If water is leaking into the interior of your home after a hurricane, it is vital to contact a professional to repair roof damage as quickly as possible.
Because they are in high demand after a storm, it may be a few weeks or even months before you can schedule service, but many professionals can show you how to tarp a roof as a temporary solution to keep your home’s interior from being damaged by leaking water.
Locating the Leak in the Roof
Before tarping your roof, we must first locate the source of the leak. While this is sometimes obvious due to penetrating objects such as tree limbs or debris, other times it is difficult to see where water is leaking into your home.
The easiest way to locate a leak is to inspect your attic for dripping water, but we may also climb onto the roof to examine the shingles if the attic isn’t accessible.
Gather Your Tarp Supplies
Once we have located the leak, we will have a better understanding of how extensive the damage is. In some cases, we will only have to tarp a small portion of the roof, while a severe situation may require us to cover the entire roof.
Regardless of which option is needed, we will use the following supplies to complete the project.
- A heavy-duty tarp
- 3” screws or galvanized nails
- Enough 2 X 4 boards to cover the perimeter of the tarp
- A cordless drill
- A ladder
If your roof has been punctured during the storm, we will also use a sheet of 3/8” plywood to cover the hole securely underneath the tarp. We keep these supplies on hand, so we are always ready to provide fast service when the weather clears after a hurricane.
Clean the Roof
Powerful storms often litter roofs with debris such as leaves and tree limbs. While this debris may not be causing any damage to your home, it can prevent a tarp from offering full protection to your roof. Because of this, it is essential to remove all debris before tarping a roof. First, we remove any
penetrating debris and cover holes in the roof with plywood. Then, we use a stiff broom to sweep off the roof and effectively remove all dirt and leaves from the affected area.
Place the Tarp On Your Roof
Once the roof has been cleaned, we can place the tarp over the leak. The tarp we use will be thick and heavy-duty, and it will also be large enough to cover the damaged area of the roof with an excess of 2-3 feet on all sides. For roofs with extensive damage, this could require us to use a tarp that will cover your entire roof.
Fasten the Tarp In Place
There are two methods we use to secure the tarp to your roof, depending upon if we need to cover your entire roof or just a portion. Both require the use of 2 x 4 boards, but the execution is different.
If we need to cover your entire roof, we first wrap the edges of the tarp around the boards and then secure the 2 x 4s to the underside of the roof, stretching the tarp over the entire roof. We make sure the tarp is secured tightly so no moisture will seep into the interior of your home.
The method for covering a small portion of your roof is similar. We wrap the top and bottom of the tarp securely around the boards and then attach them to the roof with sturdy 3” screws. Then we take the remaining boards and place them on top of the sides of the tarp before screwing them in place.
Contact a Professional Roofer Immediately
You can undertake the task of tarping a roof yourself as a temporary solution while waiting for assistance from the roofing company. When it comes to repairing your roof, it is a better idea to leave such an important, daunting task to the professionals to ensure the project is completed thoroughly, quickly, and efficiently.
At Alufab USA, based in Southwest Florida, we can help you to prevent any further storm damage. The problems that a hurricane or a storm can cause are often significant. Check our products and services, let us help you take care of your house and family!
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