It always feels like hurricane season begins just as quickly as it ends.
When we’re in the off-season, we need to prepare for come-what-may, and the first line of defense you have is by using hurricane tarps.
Developed to be completely waterproof and withstand impact from high winds, a hurricane tarp could be what saves you thousands of dollars in home repairs when you come back after the storm has settled.
They’re a necessity, but few people know how to use them effectively. Let’s show you everything you need to know about securing your hurricane tarp for the best defense possible.
What Exactly Are Hurricane Tarps?
Hurricane tarps are, in fact, used for hurricanes. They’re different from your standard poly tarp in design and construction, because they’re built thicker than most polyethylene tarps out there.
There’s a rating system of how thick tarps are, and in many instances, a thicker tarp doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be stronger.
Many hurricane tarps are around the 0.026mm range, which I actually fairly thick in terms of tarps. The seams are generally two or three times as thick, since they’re parts of the material that are folded over and stitched together.
Hurricane tarps have an extra thick layer of chemical compound on the exterior, and this is by design. You want your tarp to be wind resistant, waterproof, mildew-proof, and have heat-sealed seams. Basically, you want to be prepared for Armageddon with this thing.
Last but not least, some tarps will end up only having two grommets per side even if they’re about ten feet long. With most hurricane tarps, you’re going to see heavy duty grommets being used every 24”up to 36”on average.
You have additional tie-down points to secure your tarp to whatever you want while ensuring that the wind is not going to be as much as of a problem. That’s extra resistance that you need.
Standard Hurricane Tarp Materials
These tarps are made out of polyethylene, but they also require a few other materials to really get the best use out of them. A tarp on its own isn’t good unless you have the means to tie it down. You could use the following.
Steel Stakes
These stakes are generally weighted to give additional wind resistance, and keep the tarp on the ground. You would have to use a lot of these to keep a tarp down, because if one ends up being weak, it will rely on the others.
Ball Bungees
These bungee cords are pulled through a plastic ball to make a look, and then work perfectly to slip through grommets, and around poles or structures for support.
While ball bungees have an incredible pain tolerance, you still need one for every grommet or eyelet during a hurricane. This also applies for bungee cables.
Heavy-Duty Rope
This is something that’s just always good to have around. If you see that your tarp doesn’t have as many tie-down spots as you would like, that’s okay. You can use heavy-duty rope to use like a big belt.
Have one end tied to a structure, like your home, and the other to a detached garage or cemented-in valance tarp pole. Make sure it’s tight, and bring it down over the top of your hurricane tarp. It will help keep it close to the ground when the wind is blowing.
Post time: Mar-17-2025
