Guidelines for repairing hurricane roof leaks

Emergency managers in Southwest Florida recommend temporary repairs to roof leaks left in the wake of a hurricane.

Plastic sheeting and roofing paper can be used to cover holes on roofs. These remedies should only be used until a licensed contractor is able to carry out permanent repairs.

Authorities in Lee and Collier counties provide the following guidelines to address roof damage after a storm:

** Inspect your roof from the ground first and look for torn or misplaced shingles or tiles. Identify areas able to pocket water as these are most vulnerable. Look for cracks and gaps in roofing material on tile roofs. Look for bare spots on flat roofs and areas of standing water.

** Resist the urge to walk on your roof to inspect damage. A weak roof could collapse and the bottom of your shoes could remove protective treatments made to waterproof your roof.

** If you use a ladder for a closer inspection, wear rubber-soled shoes and tread carefully as you cover holes with plastic sheeting or roofing paper.

** Heavy plastic sheets are available in rolls and can be used to cover holes or tears in your roofing. Use nails to fasten them over holes. Bricks, concrete blocks or sandbags also will work in place of nails.

** Roofing paper, also known as tar paper or roofing felt, is applied with plastic cement. The paper is sold in rolls and is best applied in layers that overlap between the cement and the paper.

** Smaller holes may not require plastic sheeting or roofing paper and can be covered with plastic cement and a leveling hand tool called a trowel.

** To qualify for Operation Blue Roof, a plastic sheeting program offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in disaster areas, damage to the roof must be less than 50 percent. The area to be covered also must be structurally sound, according to guidelines found at http://www.fema.gov. For Operation Blue Roof center locations nearest you call 1-888-766-3258.

** Reliable contractors can be found with help from the National Roofing Contractors Association, which offers a list on its Web site at: www.nrca.net. Make sure the contractor is bonded, licensed and can provide a manufacturer’s warranty.