Types of Tarpaulin & Classification: Materials, Grades & Uses

What Is a Tarpaulin?

A tarpaulin - commonly called a tarp - is a strong, flexible and waterproof sheet used to cover and protect goods, vehicles, equipment, crops and open spaces. The word comes from "tar" and "palling," the tarred canvas once used to cover ships' cargo; today, tarpaulins are industrial products engineered from synthetic materials such as polyethylene (PE) and PVC-coated polyester, and they protect everything from a truck load to a construction site.

Whatever the material, a modern tarp is built in layers: a woven base fabric (the scrim) gives it strength, and a coating or lamination on one or both sides makes it waterproof, UV-resistant and easy to clean. Two numbers define most tarps - the base fabric construction and the total weight in grams per square meter (GSM) - and both are explained below.

How Tarpaulins Are Classified

Tarpaulins can be classified in three practical ways: by material, by manufacturing method, and by weight grade. Buyers normally combine all three - for example, "a 250 GSM woven PE tarp with laminated coating" - so it helps to understand each dimension.

Classification by Material

The two families that matter most for modern industrial and export buying are PE tarpaulins (the economical, lightweight workhorse) and PVC tarpaulins (the heavy-duty, longer-life option). The right choice depends on the job: weight, durability, chemical exposure and how long the cover must last.

Classification by Manufacturing Method

• Woven + laminated: a woven polyethylene base is bonded with polyethylene film on both sides. This is how most PE poly tarps are made, and it gives a clean, printable, fully waterproof surface.
• Knife-coated / PVC-coated: a liquid PVC compound is spread over a polyester scrim with a coating blade. This produces the thick, tough, weldable material used for PVC tarpaulins and truck curtains.

• Warp-knitted base (PVC): not every PVC tarpaulin is built on a woven scrim. Warp-knitted polyester is the standard base for laminated tarpaulin, while coated and knife-coated tarpaulin is normally built on a woven scrim; a coated construction can also use a warp-knitted base, with an adhesive layer bonding the coating to the fabric.

• Knitted / mesh: open-weave structures for shade, windbreak and ventilation, rather than full waterproofing.

These construction differences are what you are really comparing when you shortlist factories - our guide to how to compare poly tarp suppliers covers capacity, MOQ, certifications and how to verify them.

Classification by Weight Grade (GSM)

GSM - grams per square meter - is the single most useful specification for comparing tarps, but only within the same material family. A 500 GSM PVC tarpaulin is not a heavier version of a 250 GSM PE tarpaulin: 250 GSM sits near the top of the PE range, while 500 GSM is mid-range for PVC. As a general industry guideline:

PE tarpaulins (woven HDPE base, laminated):

• Light duty: roughly 60–120 GSM - temporary covers, dust and short-term protection.
• Medium duty: roughly 120–200 GSM - ground sheets, truck and construction covers, agriculture.
• Heavy duty: roughly 200–250 GSM - roofing, frequent reuse, equipment covers.
• Extra heavy duty: roughly 250–350 GSM - long-term outdoor use, wind-exposed sites, reuse-heavy fleets.

PVC tarpaulins (polyester scrim with PVC coating - a different scale entirely):

• Heavy duty: roughly 400–650 GSM - the standard working range: truck curtains, awnings, side curtains, printed banners, waterproof bags, gym and sports covers, pond liners, pool liners, inflatable fabrics.
• Membrane / tensile grade: roughly 680–1500 GSM - architectural tensile membranes, large-span canopy and roof structures.

Always quote the GSM you need together with the material, and remember that a heavier tarp usually means a stronger base fabric and more coating - not just more material. Water-retaining and inflatable products (pond liners, pool liners, inflatable fabrics) are often specified by sheet thickness in mm or mil instead of GSM, because the sheet itself is the load-bearing element - convert thickness to weight before you compare quotes. For worked examples, 20 uses for tarps maps each weight range to specific jobs.

Functional Characteristics of a Good Tarpaulin

Whatever the type, a quality tarpaulin is judged on the same functional characteristics:

• Waterproofing. Provided by the coating or lamination layer, not the woven fabric itself. The coating must be continuous and even - pin-holes or thin spots cause leaks under rain or pressure.
• Tensile and tear strength. Determined mainly by the base fabric: the yarn material, weave density and construction. A strong scrim is what lets a tarp hold tension without tearing at eyelets or hems.
• UV resistance. Sunlight degrades unprotected polymers, so outdoor tarps need UV-stabilised compounds in the resin and coating. UV resistance is what separates a one-season tarp from a multi-year one.
• Flame retardancy. Treated (FR) tarps are available where fire safety is required; the flame-retardant additives are part of the coating formulation.
• Weather and mildew resistance. Quality compounds resist heat, cold, mildew and rot - important for tarps stored or used outdoors for long periods.
• Dimensional stability. A tarp should keep its shape under tension and not stretch excessively in the warp or weft direction, so it stays tight on the load.
• Breathability. Fully coated tarps are effectively non-breathable (which is usually what waterproofing requires); breathable constructions are a separate, specialised product for applications such as crop or equipment protection where condensation matters.

In short: the base fabric gives a tarp its strength, and the coating gives it its weather performance. When a tarp fails early, the cause is almost always one of these two layers being underspecified.

Tarpaulin Specifications to Check Before You Buy

If you are comparing tarpaulins from different suppliers, put these specifications on your RFQ so the quotes are comparable:

Ask for the g/m² of the material, not the weight of the finished tarp. A finished tarp weighs more than the fabric it is cut from, because everything sewn onto it adds weight: hem rope (commonly 3 mm or 5 mm), eyelets (aluminium or brass) and their spacing (every 1 m, every 0.5 m, or none at all), and corner or edge reinforcement patches. Two tarps cut from the same 200 g/m² fabric can therefore finish at noticeably different weights. If your RFQ states only a finished weight, each supplier will interpret it differently and the quotes are no longer comparable. Specify the g/m² of the tarpaulin material - and expect a serious factory to come back and confirm the material weight, base fabric and finishing details with you before pricing.

For PVC tarpaulins, also confirm the base construction - woven or warp knitted. Warp-knitted scrim is the normal base for laminated tarpaulin; coated and knife-coated tarpaulin normally uses a woven scrim, and a coated construction can also be built on a warp-knitted base with an adhesive layer bonding the coating to the fabric. The same GSM and the same coating weight can be produced on either base, so ask which one is being quoted: the base determines how the sheet behaves under tension and how it performs when cut, sewn or welded.

Tarpaulin Shapes and Sizes

Most tarpaulins are rectangular and sold in two forms: finished tarps - cut, hemmed and fitted with grommets, ready to use - and roll goods, wide fabric rolls (commonly up to 4 m wide) for buyers who cut, sew or weld their own sizes. Custom shapes, reinforced corners, printed branding and special hem options are available for fleet, agriculture and OEM applications.

If you are choosing between materials for a specific job, we manufacture both main families in-house - see our PE Tarpaulin and PVC Tarpaulin product lines - or send us your application and we will recommend the right type, grade and specification.

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