# Insulated Tarps



## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

He should have kept his stock up and let the wind blow. 

Hardest part of the tent business is changing your mindset regarding what weather can hurt you. The wind becomes your enemy, not the rain/snow/cold. 

Fiber mesh is the only way to go. I set up at least a couple times each year.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Kniggit said:


> We've tented off entry areas with visqueen but the wind beats them to death, just isn't quite cost effective




I would say,just about everyone of us masons on this site love what we do. We would not spend our days doing it and evenings talking about it if we did not.


With all that said,IMHO,there are somethings that were made to do in warm weather,like swimming,farming,baseball and masonry.:laughing:


If the average mason contractor had the courage to add up all the expenses attributed to "winter protection" it would probably be real scary.

I 'M thoroughly convinced that only under the most unusual circumstances is it cost effective. The reality of the matter,and I totally agree it goes against our grain,we would probably be money ahead if we tapped on the door of the local "fry pit " in our neighborhood and flipped burgers with our margin trowels every winter.:laughing:


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

CJKarl said:


> I can see that 160' x 20' tent being a little dangerous.




A little dangerous is not the word for it. That would be like saying the last ride on the Edmond Fitzgerald was a little scary and a little dangerous.:laughing:


But if that is the job at hand then here are your choices,set up winter protection or stay home.


That is why I say,in only the most unusual of circumstances is it truly cost effective.


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

fjn said:


> I 'M thoroughly convinced that only under the most unusual circumstances is it cost effective. The reality of the matter,and I totally agree it goes against our grain,we would probably be money ahead if we tapped on the door of the local "fry pit " in our neighborhood and flipped burgers with our margin trowels every winter.:laughing:


Doing a house or foundation would be a lot more costly and annoying in the winter then chimney work for sure. I've worked every winter we have a job to do though. Yanking tarps and heaters around like eskimos.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

dakzaag said:


> He should have kept his stock up and let the wind blow.




The stock was totally up,the planks were loaded to the gills. Imagine the force to lift the outside legs 8-12" while the outriggers are pushing and wrecking the fresh work !


The choice to cut the fiber visqueen was the same mindset as if you had a 12" block tied on each foot and someone threw you in a lake while you had a knife in your hand. Would you take the time to untie the knots or cut the rope ? :laughing:


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## NYCB (Sep 20, 2010)

Kniggit said:


> Anyone have pics of their tent setups? We've tented off entry areas with visqueen but the wind beats them to death, just isn't quite cost effective


I don't do them usually.

Last year I had a popup sun tent and put plastic in the sides, I would move it right down the wall with the heater in it, kept my stone and mortar in the garage to keep it warm and used hot water.

Working in tents sucks, luckily I am in a position so I can just call it a year and hang out with my kid through the winter.

All that said, I have to tent in a block wall this week, I got it halfway done before the freeze and deer season hit us, supposed to thaw on Monday and I have to finish it up.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

If I could i would do little stone skirt walls all winter long. You know the ones, 3 or 4' high with sills running along the top. Easy to setup and you can make some money. over 1 story is a huge pain.


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## Kniggit (Apr 11, 2013)

House I started yesterday has a huge covered patio that has an outdoor fireplace and kitchen that will probably be a couple of weeks of work that would be easy to tent if I have to.


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## krislemon (Jun 21, 2014)

A winter job from a few years back. Lots of snow and wind.


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## Fouthgeneration (Jan 7, 2014)

Free standing shacks need cable anchors both ways... As k's post shows,

Were the screw jacks fastened to the Mud sills? Were goosers or mud sills install at right angles to the wall used to brace the open ends of the bottom walk through frames?
"firewalling" long walls at control joints with a internal divider reduces risks/repair costs.
My personal experience is that making $ sheltering Masonry requires skilled enclosure builders that are in peak physical shape, plenty of material fasteners, and decent doors for restocking and mortar delivery. Natural Gas if available can save nearly 75% of fuel costs.

boom lifts and man lifts allow the fat, old, and the lame to help build shacks too. 

Historical wind speed peaks can used to set minimums of the shelters wind resistance, I shoot for 95% survival rates for each use of the shack....

