Emergency Roof Tarping After a Storm

Decide If You Should Go Up at All

A leak causes damage you can fix. A fall from a roof can cause injuries you cannot. Before you set up a ladder, be honest about the roof and yourself.

Never go up during a storm, in the dark, or on a wet or icy roof. Asphalt shingles covered in wet leaves and grit are as slick as ice. Wait for the storm to pass and the surface to dry. In the meantime, you can protect the inside of the home, which often matters more.

Protect the Inside While You Wait

Most of the damage from a roof leak happens indoors, and you can limit it from the ground.

• Move furniture, electronics and rugs out of the drip area. Cover what cannot move with plastic sheeting.
• Put buckets or bins under drips. Lay towels around them to catch splashes.
• If a ceiling is bulging with water, keep people out from under it. A small hole poked at the lowest point of the bulge lets water drain into a bucket in a controlled way. Stand to the side, not underneath, and do not do this if the bulge is near a light fixture.
• If water is dripping near light fixtures, outlets or ceiling fans, turn off that circuit at the breaker, but only if you can reach the panel standing on a dry floor.
• Check the attic with a flashlight if you can get there safely. Wet insulation should be pulled back or removed so it does not hold water against the drywall.

Start drying as soon as the water stops. Wet drywall and insulation can grow mold in 24 to 48 hours.

Buy the Right Tarp and Hardware

The cheap blue tarps sold for camping tear in the first strong wind. For a roof, look for these features.

• Heavy duty polyethylene, about 10 mil or thicker, labeled UV resistant, with reinforced corners and grommets every 2 to 3 feet.
• Size. The tarp must cover the damage plus at least 4 feet on each side, and it must reach over the ridge onto the other side of the roof by at least 4 feet. Measure before you shop. For a 4 by 4 foot hole halfway up a 14 foot slope, you might need a 12 by 20 foot tarp. Buy bigger if unsure.
• Lumber. 2x4 boards to wrap the edges. Buy enough to run along all four sides.
• Fasteners. Exterior grade wood screws about 3 inches long hold far better than nails in wind.

Do not use bricks, cinder blocks, tires or rocks to hold a tarp down. Wind lifts the tarp, and heavy objects slide off the roof onto people, cars and windows below.

How to Lay the Tarp So Water Runs Off

The most common tarping mistake is a tarp that stops short of the ridge. Rain runs down the roof, gets under the top edge, and pours into the hole you meant to cover.

1. Unroll the tarp from the ridge down the damaged side, with at least 4 feet draped over the ridge onto the far slope.
2. Check that it covers at least 4 feet past the damage on the left, right and bottom.
3. Keep the tarp smooth and tight. Loose tarps flap, and flapping tears grommets and shreds the tarp in a day or two.
4. Water should shed from the ridge down the tarp and off the bottom edge, like a second layer of shingles.

If the damage is right at the ridge, the tarp needs to run down both sides by several feet. On a roof with a valley near the damage, have a pro do it. Valleys carry a lot of water, and a poorly lapped tarp can funnel it inside.

Fasten It With Boards, Not Just Nails

Nails through a tarp alone will tear out in wind. The standard method is to sandwich the tarp edges with 2x4 boards and screw the boards to the roof.

1. Wrap the edge of the tarp around a 2x4, rolling it two or three times so the board is inside the tarp.
2. Lay the wrapped board flat on the roof along the edge.
3. Drive 3 inch exterior screws through the board and tarp into the roof deck every 12 to 24 inches. Aim for solid decking or rafters.
4. Do this on the far side over the ridge first, then the bottom edge, then both sides.
5. For large tarps, add a second board screwed on top of the first along the edges that face the wind.

Yes, screws will leave small holes in the shingles. The roofer will seal or replace those during the permanent repair, and they cost far less than a tarp that blows off. Keep screws out of the damaged area, where the decking may be weak.

Insurance, Receipts and Contractors

Most homeowners policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent more damage after a storm, and the cost of emergency tarping is usually part of the claim.

• Photograph the damage before the tarp goes on, from the ground and, if you are safely up there, from the roof.
• Photograph the tarp after it is on.
• Keep receipts for the tarp, lumber, screws, buckets, fans and any pro service.
• Tell your insurer you tarped and when.

After big storms, door to door contractors appear quickly. A tarp should be a simple, priced job. Be careful about any contract that asks you to sign over your insurance benefits just to get a tarp, and read every page before you sign. After certain federally declared disasters, a free temporary roof program run by the Army Corps of Engineers has covered eligible homes, so ask local emergency officials if one is active.

A tarp is temporary. Heavy duty tarps usually hold for 30 to 90 days, and sun and wind wear them down. Check it after every storm and get the permanent repair scheduled.

Step by Step

1. Wait for Safe Conditions

   Stay off the roof until the storm has passed, the wind has dropped and the surface is dry. Check that no power lines are near the roof or ladder path.

2. Photograph the Damage

   Take photos and video of the roof damage and any interior leaks before you cover anything.

3. Measure and Buy

   Measure the damage and add 4 feet on each side plus 4 feet over the ridge. Buy a heavy duty UV resistant tarp, 2x4 boards and 3 inch exterior screws.

4. Set the Ladder Right

   Set the ladder on firm ground with the base 1 foot out for every 4 feet of height, extending 3 feet above the roof edge. Have a helper hold it.

5. Clear the Area

   Sweep away loose debris, branches and broken shingles from where the tarp will lie. Avoid stepping near the damaged area.

6. Lay the Tarp Over the Ridge

   Unroll the tarp from the ridge down across the damage, with at least 4 feet draped over the far side. Pull it smooth and tight.

7. Anchor the Top Edge

   Roll the far edge of the tarp around a 2x4 and screw it through to the roof deck every 12 to 24 inches.

8. Anchor the Other Edges

   Repeat with boards along the bottom and both sides. Keep screws out of the damaged area.

9. Check From Inside

   Once the next rain comes, check the attic and ceilings for drips. Adjust or add to the tarp if water still gets in.

10. Schedule the Real Repair

    Give your insurer the photos and receipts and get the permanent repair booked. Inspect the tarp after every storm.

Mistakes That Make It Worse

• Going up during the storm or on a wet roof. Most roof falls happen when people rush.
• Stopping the tarp short of the ridge. Water runs under the top edge and straight into the hole.
• Holding the tarp down with bricks or tires. They slide off and hurt people or break things below.
• Using a thin camping tarp. It shreds in the first strong wind.
• Leaving a tarp up for months. UV and wind break it down and the leak comes back.

Where You Live Matters