DIY: Tarping a Roof During Housing Construction
In building my small house, I’ve had many concerns over damage to the structure when inclement weather occurs. To mitigate the loss of structure, during building, I decided to cover the roof with tarp, but to use a very strategic method to ensure the building supplies and structure are protected simultaneously.
If you are building a small home, it is important to protect your investment, especially if you are building the home on your own. To ensure your roof is protected, try using these same steps that I took to prevent damage, and to prevent further eroding in the long term.
How to Lay Tarp
To prevent damage to my small house, I first unfold a tarp and lay it across the entire structure, allowing for an extra 2 feet of coverage, down the edge of the home. By doing this, I am not only protecting the roof and side structures, but ensuring the tarp is laid heavy enough so as to prevent removal by strong winds.
Prevent Underneath Wind Damage
Once the tarp is laid, I then further prevent underneath wind blow by using 1’x3′ wooden pieces, about four feet long, to hold the tarp in place. If you are using this method to protect your own home, lay the pieces all around the home, leaving about one foot space between each. By leaving this additional space, you’ll have room for water or debris drain-off.
Temporarily Fixing Small Damage Areas
If damage has already occurred to an area of your tiny home, you’ll want to find ways to protect the area so as to prevent further erosion, while you work on the repairs. While I typically don’t have major repairs after placing a solid tarp covering, there are occasions where minor repairs need to be made. To cover the damaged areas, while I’m waiting to make repairs, I use ¾” exterior-grade plywood and cover the area, using deck screws to hold the wood in place.
Building your own home can be a rewarding experience. Not only does it save money on labor costs, but it also gives you a project that you can be proud of. Protect your time and your investment by using these tarp covering methods while building. This is the method I have chosen to use and it has prevented my tiny house from significant damage after a storm.
Resources:
FEMA Flood Plans
Rood Repair Tips – Home Depot
