The History of Tarps and Their Use

Tarpaulins have been around since the 1600’s and were mainly used by sailors, however the material back then consisted of canvas covered in tar to protect against salt and wind. Moving through the ages, tarps became increasingly popular as the offered a great deal of diversity in protection and use, later making the jump from sea to land in the form of canvas covers for wagon and temporary protection against the elements.

The uses today are not so different, although the material has evolved and developed to be a far more durable. Vinyl tarps, also known as PVC tarps, are made of high-strength polyester scrim reinforced polyvinyl chloride with a smooth surface. While this is a heavier material, the benefits do mean that the material is thicker, stronger and more durable, whilst also being highly versatile. Meaning the uses for your tarps are endless, and we specialise in that.

Our material is designed to be:

• Waterproof
• Abrasion, UV and weather resistant
• Resistant to acid, oil, mildew and grease
• Flame retardant
• Superior resistance to flex cracking

Because of the nature of our material, the uses for it are endless and we thrive on creating opportunities and new ideas, some of those extend to:

• Farming and agriculture – hay tarps, compost and gardening beds, covers for equipment and shelter for livestock.
• Transport- Roll tarps, custom covers for transporting goods, flat tarps and trailer covers.
• The building industry – Roofing and flooring tarps, temporary partitions and covers for scaffolding.
• Mining – Flat tarps for covering roof and wall opening in buildings during construction, covers for shipping containers, roll tarps and tarps for trailers and trucks, flat or from fitted covers for machinery and equipment, sliding curtains for temporary to semi permanent workspaces.

These are just some of the more common uses that we focus on however if you have something a little more complex or need help designing something to your specifications, talk to us!
We will talk you through which grade material would suit your needs, what kind of features or extras will benefit you; we can advise you on how to install or even help you with installation. The most important thing to us at Westarp is making sure your product is exactly what you want and need, as we will work with you step by step to make this happen.