Reported by KIVI-TV, farmers in the Boise area of Idaho have seen high water, rain, and even hail. The weather, as a result, has pushed back growing season. While farmers are waiting for dryer conditions, they need to protect the plants they already have added, and one farmer took an innovative approach by applying tarps to his seeds to prevent them from getting saturated with water.

Water is not expected to be a significant factor next year, although last year, weather pushed farmers’ schedules even more behind. As this occupation is essentially at the mercy of the weather, farmers must be prepared for all of its extreme conditions and capriciousness.

Other extreme seasonal conditions can destroy and undermine the long and hard labor of planting vegetables, fruits, and other crops, and for these, a farmer, or even a casual grower, must be prepared with a strategy. Tarps, for instance, are great for keeping off the frost, but if the material is left on too long, moisture becomes trapped under the material and can still damage any plants. To protect your crop from these conditions, go with a polyethylene material that provides a minimal amount of ventilation – but not so much that cold air and frost can enter – and effectively hold it down with rocks or stakes.

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• Farmers Continue Efforts To Protect Crops From Frost(fox2now.com)

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As local station WBTV explains in its story, tarped roofs aren’t the only sign a major storm passed through the region. Piles and dumpsters of debris are still around, and homeowners continue to find damaged siding, roofing, and windows. In total, the station explains, 180 homes were damaged, with some now uninhabitable and others qualifying for federal assistance. Because of the latter, rebuilding may take several months.

Emergency preparedness is a significant part of preparing for a storm like this and other natural disaster. Because rehabilitation can take months, being able to live without standard food and water sources is necessary, and while these two should be stockpiled in a safe, dry location within a home, additional supplies are needed for the cleanup afterwards.

Tarps, in this regards, are a versatile necessity. The polyethylene material prevents water and UV rays from further entering and damaging the interior of your home, and its strength lasts roughly three months. Aside from temporarily patching a roof, tarps can be placed over damaged windows, lights, or siding – essentially in any location water, UV rays, or mildew could enter your home.

Because debris likely needs to be removed, considering storm supplies is a necessary facet to an emergency preparedness plan. For an individual at home, a shovel is crucial, as are tools and boards for attaching tarps. Gloves and hard hats protect the hands and head, respectively, against any potential dangers, such as falling debris or splintered wood, during a cleanup. In case of an injury, a full first aid kit must be dry and accessible for use.

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• Tarps and Emergency Gear (findtarps.com)
• Alabama Tornado Recovery Exposes Dangers of Roof Tarps (findtarps.com)

Developed by University of Manitoba professor Gordon Giesbrecht, K.U.W.L. prevents students from waiting outdoors without jackets. Giesbrecht experienced similar conditions in the wilderness, and to combat them, K.U.W.L. forms a barrier against the wind, traps heat inside, and is warmed by the sun. Six 40×20 tarps are used to shelter the student population of almost 400. Once the tarps are up, the students underneath hold them down with their feet and poles keep the interior up. The system is additionally stored on a custom cart, which is rolled to the front of a school for a fire drill.

Why does such a simple system work? While the tarps mentioned by the Winnipeg Free Press are turned into ice skating rinks, polyethylene is, in fact, versatile and is frequently included in several commercial applications. Draped along the side of a construction project in winter, it keeps warmth inside, allowing workers to complete their duties effectively. On trucks, the material is tightly wrapped around a load or attached to a bed to prevent water from damaging any materials transported. As well, seasonal vehicles and equipment are sheltered in winter from water and UV rays with large poly tarps.

Creating your own shelter for warmth is a straightforward task, as several retailers carry large tarps. Tarps1.com carries 20×40 white poly tarps, which are ideal for any number of applications, while other retailers, such as Tarps Outlet and A1 Tarps offer 20 x 40 tarps in other colors.

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• Manitoba Students Create Emergency Shelter with Giant Tarps (findtarps.com)
• School tries warming tarps for cold-weather emergencies (cbc.ca)
• Tarps: Springtime Solutions (findtarps.com)

Canvas tarps are a must for any painting in the home. Draped over furniture and spread out over the floor, the material – often, in layman’s terms, called a “drop cloth” – is less likely to slip, unlike plastic sheets, and absorbs paint. As a result, your furniture, floor, and other furnishings stay in good condition when a door, wall, or window frame is painted.

