What a proper emergency tarp looks like
A real emergency tarp extends well past the damage on all sides — especially upslope, since water runs down — and is secured with battens screwed through the tarp edges, never just weighted with bricks. The top edge tucks under intact shingles above so water sheds over the tarp, not under it.
This is genuinely skilled temporary work: wrong placement channels water straight into the breach you’re trying to cover. That’s why our emergency visits lead with proper temporary sealing, not just a blue square flapping in the wind.
What homeowners can safely do
Inside: buckets, plastic sheeting in the attic, moving valuables, puncturing ceiling bulges over a bucket, killing power to wet fixtures. All safe, all valuable.
Outside from the ground or a secure ladder: nothing beyond visual assessment. FL storm conditions plus wet roofing is how DIY tarping becomes an ER visit. If you must act before we arrive, focus 100% of your effort on interior containment.
Temporary fixes that backfire
Nailing a tarp directly through good shingles creates new leak points. Thin plastic sheeting stapled down shreds in the first gust. And roofing cement smeared over wet surfaces in the rain doesn’t bond — it just makes the eventual proper repair messier.
The rule: temporary measures should never damage intact roofing. If your ‘temporary’ fix requires putting holes in good shingles, stop and call us instead.
From temporary to permanent
A proper temporary seal holds for weeks if needed — but it’s still temporary. UV degrades tarps, wind works fasteners loose, and the underlying breach is still there. Schedule the permanent repair within days, not months.
Our emergency service in Apopka does both visits as one coordinated job: immediate professional temporary sealing, then the permanent fix. One call to (888) 974-0663 — our call representatives are available 24/7 for emergencies — handles the whole sequence.
Related Services
- Emergency Roof Leak Repair in Apopka
- Hurricane-Driven Rain Leak Repair in Apopka
- Roof Leak Detection in Apopka