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.”

For long-term storage, at least six months in the case of seasonal vehicles, heavy-duty poly tarps are ideal. Made out of rip-stop polyethylene, such tarps are treated to be UV resistant, waterproof, rot proof, and mildew resistant. As a result, the material, when surrounding a boat or RV, blocks out the sunlight and keeps the water from accumulating directly on the surface.

If you own such a vehicle, know that these elements can damage the surface – and even internal parts – over time. UV rays fade and crack a vehicle’s surface and can even damage internal parts. Water that accumulates wears away the surface and attracts mold, mildew, and dry rot, which further damage the vehicle. Because such a vehicle was a significant investment, don’t you want to get all you can out of it?

To cover your boat or RV with a poly tarp, find material that’s the right size. Before purchasing any tarp, measure the height, length, and width of a vehicle, and include all add-ons and appendages in your dimensions. A tarp should be able to cover all of this. For RVs, additionally, manufacturers also make tarps specifically shaped for the vehicle. But, no matter the size, shape, or vehicle being stored, the tarp needs to be secured. To prevent the tarp from blowing away or moving in the winter, secure it with bungee cords or clips.

As we have mentioned several times before on this blog, tarps can be made into tents with the right materials. Rather than purchase a tent that may be only water-resistant, opt for a tarp that is waterproof. No matter if the tarp is medium- or heavy-duty, it keeps out UV rays and is resistant to rot and mildew.

In camping or backpacking, tarps are useful in keeping a campsite and gear dry. However, rather than bringing a pre-made structure, the tarp itself can serve as a tent. Last year, we offered brief directions for setting up a tarp tent. Just to reiterate them, a tarp, to become a tent, needs at least a rope and stakes or rocks to hold the ends down. While rope can be strung between two trees in the woods, a city park may not have such features – or at least trees in such proximity – and two larger stakes may need to be brought. No matter if you drive two large stakes into the ground or attach the rope to two trees, the rope serves at the center point on the material, and the tarp needs to be draped over it. Stakes or rocks should then hold the ends in place. Because the ground may be wet, a second tarp should be placed underneath to keep you and your gear dry.

Realize, though, that not all parks and cities have the same rules, and if you do go to protest, you may need to remove your tarps at some point.

Taking into account the same principles that make a tarp tent useful on a camping trip, Thunderdome consists of blue and brown polyethylene and canvas tarps. Not the sole part of the kitchen, the tarps are attached together with a plywood frame. In concept, the tarps keep out the water and any other elements and keep volunteers and their equipment dry during operation and overnight. Just as with any tarps on a campsite, whether for shelter or protection, those for Thunderdome are tied in place.

Depending upon how long the protest lasts, the tarps may need to be replaced in the future. As you’re aware, medium-tarps, such as the ones pictured, can be used for about 90 days.

Run by two unemployed chefs, Thunderdome is operated by various volunteers supporting the Occupy Wall Street cause. While the volunteer staff cooks a healthful menu each day, the kitchen is supplemented by prepared meals from supporters and donations from local restaurants. Supplying free meals, snacks, and drinks to protestors and the homeless, Thunderdome serves roughly 200 to 400 individuals per day.

Aside from the economical design and support for protestors, Thunderdome creates minimal waste. Onsite are recycling and compost bins, all trash is disposed, and volunteers take dishes home to wash daily.

Black tarps, in particular, are ideal as backdrops. To create a surface other than grass on your lawn, consider securing a brown or silver tarp. At the same time, if you have tarps around your home that are not usable, don’t just simply throw them away. Rather, tear and alter the tarp until it appears ragged, and for a spider web effect, place the ripped material anywhere indoors or outside.

A recent fire at Tulane University in Louisiana shows that where and how you place your tarps is important. If a fire starts, tarps, used as backdrops or to block a door, can pose obstructions. A fire started in the kitchen of a Tulane fraternity house and spread throughout the building. The fire department came, and while controlling the flames took 90 minutes, a fire captain injured his shoulder in the process as the result of tarps and debris used as decorations. In regards to using tarps as Halloween decorations, Capt. Edwin Holmes, Jr. stated to the press:

“Tarps and debris used for decorations inhibited suppression efforts by making it difficult for fire personnel to find walls and doorways hidden behind the black tarp.”

As you create and use tarps for the upcoming holiday, think about their placement and any possible fire hazards around your home. If, for instance, a fire began in a room, would the tarps pose an obstruction? Would the material make finding walls or doorways difficult? Furthermore, could the tarp itself turn into a fire hazard?