How To Tarp A Roof In 6 Simple Steps
About the Author
Jose Rodriguez
Jose Rodriguez founded Red Canyon Roofing with Arturo Vasquez in 2015. Since then he has overseen the growth of the company, and is passionate about finding meaningful ways for Red Canyon Roofing to make an impact in their community.
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Need to tarp a roof?
Tarping your roof can be beneficial if your roof has suffered damage from a storm or if youre making new additions to your home. In instances where water is leaking into your home from your roof, tarping your roof can temporarily stop the leaking.
Emergency roof tarping is a temporary fix that saves you money by preventing water damage while you wait for a roofing professional to repair the damaged roof. Since it doesnt take much water to cause mold, mildew, or rot, properly tarping your home will save you a bundle on repairs.
If youve checked the weather and noticed that imminent bad weather is approaching, then getting your roof tarped as soon as possible will be more of a priority. Moreover, if youre aware that you have a damaged roof, getting it fixed as soon as possible is always best as bad weather can break out at any moment unexpectedly.
How To Tarp A Roof Without Nails
Most roofers will use screws when attaching the tarps anchor boards to the roof. However, if you want to avoid making additional punctures in the roof, you can use an adhesive roof tarp. These have a glue-like material built in to stick to the shingles. However, these tarps may be less secure than tarps secured with wooden boards and nails so, you should check on them regularly to make sure they are still in place. Using an adhesive roof tarp may require additional effort to remove the adhesive residue or replacing the shingles that the tarp was adhered to.
How To Tarp A Roof Like A Pro
In the aftermath of a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, tornado, or severe storm, the first important phase of the recovery process is rehabilitating your home. Being the most exposed part of your house, your roof is probably the one that was most damaged. And during such time, it can be difficult to find professionals who will fix your roof right away.
Its not a good thing to ignore mild leaks or even minor cracks on your roof as they can lead to further damage and of course higher repair cost in the end. A very effective and inexpensive remedy is to install a tarp. When installed properly, good quality tarps can give protection from the rain up to 90 days, depending on weather conditions. This gives you more than enough time to have your roof repaired by professionals back to its original state.
Installing tarp on your roof is easier than you think. It only requires a few steps to do it properly. Check out this step-by-step instruction on how to tarp a roof like a pro!
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How Long Can You Leave A Tarp On A Roof
You may leave the tarp on your roof for only a total of 90 days which is approximately 3 months. This is because the tarp on your roof will only provide temporary protection against rough weather conditions and wild animals. When you get your tarp installed properly on your roof, it will protect your home from rainwater which can cause such a mess in your house.
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Final Step: Secure The Tarp
After preparing and positioning your tarp, you may now secure it. Rivet through the 2-by-4-inch wooden planks using a screw gun. The screws should securely pass into your roof.
Avoid tarping during risky situations like heavy rains because the roof may be slippery. Tarping is usually a two-person job.
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Other Roof Tarp Options
Of course, our friends at Home Depot have alternative options. UTARPit is a wonderful product that helps avoid the above steps. Simply peel, stick, and youre done! Though prudent owners will also tack down the ends. I personally wouldnt trust only the adhesive.
To buy this kit, simply click the button below. Home Depot offers free ship-to-store options. Or, if you buy enough products, theyll ship to your home for free.
If you live in an area with hurricanes or tornadoes, you should have one of these products in storage in the rare case youll need it.
Locate The Point Of Entry
Start with the inside, such as an attic. It will prove to be quite difficult to stop a leaky roof in the rain. Try to locate the leak but keep in mind that the leak in the ceiling and the leak in the roof may not align. If your roof covering is over a layer of plywood, then you should keep in mind that water will generally travel from the leak in the roofing material to the nearest joint in the plywood, depending on how the roof slopes.
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Find The Leak Or Damage
There are a few ways you can determine the location of a leak:
- Check your attic You may be able to see where water is making its way through your roof by checking your attic closely and looking for dripping water.
