You can see rain covers everywhere. On motorcycles, strollers, sneakers, etc. There are lots of things that we want to protect from the rain. Commercially, rain covers are used across almost every industry that must contend with the outside elements. Rain covers can be used as daily covers in the waste management industry. Daily covers are placed over freshly compacted waste each day in order to prevent stormwater from seeping through the waste and moving leachate into the water system. Rain covers are commonly found in agriculture, used to protect bales of hay, equipment, or entire fields from rain and precipitation. For greenhouse applications, BTL’s ArmorClear and ArmorCover products lead the industry.
- RPE (Reinforced polyethylene):
Polyethylene is highly flexible and offers lots of UV resistance, making it ideal for outdoor projects that will be exposed to diverse conditions. Yet, polyethylene by itself is not the most resistant to damage from the daily wear and tear that occurs when folding or rolling. RPE is reinforced, giving it extra durability able to handle daily movement and manipulation. RPE is resistant to chemicals and is built to maintain its strength while reducing tear and puncture risks. It’s also tough and flexible enough for use in automated cover systems, reducing the need for manual labor to load and unload the rolls.
- HDPE (High density polyethylene):
HDPE is a stiffer material, with high durability and puncture resistance. Due to its stiffness, it has a higher risk of cracking or tearing over time if constantly in motion. also causes it to develop stress lines and fractures over time. To improve its flexibility, while maintaining durability, HDPE is often layered with other flexible materials like LDPE.
- LDPE (Low density polyethylene):
LDPE more flexible and conforms better to uneven surfaces, but is less durable and tear resistant than HDPE. LDPE is susceptible to tears and punctures if moved often or over uneven surfaces. Therefore, thin layers of LDPE are often combined with layers of HDPE to afford them extra strength.
- EPDM (Ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber):
This is some of the thickest rubber available as a rain cover. It is heavy and hard to move and loses some flexibility in its strength. It may be recommended as a cushion or underlayment material for a cover and rarely as the final top layer itself.
- PVC (Polyvinyl chloride):
PVC is one of the most common materials used as a rain cover. It doesn’t offer as much UV damage resistance as RPE, making it a much more short-lived material for outdoor uses. Thicker PVC tends to suffer from stiffness issues that make it hard to get a good fit without wind lifting the edges and moving the entire material.
ArmorClear is a geomembrane cover that combines HDPE and LDPE to harness the benefits of each. Geomembranes are becoming more and more popular as they become cheaper and more advanced. BTL’s ArmorClear, and geomembranes like it, are made out of flexible layers of polyethylene. These materials are chemical and UV resistant, as well as being durable against physical damage like tears or rips. These can be used for temporary coverage, as well as serving as permanent covers when needed. ArmorClear is made of clear polyethylene, making it ideal for situations where light transmission is required.
ArmorCover is another powerful, durable geomembrane tarp that BTL manufactures. This is a reinforced blend of layered low- and high-density polyethylene. This time however, the layers of material are not translucent, allowing light to pass through. This is the ideal material for greenhouse coverage where light deprivation is needed.
Why not just use a basic run of the mill tarp? Afterall, it’s only rain. However, not every material is as durable as geomembranes. Cheap or thin plastics will degrade quickly with use or damage and rough conditions like severe weather or corrosive materials will strip the material and make damage more likely.
