Membrane Offers Affordable Protection For Round Bales

Membrane Offers Affordable Protection For Round Bales BALE HANDLING im Evensberger of Clinton Iowa has found an innovative way to protect his round hay bales—repurposed TPO membrane TPO thermoplastic polyolefin is a single-ply white membrane used in roofing Thanks to its color TPO reflects heat instead of absorbing it which keeps the material below it cooler Evensberger bales his round bales with twine wrap so they collect water as they sit in the field He didn’t have a large hay shed to store them so he bought a hay tarp and watched in frustration as it blew off in the wind “I was always messing with it; it didn’t work at all ” he says His son was in construction so when a hailstorm raged through town destroying roofs they gained access to excess steel sheets they secured together to cover the bales “It was heavy and hard to maneuver but it worked ” Then inspiration struck “I saw an ad for repurposedMATERIALS and thought about the other materials used for fixing roofs They sold these 10-ft rolls of TPO membrane So I thought ‘this could work ’” RepurposedMATERIALS specializes in pairing commercial waste with buyers who can use it It sells TPO roof membrane rolls at its six locations Ohio Iowa South Carolina Texas Arizona and Colorado and ships nationwide Pricing may vary by location but ranges from $250 to $300 per 1 000 to 1 200 sq ft 10 ft by 100 ft and 12 ft by 100 ft rolls respectively Evensberger bought the membrane and added tarp grommets spaced every 4 ft around the bales to keep the TPO down “The TPO doesn’t have seams so water just runs right off it Some of our bales have sat under it 6 to 8 mos already and they only have a little water at the base ” he says “Plus it’s easy to roll up and store in the hay shed We’re still using the steel but this is a lot easier to work with ” Evensberger has no complaints about his custom hay covering system and recommends other farmers consider it “Buying TPO is a whole lot cheaper than the $30 to $40k I’d need for a barn and it helps avoid the risk of a hay fire People don’t like storing round bales indoors; this is a straightforward alternative ” And for purchasing the TPO membrane? He recommends repurposedMATERIALS “Can’t beat the price on it I’ll swing by whenever I’m in the area to pick up more ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Jim Evensberger Clinton Iowa 52732 ph 563-357-4137; www repurposedmaterialsinc com

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