How to Tarp Your Roof: What to Do When Your Roof is Exposed
By Dymon Brady
If the wind has blown your roofing material off, or you have torn it off yourself, you probably are wondering what exactly you should do with your exposed roof. It’s happened countless times to others; the waterproof roof is gone and a storm is looming in the forecast. Luckily, there are some quick, last-minute things you can do to help keep your roof watertight, with some limitations. Keep in mind that this is in no way a guarantee that you will not have water damage. Water is difficult to control in all situations and there is a potential for water damage with any temporary roof covering. These are guidelines to give you the best chance for success under the circumstances, of an average roof. Before we get started, here are some important safety tips:[checklist type="checked"]
Only attempt to cover a roof yourself if you are in an emergency situation and cannot get help from a professional. Do not get on your roof in a lightning storm.
If you have a flat roof with very little or no slope, this system is not recommended.
Do not walk on the Visqueen or Tarp, especially if it is wet.
If you have an especially steep slope, harness equipment may be necessary. Do not attempt to cover your roof without professional help. If it is very steep, you should not try to cover it period. There are people who have become paraplegic or worse, lost their lives while doing things on roofs they are not capable of.
DO NOT COVER UP EXHAUST VENTS. Water heater and furnace ventilation pipes etc. must be able to vent above the roof covering rather than being trapped inside the roof covering. This is obviously very dangerous in terms of carbon monoxide poisoning. You can cut the covering at these ventilation points, slide down the flue pipe and seal it with duct tape. You will not be able to seal to a boiler pipe or a single wall wood burning stove pipe, or any pipe over 70 degrees.
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Gathering Materials
The first thing you are going to want to do is run to your local home improvement store for materials. Unless you already happen to have these things laying around, you will need to purchase:
A 20 ft roll of Visqueen (polyethylene sheeting) or a tarp that will reach the length of your roof from the ridge to the bottom of the exposed area.
Enough 1” X2” wood furring strips to cover the edges of the area.
Wood Screws 2 to 2 ½” long
Duct Tape
Any equipment you may need (drill, ladder, etc)
Visqueen is easy to work with and is better for a short-term fix, especially if you will be able to have a contractor over in a few days. A tarp will hold up better if you have to wait a week or two before the work can be done. Once you have all of your materials assembled, take a minute to assess the situation. How big is the exposed area? Where is it located on your roof?
If the Exposed Area is Less than 20 ft Wide
If you have a relatively small patch of blown off shingles, you can simply roll out the visqueen starting at the opposite side of the ridge of the roof, down to completely cover the exposed area. Make sure the visqueen or tarp extends to the ridge or high point of the surface so water doesn’t just run underneath.
The Exposed Area is Larger than 20 ft Wide
You will want to roll out the visqueen going from side to side and starting at the bottom. This is actually very important, because if you rolled out the visqueen in strips from top to bottom and overlapping at the sides, it would be difficult to keep water out at the seams.Similarly, if you were to lay out visqueen from side to side, but starting at the exposed area and working down, water will run under the laps, defeating the point of covering your roof in the first place.So, if your exposed area is at the bottom of your roof, you will want to lay the visqueen out from side to side, starting at the bottom and layering the next layer of over the last all the way to the top of your roof, and overlapping the ridge to the other side.
Securing the Edges and Seams
As you are laying out the Visqueen, you will want to secure the edges with your 1X2 furring strips and wood screws. Roll each edge up in furring strips so moisture runs over the seam, not inside the seam. Secure the strips to your roof with your wood screws.We need to keep in mind that Visqueen is like a big parachute, so we want to secure it down the best we can to keep it from blowing around and out of place. There are winds that will destroy visqueen so check the forecast and if there are high winds coming, go with a tarp, and fasten plenty of furring strips to the field of the tarp as well as the seams.At each of your seams, you will want to do the same thing. Roll up the 1X2 strips at your seams and secure them. It is important that none of your seams are underwater. If a seam is underwater, moisture will travel up through the rolled up joint.You can also try to secure your Visqueen in the center, as long as you keep in mind that if it gets really windy, the visqueen may rip.Good luck with your roof! If you need help with your exposed roof, call Brady Roofing at 801-487-5151 or request a free roofing estimate today.