Is it Possible to Patch your own Tarp Successfully?
Does this sound familiar? Picture the scene... it’s 3 o’clock on Friday afternoon, you have just finished filling the tipper to full weight with a load of grain and are all set to head off down the highway. A quick glance at the sky in the east shows it getting blacker and blacker much sooner than you thought, looks like a good old storm is about to come through.
Tarps rolled across, check; ropes and rubber tied down, check; handle clicked into position, check; lets hit the road before the rain hits. You make it to the gate and from there it all goes wrong, the tarp snags on a low-reaching tree and tears and then the rain hits hard, real hard...
Great, 500km's to travel to Timbuctoo with a hole in your tarp and pouring rain...
But all is not lost; there are ways to temporarily fix your tarp and stop the rain coming in for a couple of weeks, and we stock tarp repair kits that will do just this - getting you through busy periods until you get a chance to see us and get it heat welded with a proper patch over the tarp.
Temporary DIY patch in 5 steps!
Here's how to use our tarp repair kit:
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| 1. Clean the area to be patched Methylated spirits are recommended to clean the surface. It can be applied with a rag and the surface wiped clean. | 2. Trim the patch Using a pair of scissors, cut the supplied patch to the desired size to cover the hole of the tear and round the corners. |
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| 3. Bring sides together If you are repairing a rip, ensure the two sides are brough together closely. | 4. Apply the adhesive Squeeze the adhesive directly onto the damaged area. Use your finger (wear gloves) to spread evenly and cover the entire surface. | 5. Stick the patch on Cover the hole or tear with the patch and press down firmly to ensure the patch adheres fully, taking particular note of the edges to prevent any lifting. For best results, leave to cure for at least 12 hours. |
6. Keep checking the patched area and if the damage starts to worsen, it may be time to consider a permanent repair or replacement with Ellis and Sons.
Until then, watch this space for more helpful hints to up-keep your tarp. It's one of the little things we do to help keep our customers on the move.
We hope this newsletter and tip helps you, it’s just one of the services we offer to keep our customers on the move.
Until next time...
Check out our Truck Tarp range here!
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