Plastic Tarpaulins vs PVC: Which Should You Buy?

Key takeaways

• Cheap polyethylene plastic sheeting suits short jobs; heavy-duty PVC tarpaulins are built for years of outdoor exposure.

• Ultraviolet light is the main enemy of plastic tarps, breaking polyethylene down through photo-oxidation until it cracks and tears.

• Match the tarp to the job: light PE for a weekend cover, PVC for permanent loads, structures and vehicles.

• Order by weight, coating and reinforcement rather than colour, and give exact dimensions to avoid stretching a sheet past its rated span.

If you only need to cover a woodpile for a weekend, a cheap plastic tarpaulin will do the job. If you need a cover that survives months of sun, wind and rain, buy a heavy-duty PVC tarpaulin instead. The two products look similar on a shelf, yet they behave very differently once the weather goes to work on them. This guide explains the real difference so you can spend on the grade your job actually needs.

What Is the Difference Between Plastic Tarpaulins and PVC?

Most cheap plastic tarpaulins are made from woven polyethylene, a thin, flexible material sold by weight and thickness. PVC tarpaulins are heavier, built from a polyester fabric coated on both sides with polyvinyl chloride. That coating is what turns a fabric into a genuine waterproof barrier.

Polyethylene sheeting is light, easy to fold and inexpensive. It suits temporary jobs where a tear or a short lifespan does not matter. PVC tarpaulins trade that low price for weight, strength and a fully sealed surface that keeps water out even under standing loads.

The gap in raw strength is measurable. Common polyethylene grades show tensile strength in the low tens of megapascals, with low-density PE around 4 to 16 MPa and high-density PE reaching the 20 to 38 MPa range (MatWeb). A coated PVC tarpaulin uses a woven polyester core precisely because that base carries far higher pulling loads before it tears.

How Do Durability, UV Resistance and Lifespan Compare?

Sunlight is the deciding factor. Ultraviolet radiation attacks polyethylene through photo-oxidation, breaking the polymer's chemical bonds and generating free radicals that react with oxygen. The result is brittleness, discolouration, surface cracking and a steady loss of tensile strength (MDPI, Applied Sciences, 2023).

That is why a thin, unprotected plastic sheet can look chalky and start to flake after a single hot season. UV-stabilised polyethylene lasts longer because additives slow the reaction, but those additives are consumed as they work, so protection fades with exposure.

PVC tarpaulins resist the sun better for two reasons. The PVC coating shields the polyester core, and manufacturers blend UV stabilisers into that coating from the start. Government material researchers use controlled high-intensity UV chambers to study exactly this kind of weathering, because natural degradation is slow and hard to observe in real time (NIST). Their work confirms a simple point for buyers: outdoor plastics fail from the sun first, and a heavier, coated material buys you years rather than months.

Abrasion and flexing matter too. A tarp that rubs against a load or flaps in the wind wears at the folds. The woven polyester inside a PVC tarpaulin holds up to that repeated stress far better than a thin PE film, which tends to split once a small tear starts.

What Are the Best Uses for Lightweight Plastic Tarpaulins?

Lightweight polyethylene tarps earn their place on short, low-stakes jobs. Think of covering a woodpile, keeping dust off furniture during a renovation, lining the back of a trailer for a single trip, or throwing a quick cover over garden tools before a storm. In these cases the low price is the whole point.

They also work well indoors and in shade, where UV is not attacking the material. A painter's drop sheet or a temporary floor cover can be the cheapest plastic on the shelf, because it never faces the sun and gets replaced often.

The limitation is time and exposure. Once a light plastic tarp lives outdoors for weeks in strong sun, it stops being a bargain. You end up buying two or three replacements, plus dealing with the mess of a shredded sheet. For anything that stays outside, the maths usually favours a sturdier grade.

When Should You Upgrade to Heavy-Duty PVC?

Upgrade to PVC the moment the cover has to stay outside, protect something valuable, or take real physical stress. A heavy-duty PVC tarpaulin is fully waterproof, resists UV for years, and shrugs off the abrasion that destroys thin plastic. For any long-term or high-value cover, it is the sensible buy.

Clear signs you need PVC include a cover that stays up for a full season or longer, a load that faces wind on the open road, a surface that rubs against edges or ropes, and anything where a leak would cause expensive damage. Pool covers, marquee tents, lapa blinds, tipper tarps and bakkie covers all fall into this group, which is why Modern Tarps builds these from heavy PVC rather than light sheeting.

Vehicle covers deserve special attention. A tipper or bakkie cover flexes constantly and meets a strong wind at highway speed. A light plastic sheet will flap loose and tear apart within a trip or two, while a reinforced PVC cover with proper edges and fastenings stays put. Spending once on the right grade beats replacing a cheap sheet every month.

How Do You Order the Right Grade for Your Job?

Order by weight, coating and reinforcement rather than by colour or price alone. State how long the tarp must last, what it will cover, and the conditions it faces. Those three answers point straight to the correct material, so you neither overpay for a one-week job nor under-buy for a permanent cover.

Start with exposure. For a short indoor or shaded task, a light polyethylene tarp is fine. For anything living outdoors for months, choose a coated PVC tarpaulin with UV stabilisers built in. Match the weight to the duty as well, since heavier PVC handles industrial loads, wind and structures better than a lighter grade.

Measure carefully and give exact dimensions. A tarp stretched past its span sags, pools water and tears at the eyelets, so the right size protects the material as much as the load. Reinforced hems, welded seams and rust-resistant eyelets all extend service life, and they matter most on covers that carry tension.

Finally, buy the finishing that suits the job. Custom sizing, proper edge reinforcement and the right fastenings turn a good material into a cover that actually lasts. Modern Tarps manufactures heavy-duty PVC tarpaulins, custom pool covers, tipper tarps and bakkie covers to measure, with door-to-door delivery and installation across Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo, so the grade and fit match the work in front of you.

If you are unsure which grade fits your job, list the size, the exposure and what you are protecting, then ask for a made-to-measure PVC cover rather than settling for a stock plastic sheet that will not last the season.

Frequently asked questions

Are plastic tarpaulins and PVC tarpaulins the same thing?

No. Most cheap plastic tarps are woven polyethylene, a lightweight material. PVC tarpaulins use a coated polyester base that is heavier, fully waterproof and far more resistant to sun and abrasion.

How long does a cheap plastic tarpaulin last outdoors?

Left in direct sun, thin polyethylene sheeting often lasts only one or two seasons before ultraviolet light makes it brittle. UV-stabilised versions last longer, but rarely match a PVC tarp for lifespan.

When is a PVC tarpaulin worth the extra cost?

Choose PVC when the cover stays outside for months or years, protects valuable goods, faces wind and abrasion, or needs to be fully waterproof. The longer service life usually offsets the higher upfront price.

What grade of tarpaulin do I need for a tipper or bakkie?

Vehicle covers need heavy, reinforced PVC that resists wind flap, abrasion and constant flexing. A light plastic sheet will shred at highway speed, so a purpose-made PVC tipper or bakkie cover is the safer choice.