When a hurricane sends you roof tiles flying the first thing you want to do is get a roof tarp. Installing a roof tarp on a tile roof is not as easy as a traditional shingled roof. Additional considerations and tools are required.
The first and most important step is always safety. Make sure the tile roof is not wet when you walk on it. A wet tile roof can be like a slip and slide with the wrong shoes. Make sure your ladder is set up properly and bungeed off so it does not blow down.
Secondly, when you walk on the tile roof to complete temporary repairs you do not want to cause unnecessary damage. Try to place your feet going in the same direction as the ridge, and make an effort to evenly distribute your weight as much as possible. Walk on the bottom three inches of the tile, this is the portion of the roof tile that is supported by the lapped tile under it. If the roof is an S or barrel shaped tile type put your weight evenly on your toe and heal on the high points of two tiles.
Ok, now you are up on the ladder, walking towards the damage. You will need a few tools for tarping a tile roof. Tarp, Double sided tape, sandbags or heavy objects, nails and a hammer.
If the broken or missing tiles are on or near the ridge you will want to install the tarp over the damaged area, then continue it over the ridge cap so water does not travel under the tarp. This is the preferred method of installation. If the damage is near the bottom or you do not have enough tarp to go up over the ridge, you will need to make sure to you can get under all the tiles above the damage to secure the top of the tarp.
On a shingled roof you just nail the tarp in place using furring strips, but you can not nail a tarp into a tile roof. You can use 2-3 inch wide double sided tape to secure the tarp to the tile. It is best to also weight the tarp down with sandbags or heavy objects to keep wind from blowing up under it. If you have an area near an eave or rake edge then secure that portion to the fascia with a hammer and nails.
Keep the tiles that you remove. These can be samples you can show to your insurance adjuster and your contractor may want to use them to help him locate the same, or similar tiles for repair. Be sure to take pictures of the damage before installing a roof tarp to have for your records.
You can always call Temporary Repair LLC, the Green Tarp Team. They specialize in roof tarp installation, and will save you the personal hassle of repair. They can be located at www.temporaryrepair.com.
