Some terms thrown around to describe tarps include medium duty and heavy duty. Both terms apply to polyethylene, or poly, tarps but tarps, in general, have many uses. Tarps are almost always used outdoors, with the exception being a painting tarp, and, as a result, as treated to have such properties as rot resistance, a waterproof surface, and UV resistance on both sides and, for many weather conditions, are tear resistant. Tarps need to withstand rain, fire, snow, and repeated use, so treated with various weather resistant properties is an additional benefit for the objects being protected by a tarp, be it a boat, RV, car, people, or array of objects in a portable shed.
But what is the difference between heavy duty and medium duty tarps, and when do you use them? The rule of thumb when choosing a tarp is deciding what it will be used for and, in almost all cases, if a tarp will be outdoors for an extended period of time protecting one or more objects, a heavy duty tarp is the way to go. Common objects needing a heavy duty tarp are boats, RVs, and cars and, whether suspended in a canopy or wrapped around the object and secured with bungee cords, a tarp covering these objects outside should be heavy duty, as it will need to last and protect for at least six months.
But, sometimes, a tarp isn’t needed to protect things long term. In fact, an object may only need a tarp for a few days to a week and, in this case, a medium duty tarp is appropriate. The most common medium duty tarp is a blue tarp, which is seen in many locations, although particularly during tornado or hurricane seasons in the Midwest and South. A blue tarp, when used as a roof patch, can last up to 90 days for protecting the inside of a house from water damage and other temporary outdoor uses, as well.
Every rule has an exception and, in the case of long term and temporary coverage, the exception is a baseball tarp. Although a baseball tarp is needed to cover a field in case of rain, it isn’t used consistently long term, unrolled only in case of rain or other weather, but is still a heavy duty poly tarp.
