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Emergency Roof Tarping in Columbus, GA

Covering an open roof in Columbus and the towns around it, so rain does not reach the rooms below while the permanent repair is planned.

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  • Roof repair and full replacement
  • Storm and tornado roof damage
  • Phenix City and Fort Benning area

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Emergency Tarping

Emergency Roof Tarping: what it covers

Quick answer

Emergency tarping covers an open area of roof to keep water out until a permanent repair can be made. It is a temporary measure, carried out from a safe position, and recorded before and after so the insurer has the damage on file.

Emergency Roof Tarping illustration for Columbus, GA

After a tornado or a severe storm the most urgent problem is often a roof that is open to the sky. Water goes into the attic and down through the ceilings in the first rain, and the damage it does in a few hours can exceed the damage of the storm. A tarp over the open area stops that, and it buys time for the repair.

Tarping is not a repair. The covering is temporary and it can be torn off by the next wind, so it is always followed by the permanent work. The record of the damage is made before the tarp goes on, because the tarp will hide the damage that the insurer needs to see.

This page explains what a tarp is for, how it is put on safely and what should be recorded and done next. The line sends a roofer as soon as one is free.

Service area
Columbus & Muscogee County
Availability
Call to reach a local roofer, emergencies first
Warning signs

Signs you need emergency roof tarping

Do not climb a torn roof, do not walk on loose covering and keep clear of any power line near the roof or the cover. A roofer does the cover from a secure position.

  • A section of roof covering torn away, with the decking or the underlayment exposed
  • Daylight visible in the attic through a hole or a split in the decking
  • Water coming in through a ceiling in more than one room after a storm
  • Flashing torn away at a chimney, wall or vent, leaving an open joint
  • Rain running into the attic from a gap at the ridge or a valley
  • A neighbouring roof torn open, with debris that could fall onto your roof
Options

Types and options for emergency roof tarping

Shingle and edge cover

A tarp over a section of shingles torn away at the edge or the ridge, fixed to sound roof structure.

Decking cover

A cover over an area where the decking is exposed, to keep the attic dry until the decking is replaced.

Flashing and penetration cover

A cover over a chimney, wall or vent where the flashing is gone, set to shed water away from the opening.

One call and it gets handled.

Most emergency roof tarping calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.

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Why must the damage be photographed before the tarp goes on?

Because the tarp hides the damage the insurer needs to see, and a record made after the cover is on is a record of the cover, not of the storm.

A tarp covers the damage. Once it is on, the torn covering, the bent flashing and the exposed decking are out of sight, and an insurer or an adjuster will judge the claim from what they can see. Photographs taken from the ground, with the date visible, before anything is covered, are the record of the storm's effect.

A short sketch with the position of each opening, taken on the same visit, adds to the photographs. It shows where the cover is and what it covers, so the permanent repair can match the record.

  • Photographs from the ground, with the date
  • A sketch of each opening and the cover over it
  • A note of the time and the weather at the first cover

Can a homeowner put a tarp on the roof?

Not safely in most cases. A roofer should do it, from a secure position, because the roof may be unstable and the fall risk is high.

A roof torn open by a storm is unstable. The decking may be weak, the covering may be loose and the slope may be wet. A homeowner who climbs to tarp the roof is at high risk of falling, and a tarp that is not fixed properly will blow off in the next wind.

If a homeowner must cover an opening from the ground, the only safe method is to keep well clear of the edge and to use a long tool. The line sends a roofer, who has the right equipment and the fall protection.

  • Do not climb a damaged or wet roof
  • Keep well clear of the edge and of hanging material
  • Call the line for a roofer to cover the opening

What does a tarp not do?

It does not repair the roof, does not stop the next storm from tearing it off, and does not replace the permanent repair.

A tarp is a stop-gap. Wind can lift it, rain can work under its edges and it is not a covering that lasts. It keeps the building dry for a short period, and the permanent repair is what restores the roof. The quote for the repair should follow the tarp promptly, because the cover is only as good as the next day's weather.

A tarp is a temporary measure and should be described that way in any quote or claim. It is not evidence that the roof has been repaired.

  • A tarp does not repair the roof
  • It can be lifted by the next wind
  • The permanent repair should follow promptly

What should happen after the tarp is on?

The insurer is told, the storm inspection is booked, the permanent repair is scheduled and the cover is checked after each strong wind or rain.

Once the cover is on, tell the insurer what was done and when, and book the storm inspection so the damage is recorded on the roof. Ask the roofer to schedule the permanent repair and to check the cover after each strong wind or rain until the repair is complete.

Keep the record of each check. A cover that was checked and held is a record of care, and it helps show that the homeowner limited further damage after the storm.

  • Tell the insurer what was done and when
  • Book the storm inspection and the permanent repair
  • Check the cover after each strong wind or rain
Our process

How our emergency roof tarping visit works

  1. Stay safe and take the first photographs

    Keep off the roof, keep clear of hanging material and of any power line, and photograph the open area from the ground with the date visible before anything is covered.

  2. Protect the inside first

    Move contents out of the wet area and put containers and sheeting below the leak. Turn off electrical items in the wet room at the switch.

  3. Cover the open area from a safe position

    A roofer covers the opening with a tarp secured to the sound roof, with the edges weighted or fixed where the roof allows. The cover is set to shed water away from the house.

  4. Check the cover and the drainage

    The cover is checked for slack, for water pooling on it and for any loose fixing. Gutters below the cover are cleared, so water is not held against the wall.

  5. Record the cover and schedule the repair

    The position and size of the cover are recorded with photographs, and the date for the permanent repair is set. The record is kept with the storm inspection.

Muscogee County

Why emergency roof tarping is different in Chattahoochee Valley

The 1997 tornado in the FACTS sheet first touched down on Martin Luther King Boulevard, where a business was partially deroofed. That case is the reason a cover on an open roof is treated as the first job after a storm.

Tarps are a stop-gap in Columbus as elsewhere, and the storm record should show the date the cover went on.

Calls about open roofs in the Alabama towns across the Chattahoochee are taken on the same line, and the roofer is sent as soon as one is free.

Where we work

Emergency Roof Tarping across Muscogee County

Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.

Related

Tornado Roof Damage Repair

Repairing roofs damaged by tornado-strength wind in Columbus, Muscogee County and the Chattahoochee Valley towns around it.

Storm and Wind Roof Inspection

A written roof inspection after a storm in Columbus and the towns around it, with the damage separated from wear and recorded.

Roof Leak Repair

Stopping a roof leak in Columbus and the towns around it: catching the drip, finding the entry point and repairing the path the water took.

Guides

Read before you book

The Columbus Tornadoes and What They Did to Roofs

The National Weather Service record for Muscogee County lists three tornado events that matter to roofs: an F1 on 13 March 1997, an EF-2 on 1 March 2007 and an EF-2 on 19 April 2009 that crossed from Phenix City.

FAQ

Emergency Roof Tarping FAQs

How long can a tarp stay on?

Only until the permanent repair is made. A tarp is not a long-term covering, and wind and rain will wear it, so the repair should follow promptly.

Should I take the tarp off to look at the damage?

No. Photograph the damage first, then leave the cover on until the roofer records the damage and the permanent repair is scheduled.

Is tarping covered by my insurance?

That depends on the policy and the insurer's assessment. Keep the receipt or the written record of the cover, and tell the insurer about it.

How fast can a roofer come?

A roofer is sent as soon as one is free. The arrival time is confirmed on the call and is not promised in advance.

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