevents water from pooling inside the diverter.

Water Molecules and Adhesion

In chemistry, the property of adhesion is the ability of different molecules to attract one another. Have you ever seen a drop of water stuck to the edge of a pine needle? That happens because the surface of the water is attracted to the surface of the pine needle due to the alignment of electrical charges. That is adhesion. The two surfaces attract one another.

Adhesion plays a role in drip diverters inasmuch as water does not adhere to vinyl tarp material as well as it does to other surfaces. In fact, water tends to bead up and run off as long as there is an outlet. That’s because the cohesive bond between water molecules is stronger than the adhesive bond between water and vinyl.

This is not to say that water does not adhere to vinyl surfaces. It can and does. It’s just that it is not so easy. Compare vinyl to other fabrics – like cotton. Water will run off vinyl a lot more readily than it will cotton. In fact, the adhesion between water and cotton is such that a cotton cloth will absorb more water than it repels.

Now you know how cohesion and adhesion work together to make drip diverter tarps useful. Isn’t science fascinating? Perhaps you don’t care, and that’s okay. The most important take away here is that Mytee Products carries drip diverters. If you need to temporarily divert water away from something until permanent repairs can be affected, a drip diverter is one option.

Safety Tips for Using Demolition Tarps

P , by

It used to be said that having to remove construction debris was a problem that was never adequately solved. Dumpsters were no doubt a workable solution, but they involve a lot of time, labor, and expense. Yet that is all people had access to until the invention of the demolition tarp.

Fans of demolition tarps say these are superior to dumpsters in a lot of different ways. We don’t know if that’s true, but we can say that demo tarps certainly have their place in the arena of construction and debris removal. They are effective, easy to deploy, and usually do not require permits.

Having said that, there are certain dangers associated with demolition tarps. A safety-first mindset demands that they be used in ways that minimize risks and protect workers. We recommend using demolition tarps with the same care and precision planning that goes into rigging and lifting. Below are a few tips for doing so.

Webbing Always Down

Demolition tarps are constructed with a combination of vinyl tarp material and a number of webbing straps. The straps perform the same function as the legs of a rigging sling: they provide underlying support for the material being lifted as well as providing the actual lifting points.

We say all that to say this: a demolition tarp should always be laid out with the webbing facing the ground. If you lay it out with the webbing face up, you lose the support of the straps during the lift. Material can break through an unsupported tarp or even cause the tarp itself to break loose from the webbing.

Never Overload

A demolition tarp only has a limited capacity. It should be marked on the tarp itself. If a tarp is brand-new and still in its packaging, its maximum weight capacity should be printed on the outside of the package as well. Pay attention to this number so that you do not overload the tarp.

Overloading a demolition tarp creates a dangerous situation that could be potentially harmful. Too much weight could split the tarp material, break one of the webbing straps, or even cause problems for the crane operator. Under no circumstances should you ever overload a demolition tarp, even by a few pounds.

Monitor Construction Debris

Next, monitor the construction debris that ends up being tossed into a demo tarp. Anything with sharp edges should either be blunted or disposed of in another way. As tough as demo tarps are, they are not completely immune from rips and tears. A piece of waste with a sharp edge could cut the tarp on lift, causing the entire thing to break open. Not only will you have a mess to clean up, but you will also have a demo tarp that cannot be used again.

Keep Clear

Just as would be the case loading cargo on the back of a flatbed trailer, lifting a full demolition tarp should never begin until the area is cleared. Anyone present at the time of the lift should be well away from the danger zone – just in case something goes wrong. You can never be too cautious by requiring workers to keep a distance of 20 feet or more.

Inspects Tarps Regularly

Finally, if you deploy reusable demo tarps, make sure to inspect them regularly. An inspection prior to each use reduces the risks of you accidentally deploying a tarp starting to show excessive wear. And if you do find one that’s showing wear, don’t take a chance. Demo tarps are cheap enough that it is worth replacing them at the first signs.

How to Make Using an RV Cover Easier on Yourself

P , by

An RV or trailer cover is a tool used to protect your unit when it is parked and not in use. Like any tool, there are certain things you can do to make using an RV or trailer cover easier. There is no need to struggle with your cover every time you put it on or take it off.

Efficiency is the key with RV and trailer covers. Your goal is to do as little work as possible while still providing maximum protection for your RV or trailer. So just like a truck driver seeks to learn the most efficient way to use tarps to cover flatbed loads, you can make your life easier by learning the most efficient ways to use your RV cover. We have a few tips.

1. Clean Before You Cover

One of the reasons you are using an RV cover is to protect your unit against dirt, debris, mold, and mildew during the off-season. You will not get the best use out of your cover if you don’t wash your rig before you cover it. What’s worse, covering a dirty RV or trailer could mean you’ll be scrubbing it clean at the start of the next season.

It is almost always easier to wash an RV or trailer at the end of the season. So take a few hours and do a good cleaning and drying job. You will be glad you did when you uncover a clean, shiny RV in the spring.

2. Unpack on the Ground

Have you ever tried hauling your RV cover up to the top of your rig slung over your shoulder? It is hard work. Well, there is a better way. Unpack and unfold your cover on the ground rather than carrying it to the top of your rig. You can then connect a strap to one of the corner clips and gently hoist the cover up over your rig section by section. Just go slowly so you don’t catch the cover on something and tear it.

3. Enlist Some Help

Both cleaning and covering your RV is a lot easier when you have help. And guess what? That’s what family members and friends are for. Enlist some help to make the job easier – both at the end of the season and at the start of the new one. If need be, reward your helpers with a pizza and a cold one. It’s well worth the money you’ll spend to not break your back covering and uncovering your RV.

4. Store the Cover in a Garbage Tote

We assume you’ll want to store your cover during the RV season. You can work for hours trying to fold it into a nice, flat rectangle that fits nicely on the shelf – if you enjoy that sort of thing. But there’s a better way. Purchase a plastic garbage tote on wheels.

With a garbage tote, you don’t have to fold your cover up into a perfect rectangle. Fold it twice along the length, then just roll up into a tube. It should fit nicely into your tote along with your straps, cables, hooks, etc. As an added bonus, the garbage tote will keep the cover dry and protected against heat and sunlight.

You have invested in an RV or trailer cover because you want to protect your rig. It is a very wise decision. Do yourself a favor and protect your own physical health and mental sanity by deploying the four tips we discussed here. The more efficiently you use your RV cover, the happier you are going to be.