About Louisiana Just Recovery:
We show up with our hands, hammers, & hearts to meet the needs of our climate and environmental justice movement. We seek to be a part of a movement ecosystem, where our work enhances our collective capacity to trust one another, and to co-create systems of care that tap into our innate birthrights to organize and care for one another collectively - while meeting the distinctive needs of our multi-faceted frontline communities in the Gulf South.
On Tarping Our network has tarped close to 100 roofs in the wake of Hurricane Ida and Hurricane Francine. We try to use re-purposed billboard tarps whenever possible, although we have worked with more traditional blue tarps and higher quality 16 mil white tarps. Tarping is a first line of defense after a wind-related event damages a home and while there is not an exact formula, there are some best practices we have witnessed increase the effectiveness and longevity of tarps (until a more long term solution is available).
Safety: Getting on roofs is dangerous! Please follow some of these precautions. ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Wear flat shoes with a good grip on the bottom. Most tenny shoes are a good fit; heavy construction boots aren’t great for tarping. Sun exposure is a serious consideration for roofing. Wear sun protective clothing. Wear gloves, sun glasses, and a hat. Bring and drink plenty of water while working on roofs. Always have someone spotting you. Ideally you want at least one person on the ground and 1-2 people on the roof. Put the ladder in a good safe spot: avoiding power lines, holes in the ground, or unsafe spots on roof There may be ways to tarp that don’t involve getting on a roof, this is especially true for unstable roofs, hot metal roofs, or roofs that are very steep or high off the ground.
Materials - Essential ● ● ●
5 gallon Bucket for tools Tool belt Cap nails
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Hammer and nails Utily Balde Deck Tape or Gorilla Tape (duck tape will work too but wear faster) Hand saw Tarps *not all tarps are made the same!* Broom Ladders Water
Materials - Really nice to have ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Measuring Tape Staple Gun, preferably a hammer staple Various length ropes; para cord is best Tin snips if working with a metal roof (very dangerous work, should only be approached with extreme caution) Skill Saw Leaf blower Impact Driver w/ *charged* batteries Screws- 2 ½ inch galvanized screws for wood/ decks/ exteriors Treated Furring Strips or 1x2 or 1x4 wood strips in 4-8ft lengths (these will extend the life of your tarping job) ⅜” OSB for large holes in roof Chalk line (for marking OSB if cutting) Spray Paint (to mark tarps) Sharpy
Steps: 1. Assess the home- make sure the roof is accessible, check to see if there are any big holes in the roof, and figure out how many tarps + pieces of wood you will need. 2. Put the ladder in a safe spot in order to access the roof, make sure there are no electrical wires, no critters (wasps in particular). 3. Once you get on the roof, clean off the roof, remove old tarps, brush off leaves. 4. Unfurl the tarp (while on the roof) 5. Make sure the tarp hangs over the ridge in order to prevent more water from getting in. 6. Using your staple gun, staple the tarp in place on the corners and in the middle. 7. Using your impact driver and screws (or hammer and nails), place the firring strips on the tarp- see illustration for proper placing. You want them to run the length of the roof from ridge to edge, so that debris and water can’t get trapped.
a. Some instructions say to wrap the furring strips inside the tarp. It creates places for water to pool. Our field experience shows this step is not necessary. Treated furring strips have still been in place 14 months post tarping. 8. Add cap nails about every 18 inches - 2 feet 9. If there are vents on the roof, cut out holes for the vent and then tape down the tarp with your deck tape. 10. Clean up any nails and loose screws.
Contact info for LJRN: If a storm hits, and you have tarping questions, please feel free to reach out. If we are nearby geographically, we may be able to share resources. Toi Jean Carter toijean@ljrn.org, 504-644-8900