Hurricane Tarps

When a hurricane is coming, how should you prepare? Although communities in hurricane regions often have drills to prepare for the storm, having your own supplies and evacuation plan are necessary. Supplies, however, should consist of items you’ll need in case power or water runs out but also to repair your home. For the latter, hurricane tarps are a common supply that many keep in their homes for when a storm approaches, and a family or individual should have more than one around. Roofs and windows can experience damage in more than one place, and you should be prepared with enough tarps, nails, and boards.

Hurricane tarps are made from medium-duty polyethylene. Although blue is the most regularly-seen color for these tarps, any other medium-duty polyethylene material can be used in place. Hurricane tarps are treated to be waterproof and UV resistant, in addition to being mold, mildew, and rot resistant, and this combination keeps the interior of a home or building from experiencing further water and mold damage after the storm. Hurricane tarps can only stay in place for 90 days, however. By that time, a contractor should be able to come by your home and give an estimate for repairs needed.

A few methods are used for applying hurricane tarps, although, in general, a tarp simply can’t be thrown up on a roof – it needs to be held in place. One method effective for peaked roofs is securing the tarp on one side of the peak through wrapping one end in a two-by-four board and nailing it down. The other end goes over the peak and over the damaged area and is also wrapped in a two-by-four and nailed down. The remaining two sides are held in place by the boards and also nailed down. If your home doesn’t have a peaked roof, however, the tarp can be wrapped and nailed to both sides of the damage and then fully secured with two other nailed-down boards.

Damage from a hurricane may not be fully evident when looking at the roof from the top. Before applying any hurricane tarps, examine the roof from below and record all cracks. From here, place various tarps over these damaged areas in the method described above. Additionally, standing on the roof to apply the tarp isn’t recommended, as the surface may be slippery. Instead, use a ladder to reach the roof and apply the material.

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