Posted by
xingle on Thursday, August 06, 2009 1:38:03 AM
A tarpaulin or tarp is a large sheet of strong, flexible, water-resistant or waterproof material, often cloth
such as canvas or polyester coated with urethane, or made of plastics
such as polyethylene. In some places such as Australia, and in military
slang, a tarp may be known as a hootchie. Tarpaulins
often have reinforced grommets at the corners and along the sides to
form attachment points for rope, allowing them to be tied down or
suspended.
Inexpensive modern tarpaulins
are made from woven polypropylene; this material is so associated with
tarpaulins that it has become colloquially known in some quarters aspolytarp.
Tarpaulins have multiple uses, including as shelter from the elements,
i.e., wind, rain, or sunlight, a ground sheet
or a fly in camping, a drop sheet for painting, for protecting the
infield of a baseball field, and for protecting objects, such as
unenclosed road or rail goods carrying vehicles or wood piles. Such was
the demand for tarpaulins by the New South Wales Government Railways,
up until 1990, they operated their own tarpaulin factory. It is also used on outdoor market stalls to provide some protection from the elements of nature.