More commonly, poly tarps are versatile and waterproof, and such qualities make them ideal for both internal and external uses. Recovery in the aftermath of a storm is a prime opportunity for poly tarps, as the material serves as a temporary patch on broken windows and damaged roofs. Rather than simply drape the material over, however, the poly tarp must be secured, and holding it in place with boards and nails is a common method. Be careful with the placement of a poly tarp in these instances, as securing it over a vent may lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Although poly tarps temporarily prevent water and mildew from entering your home, the material is equally useful when a leak is being fixed. To reduce water damage to any furniture or investments inside, place large sheets of the waterproof material over any space with dripping water.

Gardens, as well, benefit from tarps. As frost destroys plants, poly tarps act like a protective guard, although some ventilation is necessary. If frost or a freeze is predicted in the weather forecast, throw a few tarps, all with small holes cut into the material, over the garden and secure them down.

On the other hand, not all plants require the same amount of light, and mesh tarps, in this case, regulate this. For low-light plants, place a canopy with a mesh tarp, often called shade canopies, over the area. As these tarps only let in about 25 percent of light, the plants get the right amount of shade once placed below.

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• Utilizing Different Types of Tarps (findtarps.com)
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Slipping off a roof is a hazard when tarps are applied, but it’s not the only danger. After nearly a dozen tornadoes passed through parts of Alabama on January 23, a local utility company noticed a handful of residents are tarping over vents. When covered by the polyethylene, the vent does not effectively pass carbon monoxide through. The chemical, as a result, builds up inside a home, and an individual, exposed to too high an amount, may experience seizures, heart failure, or death. Carbon monoxide, unfortunately, is odorless. Its early effects can be dizziness or nausea but is only accurately identified with a carbon monoxide detector.

Although roof vents are not present on all homes, they are added for natural gases to escape or for any propane appliances, gas fireplaces, water heaters, and furnaces inside. To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in the aftermath of the tornadoes, utility workers are going around Alabama towns to check homes. If, however, you suspect you may be covering a vent with a tarp, follow the Trussville Utilities and Inspection and Engineering Department’s suggestions:

• A hole must be cut in the tarp and pulled over the exhaust vents for appliances that use gas or propane such as water heaters, gas furnaces and kitchen appliances.
• Keep tarp about 6 inches from exhaust vents because tarp material is combustible and vents get hot.
• If vent is gone or badly damaged, keep the gas turned off until vent is fixed.
• Seal the tarp, where it’s been cut around the vent, with caulk or other method to prevent leaks.

Applying tarps – specifically over the roofing materials – is one approach to working through the rain or snow. In an “Ask The Builder” column from NorthJersey.com, a writer asking about construction and home improvement projects in the rain is advised that such work is possible – but under specific limitations. While foundation can be installed and pre-fabricated components are additional options, tarps assist with protecting roofing work. Because water, ice, and snow damage a roof, regardless of whether the underlying materials are exposed or not, adding new sheathing or shingles during a storm is not advised. However, to prevent a partial job from becoming damaged, throw a few tarps on top to protect the sheathing. Once the storm has passed, the polyethylene can be removed, and the workers may resume the project.

Temporarily covering a roofing project merges the qualities of baseball and hurricane tarps. The latter, made out of medium-duty polyethylene, is added to prevent further damage after a storm, such as a hurricane or tornado, as mold, mildew, and water can enter from a small crack. Hurricane tarps, however, are a temporary solution, and the roof must be repaired within 90 days.

Baseball tarps, on the other hand, are heavy-duty polyethylene and are rolled out onto a field at the first sign of rain. Although the game stops with the weather, a muddy field often delays a season’s schedule of practices. The baseball tarp, with a weighted perimeter, keeps the ground dry, and practice or a game resumes once the storm passes over.

So, what has happened in Haiti over this time, and are any improvements taking place? An overhaul of the government appears to be one step in a positive direction, but even with a new president and proposed initiatives, neither a housing agency nor a defined strategy has been put in place. Although $2.38 billion has been spent in the country, minimal building has occurred, and because of water and supplies, citizens have gravitated toward camps.

Originally, as the piece detailed, the earthquake was seen as an opportunity for the impoverished nation to start over, and a general plan of new housing and more jobs in Port-au-Prince was proposed. Instead, no plan was enacted, and while some new housing and more classrooms have been erected, the government has left it up to citizens to rebuild their communities and create jobs. Additionally, new housing initiatives just target only five percent of those in need, creating permanent shantytowns in the country.

