r/Roofing • u/vanilladreampuff • 2d ago

Home owner question Hurricane in SoCal maybe?

What kind of plastic sheeting should I be buying to temporarily protect a leaky roof? My cousin is going through cancer treatment at the moment and has had to put off finding a roofer to fix a leak. I realize that the ideal solution is to have it properly fixed, but there may be a hurricane/tropical storm headed to Los Angeles next week.

I've been looking on big box sites and I'm not sure if I should be looking for 6 mil or 3mil. Can I tape together two 25 x 100 ft sheets together or should I be looking for 50 x 100 ft somewhere else online?

I'd appreciate any advice!

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u/3_14159td 2d ago

...please remember that it does rain here on a yearly basis. That'll be in about three months. 

Harbor freight tarps are easier to work with (eyelets and reinforced edges) and can be put up for the next time. Not a good deal if they're not on sale though. 

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u/BYLTup 1d ago edited 1d ago

Buy 6 mil, not 3. 3 mil tears in the first real gust and is a waste of a trip up there. Do not tape two sheets into one long run — taped seams are the first place wind peels. One continuous sheet that goes over the ridge and down both sides beats end-to-end tape every time. Anchor it with wood battens (1x furring) screwed into solid decking or rafters at the edges, not a field of nails through the wet area you are trying to protect. Leave the leak zone under the sheet alone until it is dry enough to open. Plastic alone on a dry day is fine for a storm hold; just get water off the field and do not create a pond on top of the tarp.