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Tarps have little round hole reinforcements called grommets. There are many different kinds of grommets, but tarp grommets are particularly important. Tarps would not be the same without them.
Tarps need grommets to make them more useful. Because of grommets, you can tie down white tarps to boats, silver tarps to roofs, or blue tarps to the beds of trucks. All you have to do is to string rope or twine through the grommet eyelets and tie the ends to whatever you are securing the tarps to.
Furthermore, if plain holes were cut in the tarpaulins to pass the rope through, there would be a tendency to tear. Grommets bear the force of the tie-down without damaging the tarp. Even heavy duty tarps would tear quickly without the reinforcement of grommets.
Different metals are used in making grommets. The main criteria is that they be strong and rust free. Brass grommets are a good choice because they are especially stout, and do not rust or break. Aluminum grommets are also fine grommets for tarps, although they are not as attractive against canvas tarps as brass ones are.
If you are browsing for tarpaulins, you will find that the metals they are made of are not always identified. This is not really a problem, as long as the tarp company guarantees their tarp grommets are rust free.
Grommets should be placed in tarps at regular intervals around the entire outside edge. For canvas tarps, the spacing should be about one every 24 inches. This gives plenty of strength for tying down the tarp. Poly tarps need to have grommets a little closer together, approximately every 18 inches.
There should always be a grommet in each corner of a tarpaulin. Also, under the grommets, there should be strips of reinforcing tape to give a stable surface where the grommet can be attached. If for some reason grommets come loose in the lifetime of a tarp, there are grommet repair kits to make your tarps like new again.
Heavy duty tarps and lightweight tarps alike need grommets to make them complete. A tarp would not serve very many functions if you did not have the ability to tie it down without tearing it. Next time you are looking for tarps, make sure you get the ones with adequate grommets.
To extend the life of the tarp you can buy grommets made of plastic to add to your tarp to give it extra protection and strength. Many different styles are available and are a way of improving the tie down area of the tarp. Grommet kits are another way of repairing tarps and are a cost effective way of extending the life of the tarp.