With this loose strategy, some Port-au-Prince residents have moved into mountainside shantytown Jalousie, creating a new neighborhood and community for the time being. Some residents, as quoted in the Associated Press piece, find the new community a significant upgrade to the post-earthquake camps; because of limited resources in Jalousie, however, other residents consider it more of the same situation.

If Haiti is to truly move forward from the earthquake’s aftermath, including providing housing for all citizens, what type of approach should the government take?

Although blue tarps are typically associated with hurricanes and tornadoes, windstorms cause similar damage. Not repairing a roof results in moisture entering a home, causing mold and mildew to build up inside. After such a storm, homeowners should check for cracks on the inside of the roof and be prepared with tarps, as well as boards and nails, to temporarily fix the damaged areas.

When blue tarps are applied properly after a storm, the material keeps UV rays and water out and prevents mildew and dry rot from forming. Polyethylene, no matter if medium- or heavy-duty, is treated to be UV resistant, waterproof, mildew resistant, and rot proof, and these combined properties prevent the interior of the home from further damage.

In terms of applying tarps, do not stand directly on the roof. To prevent slips and falls, use a ladder. To secure the tarp, wrap one side of the material in a two-by-four board, and nail the board to the roof of the house. Do the same to the opposite end. With the remaining two boards, nail down the other two sides of the tarp. Do this to all areas with cracks or holes.

Windstorms damage more than just roofs, and in many cases, windows or lights will be broken. Tarps, as well, can be applied to these areas around your home with a similar method.

Keep in mind that tarps, particularly medium-duty ones, have a limited lifespan. Standard blue tarps last 90 days, and at this point, the material may tear. Some communities, additionally, allow tarps to be put up for a limited amount of time. In either instance, make sure the roof is fully repaired within that timeframe.

Reported by WICZ.com, Occupy Binghamton protestors are using tarps as secondary shelters. Rather than turning the tarps into shelters, multiple tents are going under one large piece of blue polyethylene. The protestors using this strategy claim that the tarp keeps in warmth and keeps out the wind. However, in the near future, they plan to use a yurt – a temporary shelter used by Mongolian nomads – instead.

The strategy used by Occupy Binghamton protestors is similar to that for camping. In anticipating any rainstorm, campers are urged to bring along multiple tarps: one to go over the tent, another to go under the floor, and a third to cover the gear. Typical tents are water resistant, which means that rain can still soak through. The tarp on top lets rain slide away from the tent, and the material on the bottom prevents ground water from dampening the tent’s floor.

In all of these instances, whether a tarp is used to create a warm shelter or keep rain away, the polyethylene is an ideal material. A typical medium- or heavy-duty tarp is waterproof and UV-resistant. The impervious quality, additionally, allows warmth to stay underneath; in fact, this aspect allows tarps to protect any outside plants from frost damage. Aside from these two key features, tarps are mildew resistant, rot proof, have arctic flexibility, and may be fire retardant.

While features are nearly identical between medium- and heavy-duty tarps, the latter has the upper hand in terms of lifespan. Medium-duty tarps – typically blue – can last about 90 days in continuous use, while heavy-duty tarps hold out several years.

One of the quintessential images associated with the Occupy movement has been the tarp tents, covering parks in sea-like expanses of blue. As we mentioned, tarps are practical for outdoor shelter and may even beat traditional tents in terms of protection. Once erected, the polyethylene keeps out water and UV rays and is mildew-resistant and rot-proof. Blue tarps, which are common in temporary roof repairs from hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters, are a medium-duty material designed to last outdoors for 90 days.

Tarp tents covering a park, in fact, have been likened to Hoovervilles, shantytowns that lasted 10 years during the Great Depression. About this, one of the protestors wrote on the Occupy Wall Street site:

“We move forward in the grand tradition of the transformative social movements that have defined American history. We stand on the shoulders of those who have struggled before us, and we pick up where others have left off. We are creating a better society for us all.”

In spite of the reinforced rules for Zuccotti Park, protestors still plan to return and camp out in the area. In an article on Manhattan local news site DNAinfo.com, one of the protesters is quoted with saying:

“I’m going to lay down anyway if they come here and arrest me for laying down on the ground, it will only make [the police] look bad. I’m staying because it’s awesome that we’re still here after all the madness.”