I was going to post this in a thread about tarps but alas....I could not find it.
After my guys burned the tops of a few plants when using black plastic AND clear plastic I decided to look around. I've often thought of using Tyvek but just never tried it. Well, I bought a roll, it comes 150'x9'. I cut it into several pieces for different applications.
The bad side: My guys HATE it. It's noisy as all get out.
My guys hate it I think because it's noisy and it does not "lay" well. It's a bit harder to work with than plastic and they have to rinse both sides every time (my rule) where the clear plastic was a use once and toss in the trash.
The noise it creates when the mix or rinse hits it is super loud and can be disturbing to the homeowner inside as well as making it difficult to communicate.
The good side: I love it. Keeps the plants cool. It's super tough. Easy to "shape". It's noisy......:}
After the first day I was sold. The temps were over 100* and we were roasting but the plants under the white material were cool. Cooler than if the sun were beating down on them!
The material is so tough we just don't need to worry about ripping it or poking holes in it.
We can actually "shape" it in a way. Unlike a normal tarp or plastic, which tends to rest on top of whatever you put it on, the Tyvek can be placed over delicate plants and does not need to rest on the plant itself.
Next is the noise....love the noise. The guys no longer get to take their minds off the job and chat....they can't hear each other.....:} I'm making it sound worse than it really is but it is some noisy stuff. When you are setting up the homeowner hears all the commotion and feels like you and your ground guy are really moving and getting things done.
I also cut the material lengthwise so I have pieces that are 4 1/2' wide. I place them along the drip line and no longer need to worry about the grass. Just pre-wet the material or create collection pockets. Then just allow your water hose to run and it cools and dilutes the mix. You can even drag it around to spread the mix.
Going one step further I can also use it as a sales aide! I often get questioned about the SH cancelling out the termite shield. Well, I can divert the mix away from the foundation to eliminate this as an issue.
Art O said
Aug 16, 2015
Can't you just pre wet and pop a few vent holes in the plastic to let the hot air out. I never have a problem.
Fred W said
Aug 16, 2015
Art,
We always pre-wet and no matter how many holes you put in any of the plastics they just get hot and so do the tarps. Also, holes allow for the mix to hit the plants and defeats the purpose.
Burning plants has been my nemesis since I started. I've watched others, changed my mix ratio's, changed surfactants, tried plant wash and other plant foods, prayed and nothing has ever worked out well enough.
I'm on a mission to burn nothing in our gutterless town.
Art O said
Aug 16, 2015
Tell your roof tec to keep the mix on the roof and not on everything below it.
Fred W said
Aug 16, 2015
I'm not talking about gallons of sauce here......you are able to achieve zero runoff?
waxman18324 said
Aug 16, 2015
Doug,
With the heat and lack of gutters in Louisiana I can understand the direction you went with. Please forgive me for this question...do you tarp every house even if it had gutters?
Hank
Fred W said
Aug 16, 2015
Not sure what to forgive you for Hank but sure, I forgive you....:}
No, if the home has gutters we don't need to tarp. I do protect the trees at the roof line though. I use little squeeze clamps to hold the Tyvek in place so the mist does not create an issue.
Gutters are awesome. Just allow the mix to run down and collect at the downspout. No real worries about mist or anything.
Jeff Thompson said
Aug 16, 2015
Interesting.
What do you mean by "shape it". I never thought of Tyvek as being pliable and holding a shape.
Secondly, does SH mess with pest control applications? Never been asked or even considered the possibility until you mentioned it.
waxman18324 said
Aug 16, 2015
Doug,
I was just curious. We are blessed up here with plenty of gutters, cool nights and a ton of shade. The latter provides us with a living.
Hank
Fred W said
Aug 16, 2015
Jeff Thompson wrote:
Interesting.
What do you mean by "shape it". I never thought of Tyvek as being pliable and holding a shape.
The Tyvek is a little more rigid than most everything else. So you can easily create pockets/shapes around the plants that are a bit more delicate. We just use little clamps to help them stay where we put them.
