Some people work as roofers for a summer or two. Others become lifelong devotees to the profession. Those who commit to roofing as a long-time profession really take the time to learn the details. Not only do they learn how to put roofs in place, but they also learn quite a lot about various roofing materials. This equips them to make good recommendations to homeowners who are looking for the right roof. We will also make some recommendations and tell you a bit more about roofers on this blog. While we are not roofers ourselves, we know a lot about the profession and are always happy to share.
Do you have a roof that is leaking water, and you can't get a roofer out to your home right away? You'll need to know these tips on how to place a tarp over your roof to prevent water from getting inside.
Understand How The Tarp Will Attach
It helps to know how the tarp will attach to your roof so you can visualize how it will be done. Your tarp needs to hang over the peak of your roof and be secured in place with two by four pieces of wood. The wood will pin the tarp down over the perimeter of the tarp and prevent wind from getting over it. The tarp also hangs over the peak so that rainwater flows over the tarp instead of trickling underneath it.
Buy The Right Materials
Measure your roof to get an idea of what size tarp you need. Start by measuring from the peak of your roof down past where the roof leak is located, then add a couple more feet for the overhang portion. This should let you know what size tarp to buy so that you just need to get one tarp for the job.
You can then measure what pieces of two by fours you need to secure the tarp in place. You'll ideally want six pieces of wood that are the exact length, so that each side of the roof has three pieces that border the tarp. This will make securing the two by fours much easier for you when you are on the roof.
Install The Tarp Correctly
With the tarp lying across your roof's peak and covering the area is leaking, you can start securing the two by fours around the perimeter. The pieces that lay at the bottom or the tarp and parallel with the peak of the roof should have the tarp wrap over the top of the two by four and secured with roofing nails. This is so that rain water can roll off the tarp instead of being trapped behind the wood. The pieces along the side that run perpendicular to the roof can go on top of the tarp. This holds it tight along the surface of the roof, and prevents the wind from getting underneath the tarp and ripping it off.
Your roof should now be protected, which will buy you some time until your roofers can repair the leak. Reach out to a residential roofing service near you to get more tips.