Weighted sandbags actually work pretty well, at least in my experience. They’re less likely to slide around and don’t seem to chew up the shingles like bricks do. Only thing is, if you get a ton of rain, sometimes the bags themselves can get heavy and start pressing into the roof a bit—haven’t seen any real damage from that, though. I’ve tried using old towels under bricks before, but yeah, moisture just got trapped and made things worse. Wood strips are solid if you’ve got time, but not always practical when you’re scrambling during a storm.
Only thing is, if you get a ton of rain, sometimes the bags themselves can get heavy and start pressing into the roof a bit—haven’t seen any real damage from that, though.
I’ve had almost the exact same thing happen. Last hurricane season, I slapped a tarp on my garage roof and used those big tube-shaped sandbags to hold it down. It worked fine for the first couple days, but after three days of nonstop rain, those bags were like dragging around sacks of concrete. I started worrying about them sinking into the old shingles, but when I finally got up there to pull everything off, it was just some faint marks—nothing major.
I tried bricks before too, but they left these weird little gouges in the shingles. Not sure if it was because I used old bricks or just didn’t lay them right. Either way, I won’t do that again unless I’m desperate.
Tarp itself did okay, honestly. It kept most of the water out, but you really have to make sure every edge is tucked tight and overlapped right at the ridge. If wind gets under even a corner, you’re basically back at square one. Learned that the hard way one night when half the tarp flapped loose and dumped water right into my attic insulation. Spent hours with a shop vac after that mess.
Never tried wood strips—don’t usually have spare lumber lying around in a pinch, and by the time I think of it, the rain’s already started. For me it’s always been a mad dash with whatever’s on hand.
If you’re in a place where storms sneak up on you fast (I’m in coastal NC), sometimes it’s just about getting something up there quick and hoping for the best until you can patch it properly. Tarping isn’t pretty but it’s saved my butt more than once.
I hear you on the sandbags turning into dead weight. I used to think I was being clever using bags of gravel from the garden section—cheaper than sandbags, right? Well, after a couple days of rain, those things basically fused to the tarp and I nearly pulled my back trying to drag them off. My shingles are old too, so I was half-expecting to find a crater up there, but it was mostly just some scuff marks.
Bricks were a disaster for me. I had a stack of leftover pavers from a patio project and figured, why not? Turns out, sharp corners and asphalt shingles are not friends. Ended up with a few torn spots that leaked worse than before. Lesson learned.
I’ve never had much luck getting tarps to stay put in wind, either. Even with the edges tucked, one good gust and it’s like watching a magic trick—poof, tarp’s gone. At this point, I keep a couple cheap tarps in the shed just for emergencies, but I don’t expect miracles. It’s more about buying time until I can get someone up there to fix things for real.
I’ve seen more tarps take flight than I care to admit—sometimes it’s like watching a blue kite disappear over the neighbor’s fence. Tried using cinder blocks once, thinking they’d stay put, but they just chewed up the shingles and left me with a bigger headache. Honestly, tarps are a temporary band-aid at best. If you can get them tight and weighted without damaging the roof, you might buy yourself a few days, but wind and water always seem to find a way in eventually.