For me the money earned during the winter allows for more/newer equipment and greater quality of help as I get closer to 2K hours for the my employees/self, much of the costs of can be offset by reduced workmen's Comp and unemployment rates.


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## Fancis Casini (Jan 31, 2013)

JBM said:


> Pretty soon everything we do is tented and we have a kero heater on a thermostat. It's 50 overnight and none of the material ever gets cold. Show up and mix and work.


Yep I like them too...be sure to turn the pump by hand if it sat ...they like to seize and break the plastic coupler....
I still have the kero/diesel heaters they use in the orange groves.
The carpenters call it R2D2 LOL 
They are great but use kero or they'll kill ya in fumes....we'd place them every 30' or so and heat two stories of tarped in staging.
5 gal a day putter all day no electricity...nice to eat lunch around/toast your sandwich on etc.....

I have a pic of one I still have.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

Obviously,everyone has their own business model that works best for them regarding winter work and "tenting". Aside from sucking in kerosene fumes for 8 hours a day,which cannot be a healthy practice,most concrete specs. disallow the usage of kerosene heaters in the area of fresh concrete. Reason being,the fumes have detrimental effects on the portland cement of fresh concrete.

Can those same fumes have adverse effects on the fresh mortar containing opc ? IMHO,it certainly cannot be counted on the beneficial side of the equation.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Propane is used more often on larger projects in my experience, even natural gas as I think 4thgen said. Some of the commercial guys even use radiant heat via glycol running in tubes along the scaffold...a VERY pleasant heat to work in. Some use forced air.

In my opinion if you can get the scaffold setup securely and you price the job to include all hoarding costs and heating then you are miles ahead to work all winter long. While I love ice fishing/drinking, I like making money just that tiny little bit more. Unfortunately for me I don't generally do large projects, I'm mostly a residential guy so if i work in the winter I work twice as hard for 1/2 the pay...but at least I'm keeping the wolves at bay and I'm not using the money I've set aside as reserve to keep me afloat


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

dom-mas said:


> Propane is used more often on larger projects in my experience, even natural gas as I think 4thgen said. Some of the commercial guys even use radiant heat via glycol running in tubes along the scaffold...a VERY pleasant heat to work in. Some use forced air.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

After the first job the tarp has plenty of holes in it for ventilation I think. It is important to make sure they are burning cleanly though. Many jobs my eyes have been burning all day. That's not worth it to me anymore.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

JBM said:


> After the first job the tarp has plenty of holes in it for ventilation I think. It is important to make sure they are burning cleanly though. Many jobs my eyes have been burning all day. That's not worth it to me anymore.




I'M with you,if your eyes are burning,what are your lungs doing ?


As far as the tarp having holes for ventilation,that is great however,it makes about as much sense to me as trying to heat a corn crib.:laughing:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

fjn said:


> dom-mas said:
> 
> 
> > Read the second and third from last paragraphs ,Canada is mentioned in this article.
> ...


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

dom-mas said:


> fjn said:
> 
> 
> > A home is very different from a tent village. Lots of fresh air coming into any enclosure i build....No matter how tight I try to make them. Stitching with 3" nails just isn't the same as a modern or even an older home
> ...


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

fjn said:


> dom-mas said:
> 
> 
> > Totally agreed upon. That is why I said it makes about as much sense to me as trying to heat a corn crib.:laughing:
> ...


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## brickhook (May 8, 2012)

I went in to work this morning and built the firebox so I can start the throat tomorrow. It was really cold in the house ,so I ran my space heater all morning. 

I didn't notice the fumes, but when I got home, my wife kept fussing about me reeking like fuel! 

Just like fjn said, it can't be healthy :no:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

I've been tarped in for 2 weeks. Orange insulated tarps. Don't need a light until 4:30 or so


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

What sizes do those tarps come in?


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

Think I got 12x20


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

As far as heat. Even though the propane doesn't stink it really bothers my nose and eyes after a whole day. I'll take the kero on a thermostat. 
I do have a small propane infrared fo spot warming, hardly burns any fuel and no dried out eyes or nose.


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