The most commonly known tarp for an athletic field is a baseball tarp which, as a polyethylene tarp, is cut like a baseball diamond and is used to protect the field from rain and other types of weather. But what about other athletic fields, such as soccer or football fields? One high school in Reading, PA decided to protect its high school artificial turf football field with polyethylene tarps for Fourth of July fireworks. The artificial turf field, as explained in the article, cost the high school $3.2 million and the tarps cost $11,000, out of a total $18,000 spent on the fireworks display.
While many may balk at the price of spending $11,000 on tarps, the rule of quality over quantity should be understood, in this case. As mentioned in the article, cheaper methods didn’t protect the field from getting superficial burns in the past from fireworks. In 2007, as mentioned, 100 tarps made of a thinner tarp were put on the field and had fire retardant foam sprayed on top, and, in 2008, plastic and cloth tarps were spread out on the field and soaked with water. Neither had worked fully. These new tarps include 20 100-pound rolls that were spread over the football field and surrounding track, totaling to 120,000 square feet. The tarps were held in place by bricks.
Although $11,000 may seem like a large amount to pay upfront for polyethylene tarps, a high-quality tarp will last more than once. In the case of poly tarps, one may even last at least five years when used often. But, what about the price? If you look at a tarps website like Tarps 1, a heavy duty silver poly tarp at 50 feet by 100 feet will cost approximately $550 for a sheet. Multiply this by 20, for each tarp used, and the total is $11,000. At $11,000 for 20 tarps that will last at least five years, the overall decision by the high school in Reading to protect their field with tarps is economical to protect their investment.
