Why is a tarp a temporary measure?
A tarp keeps the rain out of an opening, but it does not restore the covering, the flashing or the deck. It holds the building until a repair can be planned, and it is only as good as its fixing.
A tarp fixed to the covering alone will lift in the next wind. The fixing is taken to the battens or framing, which stay put when the wind pulls, and the tarp is checked after each gust and each rain.
A tarp left on for many weeks can trap moisture and rot the deck. The cover is removed as soon as the permanent repair is in place, and the record notes the date it came off.
What should be photographed before the crew arrives?
Photographs from the ground show the extent of the damage without climbing. The time, the room and the position of the stain or opening are the details that make them useful.
A photograph of the ceiling stain, the wall beneath it and the outside of the roof where visible gives the crew and any later adjuster the same starting point. Photographs should be taken before anything is moved or cleaned.
Do not climb a roof to take photographs. A zoomed picture from a safe position is enough for the first record.
How is the tarp secured against wind?
The tarp is pulled taut over the opening, strapped to the structure and weighted at the edges. The fixing is checked after each gust, since a loose strap can pull the cover into a flap that tears.
Battens are fixed across the tarp at intervals, and the straps run through them into the framing. Edges are tucked under the sound covering where that is possible, so wind cannot lift them.
The crew checks the tarp at the end of each day and after each heavy rain, and adjusts it if the wind has moved it.
What happens after the tarp is on?
The tarp starts the process rather than ending it. The damage is scoped, the repair is written up and the owner decides on the permanent work, with the record of the storm in hand.
The scope names the covering, the deck, the flashing and the gutter, and it records what was done on the day and what follows. Where a claim is made, the record is shared with the owner for it.
No coverage is stated on this page. The policy and the insurer decide what is paid, and the owner should read the policy and speak to the insurer directly.
How does a wet season change the dry-in?
In a wet season the wood beneath a covering stays wet for longer, and the dry-in must keep the rain out for days rather than hours. The cover is fixed more securely and checked after each rain, and the deck beneath is dried as the weather allows.
A cover fitted in a dry spell can be left a day or two. A cover fitted during a long storm must hold through repeated soaking, so the straps are taken to the framing and the edges are weighted against the wind. The technician plans a check at each change in the weather.
The wet deck is the second concern. A deck that stays soaked under a cover for a week can rot, so the technician measures its moisture and notes the readings for the drying plan that follows the permanent repair.
What should the owner do in the first hour?
The owner moves valuables from under the opening, places containers under the drips, switches off the power to any fitting in the wet area at the wall, and calls (833) 751-2102. Those steps protect the building and the people while the crew is on its way.
Water and electricity are the main hazards in the first hour. A ceiling with water in it can sag, and a wet fitting can carry a current, so the owner keeps clear of the affected room until it is checked.
The owner also writes down the time the damage was first seen and the weather at the time. That note is the first entry in the record for the repair and any claim, and it takes a minute to write.
