Woke up to water dripping in my hallway after last night’s storm (ugh). My house has old asphalt shingles and the roof’s got a pretty steep pitch. I’ve seen people throw tarps up as a temporary fix, but honestly, I have no clue what kind of tarp or method actually holds up if it rains again. Is there some trick to keeping it from blowing off? Would love any tips or product recs before I climb up there and make things worse.
Honestly, I’ve seen a lot of folks jump straight to tarping, but sometimes it can make things worse if you’re not careful—especially on a steep roof. If the tarp isn’t tight and anchored under the shingles or with boards screwed down along the edges, wind just gets right under it. Ever tried using those heavy-duty blue tarps? They’re everywhere, but I’ve watched them shred in one storm. I’m starting to think roofing felt or even plastic sheeting tucked under the tabs might hold better for a couple days. Anyone else ever had luck with something other than tarps?
I’ve had the same issues with blue tarps—wind just tears them up, especially on my old asphalt shingle roof. Tried plastic sheeting once, tucked it under the tabs and weighed it down with bricks, and honestly, it held through a weekend storm better than I expected. Roofing felt worked okay too, but it got soggy quick in heavy rain. Not perfect, but if you’re in a pinch and can’t get a pro out right away, plastic’s been less hassle for me than fighting with tarps that won’t stay put.
Plastic sheeting’s actually underrated for emergencies, especially if you can get it tucked under the shingles like you did. I’ve seen folks try to nail down tarps and just end up with more holes in their roof—never a good tradeoff. The only thing I’d watch with bricks is runoff; sometimes water finds its way under the plastic if it pools. In my experience, sandbags or even 2x4s work better for weight and sealing edges, but yeah, blue tarps are basically wind bait unless you’re really meticulous.
I’ve definitely been there with the blue tarp flapping in the wind—never feels super secure, especially on a steep roof. I tried using those cheap tarps from the hardware store once, but they shredded after a couple storms. The heavier-duty ones (the kind with reinforced corners) seem to last longer, but they’re still tricky to keep in place if you don’t anchor them well.
I like the idea of sandbags or 2x4s for weight. I’ve used 2x4s before, just laid across the edges and sometimes even wedged under the eaves a bit. It’s not pretty, but it got me through a week of rain until I could get someone out for repairs. Nailing anything down always made me nervous—just feels like asking for more leaks later.
Curious if anyone’s tried those adhesive roof patches? I keep seeing them at the store but haven’t heard if they actually work on wet shingles. My main worry is making things worse or having a patch that won’t come off when it’s time for a real fix.
