Emergency Roof Tarping

What to do right now

• Move what you can out of the way and put a container under the drip
• If the ceiling is bulging, pierce the lowest point with a screwdriver to let the water out — it weighs far more than the drywall can hold
• Turn off power to that area at the breaker if water is anywhere near a fixture or outlet
• Photograph everything, with timestamps, before you clean anything up
• Do not go on the roof in rain or wind — that is how people die on this

How tarping is done properly

• The tarp runs over the ridge where possible, so water cannot get under the top edge
• Edges are secured to battens rather than just weighted, so wind cannot lift it
• It extends well past the damaged area in every direction
• Where fasteners are used, they go in locations the coming repair will cover
• Photographs of the damage are taken before the tarp goes on, for your insurer

What it costs and why

Tarping is priced for the call-out, the materials and the roof access — steeper and higher roofs take longer and need more protection. It is a real cost, and it is a fraction of what a night of uncontrolled water does to a ceiling, insulation and flooring.

It gets credited against the repair where we do the repair. We will tell you that up front.

Then the actual repair

Roof repairs need a dry surface — adhesives, sealants and underlayment all fail if applied to wet material. So the tarp buys the days until the weather allows the repair to be done once, properly.

Anyone who tells you they can permanently repair your roof in the middle of a storm is describing a repair you will be paying for twice.

Common questions