Caution with drying structures covered with silver tarps

[Jack in NB]

Had a 10 x 20 tarp covered garage set up to store tractor, mower, and last year's tobacco crop, hanging from the rafters.

It collapsed in a January snowstorm this year. There was little breakage to any of the contents, but the silver tarp shed tiny silver particles onto the tobacco leaves. I'd guess the tarp was 3 years old. Probably a newer tarp wuold not have had the same fall-out.

I'm not sure how toxic the stuff may be, so I'm cleaning as much as possible off the leaves before shredding.

It's a bugger of a job - takes 3 minutes or more for each contaminated leaf using a vacuum cleaner with a small brush attachment. That just about doubles the time it takes me to grow and process a normal crop! Fortunately the silver shows up well - reflecting the light like mica particles.

Just a heads-up that may save somebody else some grief.

 

[Cerasaan]

Thanks, Jack.
Now its to plan B. I got a hold of some scrap roofing tin that I am going to use under my deck to keep water from dripping thru, kind of like a roof on the underside of my deck
then I'll close it in and also use as a storage shed. I am planning on growing my own next year & I'll need a place to store it, because the wife said there is no way that s#it is coming inside.
I got a line on a dead upright freezer to use as a kiln also.
Ted.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Thanks, Jack.
Now its to plan B I got a hold of some scrap roofing tin that I am going to use under my deck to keep water from dripping thru, kind of like a roof on the underside of my deck
.

Be careful, I did the same thing and it made a perfect environment for raccoons and possums to move into. You will also need to add some furring strips of varying thickness to screw your sheet metal to. That way the metal will have a slight slope to allow the water to drain away.

 

[Cerasaan]

Be careful, I did the same thing and it made a perfect environment for raccoons and possums to move into.

We don't have coons & possums here, but we do have skunks.

will also need to add some furring strips of varying thickness to screw your sheet metal to. That way the metal will have a slight slope to allow the water to drain away.