Jeff Thompson wrote:
Secondly, does SH mess with pest control applications? Never been asked or even considered the possibility until you mentioned it.
It's been said that the SH will void a termite warranty and I get asked once every few months. I think some pest control applicators would use anything to void a warranty if a claim was ever filed so we do take the added steps when there is an issue raised.
Fred W said
Aug 16, 2015
waxman18324 wrote:
Doug,
I was just curious. We are blessed up here with plenty of gutters, cool nights and a ton of shade. The latter provides us with a living.
Hank
That's awesome Hank. Anytime we feel blessed is awesome. I do charge more for homes without gutters or for gutters that drain where they shouldn't.
I was going to post this in a thread about tarps but alas....I could not find it.
After my guys burned the tops of a few plants when using black plastic AND clear plastic I decided to look around. I've often thought of using Tyvek but just never tried it. Well, I bought a roll, it comes 150'x9'. I cut it into several pieces for different applications.
The bad side:
My guys HATE it.
It's noisy as all get out.
My guys hate it I think because it's noisy and it does not "lay" well. It's a bit harder to work with than plastic and they have to rinse both sides every time (my rule) where the clear plastic was a use once and toss in the trash.
The noise it creates when the mix or rinse hits it is super loud and can be disturbing to the homeowner inside as well as making it difficult to communicate.
The good side:
I love it.
Keeps the plants cool.
It's super tough.
Easy to "shape".
It's noisy......:}
After the first day I was sold. The temps were over 100* and we were roasting but the plants under the white material were cool. Cooler than if the sun were beating down on them!
The material is so tough we just don't need to worry about ripping it or poking holes in it.
We can actually "shape" it in a way. Unlike a normal tarp or plastic, which tends to rest on top of whatever you put it on, the Tyvek can be placed over delicate plants and does not need to rest on the plant itself.
Next is the noise....love the noise. The guys no longer get to take their minds off the job and chat....they can't hear each other.....:}
I'm making it sound worse than it really is but it is some noisy stuff. When you are setting up the homeowner hears all the commotion and feels like you and your ground guy are really moving and getting things done.
I also cut the material lengthwise so I have pieces that are 4 1/2' wide. I place them along the drip line and no longer need to worry about the grass. Just pre-wet the material or create collection pockets. Then just allow your water hose to run and it cools and dilutes the mix. You can even drag it around to spread the mix.
Going one step further I can also use it as a sales aide! I often get questioned about the SH cancelling out the termite shield. Well, I can divert the mix away from the foundation to eliminate this as an issue.
We always pre-wet and no matter how many holes you put in any of the plastics they just get hot and so do the tarps. Also, holes allow for the mix to hit the plants and defeats the purpose.
Burning plants has been my nemesis since I started. I've watched others, changed my mix ratio's, changed surfactants, tried plant wash and other plant foods, prayed and nothing has ever worked out well enough.
I'm on a mission to burn nothing in our gutterless town.
With the heat and lack of gutters in Louisiana I can understand the direction you went with. Please forgive me for this question...do you tarp every house even if it had gutters?
Hank
No, if the home has gutters we don't need to tarp. I do protect the trees at the roof line though. I use little squeeze clamps to hold the Tyvek in place so the mist does not create an issue.
Gutters are awesome. Just allow the mix to run down and collect at the downspout. No real worries about mist or anything.
What do you mean by "shape it". I never thought of Tyvek as being pliable and holding a shape.
Secondly, does SH mess with pest control applications? Never been asked or even considered the possibility until you mentioned it.
I was just curious. We are blessed up here with plenty of gutters, cool nights and a ton of shade. The latter provides us with a living.
Hank
The Tyvek is a little more rigid than most everything else. So you can easily create pockets/shapes around the plants that are a bit more delicate. We just use little clamps to help them stay where we put them.
It's been said that the SH will void a termite warranty and I get asked once every few months. I think some pest control applicators would use anything to void a warranty if a claim was ever filed so we do take the added steps when there is an issue raised.
That's awesome Hank. Anytime we feel blessed is awesome. I do charge more for homes without gutters or for gutters that drain where they shouldn't.