PSA: I was wrong about using a tarp to protect grass during a big oak removal

I argued with a crew member for 30 minutes that it was a waste of time, but after a 3-day job in heavy rain, the lawn underneath was perfect while the rest was torn up. Anyone have a better method than a standard 20x20 tarp?

3 comments

3 Comments

nathan_webb2mo ago

How much do those woven mats cost compared to a heavy tarp? Julia622 has a point about them for driveways, but for grass a tarp seems like the cheap win even with the wet fold-up struggle.

julia6223mo ago

Ray_king is right about wrestling with tarps, but they're worth the fight. I once skipped one for a small maple job and spent two hours fixing ruts in the customer's lawn. Now we use those thick woven ground protection mats for driveways, but a heavy duty tarp is still our go-to for grass. It's a pain to fold when it's wet and muddy, but you can't argue with a perfect lawn after the fact.

ray_king3mo ago

Wait you argued for THIRTY minutes? That's wild, I would've given up after like five. Tarps are a pain but man they work. I still hate wrestling with them though.