Features of Field Tarps

Ever had to cancel a game because rains hadheavy and may weigh up to 1,500 lbs. The weight
drenched your grounds? With field tarps that offervaries according to size. A full infield tarp is the
you 100% ground protection, you need not allow theheaviest. Ideally, heavy duty tarps have a thick
rains to play foul with your games. A field tarppolyethylene coating and have a very high mesh
protects your ground from grass, dirt, sod, water,count (approx 14x14 weave).
wind, fire and UV rays. Most of them are designed toOne of the reasons people like to buy heavy duty
withstand temperatures as low was -40 F. They canones is durability and longevity. These last several
also stand up to winds as high as 65 mph.seasons. Many poly tarps can easily last more than
The baseball tarp is the most common of all athletic6-8 years although the warranty period may be
field tarps. This is a heavy duty polyethylene tarplimited to 3-5 years. That is why many grounds make
that is cut to look like a baseball diamond. These areuse of them that are reinforced with chain lining and
used to protect the field from foul weather andcontain rust proof grommets. Field covers are wear,
strong winds. However, others are available totear, fire and acid resistant.
protect baseball and soccer fields. Generally, baseballMajor leagues use a full length field cover, which in
tarps are made of polyethylene though others mayaddition to protecting the field also protects the
be made from other materials like canvas.grass on the infield. If you want to protect more
They are so commonly used that some schoolsthan your sports field, you need these made for the
spend well over $10,000 to cover their fields duringmount, bullpen and plate.
bad weather. Of course, many people balk at theMost of them are undergoing a lot of improvement
thought of spending such a huge amount on fieldeven as we speak. This shows how popular these
covers, but when it comes to buying tarps, the basicitems are. For instance, baseball tarps are now
rule of quality over quantity must be adhered to.shipping with chain lined edges that help keep the
Cheap tarps offer no guarantee to your fields. So, iftarps on the ground. With these in place, you do not
you want to protect your field from sparks in aneed stakes or sandbags to hold the tarp in place. In
firework display, using cheap tarps may singe yourcase of a sudden storm or wind, no time need be
ground. On the other hand, heavy duty tarps canwasted in rolling out and securing these tarps.
offer complete protection. They are generally quite