Using Flatbed Truck Tarps

Truck tarps come in two types, dump truck and flatbed. While either could be made from polyethylene, vinyl, or mesh depending upon what is being transported, each has a different shape. Dump truck tarps, for example, are flat and fit on top of the truck. Often, these tarps are applied mechanically by the truck for a better fit. Flatbed truck tarps, on the other hand, need to fit around the load, and then the load with the tarp is secured to the flatbed of the truck. These tarps are more difficult to apply, as they come in a box-like shape to fit around the load, and need to be done manually. To see, visually, how a truck tarp is applied, watch this video from YouTube:

Flatbed truck tarps are harder to come by, although various dealers of tarps carry sizes large enough to cover a load for either a flatbed or dump truck. For tarping your own flatbed, here are some of the highlights in the video:

• Have a forklift driver bring the tarp up to the top of the load. Applying the tarp needs to start from the top of the load and go down.
• Once the tarp surrounds the load, bungee cords need to go through all D-rings. The bungee cords are either attached through two D-rings or attached from a D-ring to the side of the flatbed truck.
• Flatbed tarps designed to cover a load of lumber in the video have side flaps. Although the tarp around the load is secured under the flaps, the flaps themselves shouldn’t be blown about by the wind, as any wind getting under the tarp can cause wind whip and tearing. This portion of the tarp should be secured with bungee cords after the rest of the tarp has been.
• All hooks attached to D-rings should face outward. Otherwise, the metal might cut through the tarp.

What Happens When a Fire Starts in a Carport?

It might not sound like significant news, but, a carport caught fire in the Topeka, Kansas area recently, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal. To the average person, this wouldn’t seem like significant news. After all, homes and their outdoor structures catch fire often enough. But, in terms of talking specifically about portable outdoor shelters like portable garages or carports, the fire often can stay contained in such structures to minimize the damage done to the home. This isn’t always the case, however, and carports built into a home, and not the portable type seen on Portable Garage Depot, won’t have the same properties.

A portable garage or carport is often equipped to be somewhat fire resistant, be it a fully metal or metal and polyethylene canopy structure. Galvanized steel, which makes up the frames for both types of carports, is fire resistant up to a couple of hours without being altered. Polyethylene, in some cases, can be fire retardant. In fact, many canopies are built with fire retardant tarps that meet California fire codes, the most stringent in the United States. Not all canopies or polyethylene tarps are, however, but those that are can keep a fire contained within the shelter.

As mentioned in the linked article above, items inside the structure can become damaged, although the structure prevents the fire from spreading to a home or adjacent building if addressed in time. In the case of this article, the truck inside the carport was partially damaged by the fire. This is the case with all items stored in such portable outdoor shelters. Whether you use one for housing a seasonal vehicle like an RV or boat or use one for your car or just simply for storage, items inside will be damaged or destroyed by the fire, although your home should remain safe from the flames.

Carports in Warmer Climates: Prepare Them for the Snow?

As many probably know already, many parts of the United States have been receiving heavier-than-average snowfalls and winds. As a result of both of these, outdoor structures, such as portable garages and carports, become more susceptible to damage. In the case, we’ve covered carports or portable garages collapsing due to winds or heavy snowfalls. Recently, a part of North Carolina, Burke County, saw several carports collapse due to the increased snowfall. Although the materials weren’t specified, a carport is typically fully metal or a metal and polyethylene canopy combination. In either instance, a carport should be able to handle several pounds of snow without collapsing – as long as it’s in proper conditions.

Some carports are designed for heavy snowfalls, rain, and winds, such as this rounded roof portable garage by Shelterlogic on Canopy Hut. Even if you don’t have this particular rounded design, peaked roof structures are designed to withstand snowfall, wind, and rain. Of course, these strengths for a carport or portable garage only work when the shelter is installed and maintained properly. Those in warmer climates may not consider snow a factor in keeping up their portable shelter, but even wind and rain can damage a shelter, as we saw a couple of weeks ago.

With the threat of snow approaching, check how your carport or portable garage is secured in the ground. Ask yourself, “Does the shelter move?” or is it stable? If it isn’t secured at all or is only partially secure, the structure needs better anchorage, including any of these anchorage accessories from Shelters of America. Additionally, check how well the structure is held together. Are joints rusted? Does the roof have holes? For both of these instances, old and rusted joints or metal parts should be replaced and a polyethylene roof with holes should be patched.

Tarps in Emergencies

Individuals often keep tarps on hand in case of emergencies, typically due to a hurricane or tornado. But, while a polyethylene can prevent a home from further water or mold damage, it can do the same in other emergency situations, including car wrecks and fires. This week, two news items, one in the Cedar Valley Daily Times and the Utica Observer-Dispatch, mention how tarps were used in such emergency situations. About a month ago, we saw tarps being used in a fire inside a library in Canada to protect books, and tarps can be used for a similar use in other buildings and places. As far as cold protection is concerned, tarps won’t keep out the cold – but if you put a heater in a portable garage or similar tarp structure, the heat will stay inside – but they keep out the wind and, because of this, tarps are used in emergency situations in which wind might be an impediment.