- Hire aprofessional A roof or home inspector can take photos of your roof and home using FLIR cameras. These cameras use infrared light to spot temperature differences. This allows them to easily pinpoint leaks and areas where water is collecting.
- Closely inspect the roof If youre tarping the roof yourself, climb up and closely inspect the surface of the roof to find problem areas. Not all roof issues will be obvious from the top of the roof, but youll get a better sense of what youre working with this way.
If you already know exactly where the damage or leaks are, your job is that much easier. If you find it impossible to pinpoint where the damage is, its better to be on the safe side and cover more of your roof than you think you need to.
Remember to allow for plenty of overlap on the peak to prevent water from entering the damaged area.
Install Roof Tarp In 8 Easy Steps
Whether your roof sprung a leak after a summer rain, or was damaged during a storm, follow these easy steps to install a roof tarp until you arrange repairs.
Tropical cyclone seasons here, bringing with it the possibility of violent storms, tornados, and heavy rain. Wind can snap trees like match sticks, and turn ordinary objects into projectile missiles.
If your roof is harmed during a storm, you can prevent further property damage by temporarily protecting your home with a heavy duty roof tarp. It will keep your valuables inside dry until you can make arrangements for permanent repairs.
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Key Features Of Our Roof Tarps
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Find The Source Of The Leak
You need to know first which spot on the roof needs tarping up. Climb on top of the roof to check for any loose shingles or damaged vents. Are there signs of water damage on the roof? If youre unable to detect signs of a roof leak from above, you can go to the cellar and check for signs of water damage there. Once you see it, you can trace the damage to its source.
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How Long Can I Leave A Tarp On My Roof
You should plan to leave your tarp on as long as possible, as it will reduce the risk of further damage. If it is safe to be near your home and you do not have a designated shelter nearby, you can remain in your home without taking down the tarp until it is absolutely necessary.
After removing the tarp, clean and dry the roof before applying rubber gasket and flashing material that prevents water from entering into or exiting through gaps, vents, or any other penetrations in the roof. Be sure to keep these materials away from children and pets who may ingest them.
If your insurance does not approve for you to continue using this material on your roof after repairs are made, consider looking at tarps with an R-value of at least 4 for extra insulation.
These tarps are made from thick, three mils thick aluminum and have a fluted design that allows rain to be shed evenly over its entire surface without pooling. This means it is not only an effective tool for repairing your damage but also as a protective layer against future storms or hurricanes that can do further damage to your home.
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Question: How Do You Slope A Flat Roof For Drainage
For drainage purposes, the current building codes require a minimum two percent slope or a one-fourth unit vertical for every 12 units horizontal. In other words, the roof must slope one-fourth of an inch for every 12 inches. The slope is barely noticeable to the naked eye.
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How Much Does It Cost To Tarp A Roof After A Hurricane
For most tarps under 50 square feet, the price of our strong polyethylene is $7.50 per square foot. For larger items, the cost will be significantly less due to bulk pricing discounts.
That means it would cost you $375 to cover an average one-bedroom flat roof with our heavy-duty 12-millimeter tarp. This is compared to the thousands of dollars required by other alternatives such as reroofing or installing a temporary roof.
Another option for covering your roof is using multiple tarps on top of each other if you do not have enough material to fully cover your entire roof in one sheet.
When having your damage repaired or covered, some storm repair may ask for money up front before beginning any work. This is because materials can be extremely expensive after a storm and they are unable to purchase the materials until you have paid them.
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How To Tarp A Roof: A Step
Whether you notice the beginnings of a roof leak, are making an addition to your home or your roof has suffered storm damage, tarping the roof can help prevent water damagefrom a leaking roof. Emergency roof tarping is a short-term repair you can make while waiting for a roofing contractor to repair the damage. It doesnt take much water to lead to rot, mold, or mildew in your house, so proper tarping technique is crucial to saving you money on repairs. For more expert advice on how to frame a roof, how to build a porch roof, how to build a lean-to roof, and more, head over to ourblog!
If theres more inclement weather on the horizon, youll need to get your roof tarped as soon as possible to protect your home from further damage. And even in sunny places like San Diego, sudden rain can catch you by surprise no matter how closely you watch the weather forecast.
