Blue tarps are a medium duty tarp that is used for a variety of purposes ranging from a construction tarp to a camping tarp to a roof tarp for a hurricane. As a medium duty tarp, a plastic blue tarp has a ten by ten dernier count and thickness of six mil. On a construction site, a blue tarp can be used as a tarp cover to cover temporarily any materials and equipment, as even a medium duty plastic tarp is still waterproof and rot resistant.

Blue tarps, notably, are used as roof tarps and, once set in place, can become a temporary roof patch – even on a construction site. A roof tarp doesn't work by itself, however, and additional supplies should be on should be a hammer, nails, and wood two-by-fours. The basic mechanism of using a roof tarp to protect your roof involves wrapping one end of the tarp in a board and nailing it to the roof. The same thing should be done to the opposite end. The remaining two ends not wrapped around a wood two-by-four board should also be nailed down with wood boards. One important aspect to remember when using a blue roof tarp to tarp a roof is to never stand directly on the tarp itself. The tarps can be removed from the roof or window when you're ready to make a proper repair.