In the cold, such as the article appearing in the Cedar Valley Daily Times, ambulance workers in North Benton, IA bring tarps with them to crash sites. Wrapping the crash site with them, according to the linked article, keeps the wind out, and the rescue workers can help the crash victims better without the interference of wind. As parts of the United States have been experiencing more-than-average snowfalls and faster-than-average winds, more forces of nature could impede rescue efforts.

For a different emergency use, tarps are taken along by fire departments in Utica, New York to reduce water damage from fires. Automated sprinklers in homes or buildings can go off and this can result in water damage to rooms and any objects inside. Workers in such instances drape fire-retardant tarps over the future to prevent objects or the building from water damage as they put out the fire inside.

Historical Area Carport Regulations

When can’t you add a portable garage or carport to your home? In the case of historical sections in Richmond, VA, carports interfere with the historical appearance of the neighborhood. So, when your house does not come with a garage and you want your vehicles protected, what is a resident of Richmond to do? In the case of this article, resident Kate Hearn had a large $4,000 carport constructed on her property. She didn’t have the carport approved according to the historical district and now the neighborhood wants her to take the carport down. The carport, which has a 30-foot metal roof, looks like it could protect at least five vehicles.

Upscale and historical neighborhoods, often one in the same, are often quick to put restrictions on what can and can’t be done to properties. In some cases, this can be painting a home a certain color or using certain materials – such as plastic for a fence – on one’s property. Other times, as we’ve seen in similar posts in the past, this means restricting the type of structures and how large they can be on one’s property. Adding a carport or a fence often means asking a neighborhood or city district for approval.

The historical neighborhood Hearn lives in wants her to take the structure down and have fined her for it. But, what if the structure added to the property has a practical purpose? Or, what if the structure isn’t visible from the street level? As we’ve seen before, some carports need to be small enough to be placed behind a house according to local zoning laws? In these cases, what should a resident do? While discussing with the neighborhood or city is a must to prevent fines, the town or neighborhood should consider the needs of its residents, as well.

Solar Carport for Columbus, OH Police Station Might Not be Put Up

As we saw a few weeks ago in a post about solar carports in New Jersey, these structures with photovoltaic panels are being constructed with federal stimulus money. This is also the case for solar carports in Columbus, OH for a police station. While Ohio has plans for 25 alternative energy projects, this current project involving photovoltaic panels on carport-like structures for a police station has been stalled somewhat. The city, presently, has questions about the project, including how it benefits the city overall, and the likelihood of these structures being constructed will be at earliest spring 2010.

The company behind the solar panels, Solar Vision, LLC, received a grant of $335,328 in federal stimulus dollars for building solar carports on the city’s new police station, according to the article. More specifically, the solar-powered structure that will be set up includes four carport structures supporting photovoltaic panels in the police station parking lot. These will, then, generate 122,312 kilowatts of power per year, which would cover 15 to 20 percent of the police station’s power and, over 20 years, would save the station about $75,000 dollars. So, in terms of alternative energy projects, why wouldn’t this be beneficial to the city?

The project costs a large sum of money to create and the amount from it won’t even be made up within 20 years. In fact, the total amount will be made up in electricity reduction in 90 years, at the current pace. Additionally, the project only powers less than a quarter of the police station. While having primarily solar power is one goal of alternative energy, such a project to power a portion of a police station isn’t really rational. Instead, the city of Columbus should be finding ways to incorporate alternative energy sources without such a high price tag.

Tarps Used in Conservation of Oregon Silverspot Butterfly

The Oregon silverspot butterfly species have been put on the threatened list under the Endangered Species Act, and part of their conservancy by the Nature Conservancy in Oregon involves black polyethylene tarps. In the case of the brief article under the link, the non-native blackberry plants reduce the common blue violets that the butterfly larvae use for food. Tarps, then, are applied to the blackberry plants to reduce them and make room for more native plants, such as the common blue violets and other meadow plants.

Meadows are the habitat for these threatened butterflies but, as fires are being prevented in the area, fewer spaces for meadows are available for Oregon silverspot butterflies. Additionally, the current meadows are being filled with non-native plants, such as blackberries and canarygrass, and the plants the butterfly species would feed off of are being reduced. Their habitats, all in coastal areas, once stretched through California, Washington, and Oregon, but, presently, the butterflies are reduced to a few areas in Oregon.

