Will it Damage Your Roof to Nail a Tarp to It?

Tarp

• A tarp -- short for tarpaulin -- can be as small as 6-by-6 feet or as large as a house. Choose a tarp that is large enough to cover the entire project so you don't have to patch together two or more pieces. Quality, too, is diverse. Use a high quality tarp designed for roofs. Cheaper tarps will tear apart in the wind.

Nailing

• Use roofing nails with large plastic washers so the tarp doesn't tear free from the nail heads in high wind. Always place the nails between the slots of the shingles. If you insert the nails near the tops of the slots, you'll be able to more easily cover them later. Don't nail into the face of the shingles or you'll permanently damage them.

Fixing Damage

• As you remove the tarp, mark the nail holes with chalk so you can find them later. To repair the holes, slide metal bib flashing under the slot so that it goes 2 inches under the upper coarse of shingles. If you are using aluminum bids, spray paint the top face black or brown so the repair isn't apparent when the job is done.

Tips

• Working on the roof is dangerous, so stay off of it if you possibly can. In an emergency, your insurance company can usually send out a team very quickly to remove fallen debris and cover the roof to minimize damage. Plastic tarp is slippery, even when dry, so avoid walking or kneeling on it.