So, how do you tarp a roof?
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How To Tarp A Roof For Temporary Roof Repair
November 9, 2018 by Stacy Lehn
Youve come home from a long workday, and you discover that a tree limb has fallen on your roof, puncturing it. Just what you wanted to come home to. Youre thinking through the steps you have to take: getting photographs, contacting your insurance agent or landlord, checking for other damage. Then you look at the weather forecast: rain is on the way tonight. Beautiful. When it rains, it pours, they say.
You need to get your roof covered fast to prevent further damage. You can call a professional like and you know you will once you get past this immediate crisis. But right now you need an emergency roof repair to hold you over until the professionals can deal with the problem.
You dont want to add water damage to the problems you already have, and neither does your insurance company. In fact, theyll be asking you how quickly you can get a temporary roof repair in place. So whats the solution?
This may be an extreme situation, but in truth, there are many reasons why you would need to make a temporary roof repair. Roof leaks can develop at any time when flashing or the seal around a vent fails. Your roofing specialist may need to wait a few days or even weeks for materials to arrive, especially if they are custom shingles.
Temporary roof repair is a must if you find yourself with a breached roof and incoming precipitation of any sort. Luckily, it isnt that difficult if you follow these handy steps.
What Makes A Good Tarp
Lets face it. If youre working in the pelting rain or trying to finish before a storm arrives, you wont have time to be choosy about your tarp. Any covering is better than none. But if you get the chance to shop for the tarp that will do the job most effectively look for:
- Size: A tarp that will extend past the damaged area by a good 3 on all sides, including the bottom and the ridge.
- Interior or exterior: make sure you get a tarp that is meant to be used outside.
- Thickness: the thicker the tarp, the better.
- UV Protection: if the fabric of the tarp has UV inhibitors, it will help the tarp last longer while it takes the punishment from the sun.
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S To Temporarily Patch Your Roof With A Tarp
When ones roof is damaged it is only natural to want to stop any water from getting inside, which also happens to be one of your insurance companys primary concerns. While it may take weeks or even months to get a roofer out to repair the damage, a tarp can be put in place pretty quickly. A properly installed tarp can not only help prevent any further water intrusion which reduces the insurance companies cost, but can help you get your life back to normal faster.
Measure The Damaged Area
Correctly measuring the damaged area is essential to make sure you buy the right sized tarp. Use a measuring tool like a tape measure to evaluate the size of the damage. There are different tarp sizes available, such as 12 feet by 16 feet and 20 feet by 30 feet.
Once you unroll the tarp, the correct sized one should conceal the damaged area and provide at least four feet of overhang past your roofâs peak. You can let the extra or unused portion safely hang off the edge of the roof.
If your tarp is way larger than the damaged area, you may opt to cut the material using a utility knife.
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How Do You Tarp A Roof
Tarring a roof may appear to be a difficult procedure, but it is quite simple and can prevent your home from additional damage. You’ll need the following materials in addition to your tarp: a ladder, gloves, a utility knife, nails or screws, wood strips, and a hammer to get started.
The fourth thing you’ll need is someone else to assist you with the job. The possibility of significant damage and slippery roofs make this an activity that should be done only by a professional.
It’s time to get down to work now. Start by laying out your tarp to cover the damaged space and an anchor wood strip that has been linked to your roof with it. Don’t forget to add two more layers of protection over the area. If possible, attach the tarp to the anchor strip using nails or screws. Make sure the collection of water or debris is not accumulating on the roof by placing a tarp and an anchor board against it.
Finally, cover the remainder of your roof with the tarp and leave at least two feet more around the damaged space. To make a tarp roof, fold the free end of the tarp over another wood board and secure it with nails or screws, making sure the tarp is tight. Finally, ensure the edges of your tarp are secured with more nails or screws.
If you’re wondering how to tar a flat roof, follow the same steps as with a slanted roof. Take greater precautions to ensure the edges are properly secured, or else water may flow beneath the tarp.