One option for conservancy has been to instigate forest burnings in the late spring, summer, and early fall, as this allows for more meadow plant shoots in the area. Although the meadowland being created is somewhat artificial, it expands areas with native plants for the Oregon silverspot butterflies. Another option involving tarps targets current meadowlands, which are being threatened by species of non-native plants replacing native ones like the common blue violets. In these instances, non-native plants like canarygrass and blackberries are clipped back and covered with black polyethylene tarps. Although this doesn’t eliminate non-native plants, especially canarygrass, it reduces areas for them and allows common blue violets more area. Once such plants are available in current meadow spaces, the Oregon silverspot butterflies can lay their larvae, which will then feed off such plants and expand the butterfly population somewhat.

Are Canvas Tarps a Fire Hazard?

Some tarps are designed to be fire retardant, while others are not. For the latter, canvas tarps aren’t given such treatments, as these are never used as part of an outdoor canopy, in which they should be fire retardant. Instead, these tarps are used to cover objects outdoors or indoors and are often used as camping tarps. On occasion, a canvas tarp may also be used as a truck tarp. But, as these tarps aren’t waterproof, they’re not used outdoors for a long period of time, such as polyethylene ones. At the same time, though, any type of material shouldn’t be placed near a heat source. For a polyethylene or vinyl tarp, this may make the material melt but, for canvas, the material may burn.

As indicated in the news story above, the canvas tarps, when placed near a heat source, caught on fire. More specifically, the canvas tarps were placed on floor heat registers. After a period of time, the tarps overheated and caught on fire. Although no one was injured in the news story, that might not always be the case. So, if you have canvas tarps around your home or business, what should you do?

The main thing is to not keep a canvas tarp near a heat source for too long. A canvas tarp needing to dry off, especially after being kept outside, can be near a heat source until the material dries but past this point, the material should be kept away. Similarly, when these tarps are being stored, they should be kept in a temperate room so that the material won’t expand or contract or, worse, catch fire. Canvas tarps are ideal for painting, as the stiffness keeps the material from moving, but, otherwise, these tarps aren’t treated to be fire retardant and, therefore, shouldn’t be used or stored like polyethylene or vinyl tarps.

Protecting Library Books with Tarps

Tarps have a number of protective uses, and in one recent incident in Ontario, Canada, this includes protecting library books from fire and water. When a fire had formed in a government building, tarps were set out over books to prevent any water or fire from destroying or damaging them. As mentioned in the linked article above, a similar fire 100 years ago had destroyed the building and a significant amount of books in the library. As a fire could set a sprinkler off or firemen could spray in the building, the library wanted their books to be protected from water damage, and tarps were thrown on top of stacks of books just in case.

In an instance like this, the best tarps to have on hand are fire retardant tarps. While nearly all polyethylene tarps are treated to be waterproof and UV resistant, not all are fire retardant. For a tarp to be considered fire retardant, it needs to meet certain specifications set by California fire codes, which are the strongest in the United States. As many tarps are used outdoors, including as canopies in carnivals and fairs where food is being served, having that additional protection will keep the tarp –as well as those protected by it – from burning or being damaged by fire.

Not all tarp retailers carry these tarps, but others, such as A1 Tarps, offer fire retardant tarps in their selection of products. Essentially, these types of tarps have all the typical properties of polyethylene tarps, including being waterproof, UV resistant, and mildew and rot resistant, and being fire retardant is added to this list of features. A tarp, however, to be fire retardant needs to have a tag or sticker on the side stating that the tarp is certified under the California State Fire Marshall. Otherwise, the tarp will not be as strong in this aspect.

What Counts as a Tarp for Transporting Trash?

One issue in many Southern states is transporting trash from a home to a dump without any of it flying on the road. If this pertained merely to transporting materials in a dump or flatbed truck, the solution would be to use a standard truck tarp made from polyethylene, vinyl, or mesh, depending upon the material being transported. For residents hauling their trash, however, different rules apply. In some areas, a tarp is required to cover any trash being transported in a car, while in others, any material that can cover trash and prevent it from flying out is considered a “tarp.”

In Anderson, South Carolina, whether to use a tarp or another material for transporting trash is somewhat of an issue. Essentially, the town wants to prevent litter when residents transport their trash by car or truck and, in a local law, requires a “tarp” to cover any trash being moved. This includes trash cans that even have a locked lid. In any instance trash could escape, a tarp-like material is required. Residents, on the other hand, think that an actual polyethylene tarp is needed, and the town plans to revise this law to define a tarp as any material that will effectively cover a load of trash. As mentioned in the article, this could include a bed sheet or netting, as long as the material prevents any trash from being blown out.

While using the proper material when transporting trash is an issue, a more prominent issue is how the load, including the “tarp” is being secured. With a traditional dump or flatbed truck, when a tarp isn’t properly secured, the tarp can come loose, thus exposing the load to moisture, or it can experience wind whip, which decreases the lifespan of a tarp. When residents of Anderson or any Southern town with a similar issue plan to use a tarp or similar material, they should secure it, so that the material doesn’t come loose and allow trash to fly out.