Okay, seriously, I can't be the only one who's about ready to lose their mind trying to keep a tarp secured on the roof. Every time there's even a hint of wind, it starts flapping around like some giant angry bird. I've tried bricks, sandbags, even tied it down with rope, but somehow it always finds a way to wiggle loose. Last night was the worst—middle of the night, wind picks up, and suddenly it sounds like a helicopter landing on my house. I'm out there at 2 am in pajamas, wrestling with this stupid tarp, thinking "there's gotta be a better way."
Maybe I'm missing something obvious here, or maybe tarps just hate me personally. Anyone else dealing with this nonsense or figured out some genius trick to keep it from turning into a midnight wrestling match?
Totally feel your pain—tarps can be a nightmare, especially in windy areas. A few quick thoughts from someone who's been there:
- First off, you're not alone. Tarps are notoriously tricky because they're basically giant sails waiting to catch wind.
- Bricks and sandbags usually aren't enough since they just sit on top. You need something that actually clamps or anchors the tarp down.
- Have you tried using furring strips or wooden battens screwed directly into the roof edges? Sandwiching the tarp between wood strips and securing them with screws every foot or so can really help keep it tight.
- Another trick is to angle the tarp slightly rather than laying it flat. Wind tends to slip over angled surfaces easier, reducing lift.
- If you're open to investing a bit more, heavy-duty tarp clips combined with bungee cords or ratchet straps anchored to secure points (like gutters or sturdy hooks) can make a huge difference.
Hang in there—roof repairs are stressful enough without midnight wrestling matches with angry tarps...
I get the frustration, had a similar battle last spring when we had a leak. Tried bricks first—total fail. Ended up using those heavy-duty tarp clips someone mentioned, but honestly, the real game changer was angling the tarp. Flat tarps just beg the wind to mess with them. Once I angled it slightly and secured it tight with bungees, it finally stayed put. Might be worth a shot if you haven't tried yet...
Had a similar experience last year when we were patching up after a storm. I started off with sandbags thinking they'd do the trick—nope, woke up to find the tarp flapping around like some kind of angry ghost. Eventually, my boss showed me a trick he'd learned years ago: running rope or bungees diagonally across the tarp in an X shape. Seems kinda overkill, but it actually worked wonders. The wind couldn't get under it as easily, and it stayed put even during some pretty nasty gusts.
But yeah, totally agree about angling the tarp slightly. Flat tarps are basically sails waiting to take off. Learned that one the hard way too... on a particularly windy day, chasing my tarp halfway down the street wasn't exactly my proudest moment, haha.
