What Size Pool Cover?

[3 Squids]

Today I went to the inlaws for Christmas dinner and was talking to my father in law about his winter cover on his pool. He said he bought the most high quality one when he bought his pool and I got to looking at it and feeling it and it seems about the same quality as mine however he paid much more than what my website quoted for the size. So maybe thickness isn't key. I guess maybe just quality of the material. Time will tell I guess. I plan on this week building a "tent" for my gutted boat and draping this cover over it. We will see how she holds up.

[inaforty]

I order a few of the 13-16 oz tarps from Billboard tarps.
Nice heavy reinforced heavy weight material.
Not a solid color tarp and a little bit of dirt on the vinyl (foot prints).

A new 15' x 25' piece of tarp from a wholesaler would be about $160

A rough tarp from billboard is around $50

Here is a few photos comparing a 10 oz in blue and the billboard tarp 16 oz in white.




Here you can see reinforcement in the vinyl.

[inaforty]

This 16oz stuff is heavy to work with. I'm sure it would be awesome for a winter cover providing your framing can support the weight of the tarp.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by inaforty

This 16oz stuff is heavy to work with. I'm sure it would be awesome for a winter cover providing your framing can support the weight of the tarp.

How do you think it will hold up to winter temps folded over a boat and moving in the wind? Think cracking will be a problem?

[inaforty]

Good question Destroyer.
I'm pretty sure it would be fine. I used the 10oz stuff as a cockpit cover for 5 winter seasons but every type of material is different. One supplier vs another can have different results. I will put a piece of the Billboard tarp stuff out overnight and try bending to see what happens.

[bigshrimpin]

Barry - Do you think you could you use the vinyl bill board material for enclosures, insulated cooler bags, or grundens?

[inaforty]

BigShrimpin,
Cooler bag yes. Grunden maybe but probably be better as chaps or apron because the flex is minimal. It would bind up and not be very comfortable at any joint (knees ,waist ,etc)

You could use it for an enclosure but I wouldn't. It would be to thick to complete the hems where the top panels would come together. When you sew a top together you have a top panel,front flap and pocket (for bimini frame) in one seam and it would be hard to get it to fold flat (sewn first underside and then top sewn). Not to mention there won't be much (if any) stretch to complete any curves in the top.
Another concern would be how waterproof it would be at sewn seams. Even with seam tape a number 20 needles leaves a big hole in vinyl.

You could use it place of Weblon/Stamoid vertically in a fly bridge enclosure say to frame clear vinyl but remember the billboard vinyl isn't clean. It has markings and imperfections.

If you were using it in a commercial applications like making wings for a CC it could be used but it wouldn't be pretty but it would keep you dry.

I'm using the billboard vinyl to replace rip stop material that I used to make blanks for my fly bridge. Needless to say the cheap rip stop just torn all up after a few months. I used the blanks in the fall and spring while getting things ready for winter/summer.