Sometimes you need to fix your roof right away and you don’t have anything around that would do the job properly and permanently, so you have to resort to an emergency roof repair. Reasons for this could be various, but they usually involve bad storms. Hurricanes can damage your roof very easily, and so can severe thunderstorms that come through with a lot of wind, as well as tornadoes. It’s important when it comes to taking care of your roof that you address problems as soon as it’s safe to get out and do so, because they will not go away on their own and they are only going to get worse.
You should never try to secure your roof during a bad storm, especially if there is a lot of wind or lightning. As soon as the storm has passed, though, you can make your way up onto the roof and take care of repairs that need to be made. One of the first things that you need to do in any roof repair situation is make an effort to control how much water is getting in. A large tarp or a heavy sheet of plastic works well to cover a big area and protect it from further water damage. For very small areas and a short-term repair, even plastic garbage bags will work. People have to use what they have available.
Holding down the plastic can be difficult, as well. Ideally, you can get a professional to come out very quickly and make an emergency roof repair, but this is often not the case, especially in situations like hurricanes where there is a lot of damage to people’s homes and businesses. Instead, you’ll need to get some wood (2x4s work best), some concrete blocks, or some sandbags to hold down the edges of the plastic that you’ve put down on the roof. You can also use rubber, patching material that you might have on hand from other roof repairs, or even duct tape.
Almost anything that is waterproof will do when it comes to an emergency roof repair, but some things naturally work better than others do. This kind of repair is very temporary and shouldn’t be used long-term. It’s only designed to be used until you get someone to repair the roof properly or until you can get the right materials that you need to make the repair yourself, which you should do as soon as possible.