Understanding Seam Placement on Your Tarp
At Tarps America, we craft high-quality tarps to meet a wide range of needs.1 Whether you're securing equipment, covering materials, or creating a temporary shelter, the construction of your tarp plays a crucial role in its durability and performance. One aspect of tarp construction that often prompts questions is the placement of seams. This article will shed light on how seam placement is determined, taking into account the materials we use and the dimensions of your custom tarp.
It's important to understand that the width of the raw material significantly influences where seams will appear on your finished tarp. Here's a breakdown of the standard roll widths for some of our most popular materials:
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18 oz Vinyl and Most PVC Coated Vinyls: Typically come in rolls that are 61 inches wide and range from 100 to 500 linear yards in length.2
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Poly Tarps and Poly Mesh: Generally available in wider rolls of 144 inches wide by 100 linear yards.3
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Containment Mesh: Can be found in widths of 120 inches and 96 inches.
Because these materials have fixed widths, creating a tarp larger than a single roll's width necessitates joining multiple panels together with seams. The location of these seams is primarily dictated by the dimensions of your ordered tarp and the width of the chosen raw material.
Let's illustrate this with a couple of examples using our durable 18 oz vinyl:
Example 1: 10 ft x 10 ft Tarp
If you order a 10 ft by 10 ft tarp in 18 oz vinyl, keep in mind that the vinyl comes in 61-inch wide rolls.4 To achieve the desired 10-foot (120-inch) width, we would need to heat seal two 61-inch wide panels together.
Our standard construction process involves a 2-inch heat seal to join the panels. Additionally, for strength and to securely attach the perimeter webbing, we typically fold the edges over by 1 inch on each side. This 1-inch fold allows our two sewing needles to catch the folded edge while stitching the 2-inch webbing around the entire tarp.
Let's calculate the final dimensions:
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We start with two 61-inch wide panels, totaling 122 inches.
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The 2-inch heat seal joining the panels results in a 2-inch loss in the overall width.
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The 1-inch fold on each of the two long edges accounts for an additional 2 inches of material used (1 inch per side).
Therefore, the final width of the tarp will be approximately 122 inches - 2 inches (seam) - 2 inches (edge folds) = 118 inches, or 9 feet 10 inches. The 2-inch heat seal seam will be located roughly in the middle of the 10-foot width.
Example 2: 8 ft x 8 ft Tarp
Now, let's consider an 8 ft by 8 ft tarp made from the same 61-inch wide 18 oz vinyl. Again, we would need two panels to achieve the 96-inch width.
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Starting with two 61-inch panels (122 inches total).
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Subtracting the 2-inch heat seal leaves us with 120 inches.
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Subtracting the 2 inches for the edge folds leaves us with 118 inches, or 9 feet 10 inches.
Since the final width is 9 feet 10 inches, which is larger than the requested 8 feet, the seam placement will be different. In this case, after accounting for the edge folds (1 inch on each side, totaling 2 inches), each panel would contribute approximately (96 inches + 2 inches) / 2 = 49 inches to the final width before the seam. This means the seam would be located approximately 34 inches (48 inches - 1 inch fold - 13 inches cut off) from the webbing on either side.
Important Note: These examples illustrate the general principles of seam placement. The exact placement can vary slightly depending on the specific manufacturing process and any custom requirements.
Specific Seam Placement Requests
We understand that in some applications, the placement of a seam might be critical. If you have a specific requirement for seam placement on your tarp, please contact our team before placing your order. We will gladly discuss the feasibility of your request based on the tarp size and material you need. While we always strive to provide the best possible product, achieving a precise seam location may not always be possible due to material widths and manufacturing constraints.
At Tarps America, we are committed to transparency and providing you with the information you need to make informed decisions about your tarp purchase. We hope this explanation clarifies how seam placement is determined. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our knowledgeable customer service team.