After a major storm, the “blue roof” becomes an unfortunate symbol of a community’s recovery. While tarps are a widely available quick fix, they are rarely the right fix, especially when facing the long, challenging recovery of a hurricane season.
Property owners are increasingly turning to professional-grade shrink wrap for a simple reason: it offers protection, whereas a tarp offers a patch.
Knowing when to choose one over the other can save you tens of thousands of dollars in secondary damage, like mold and structural rot.
The Problem with the “Blue Tarp” Solution
A blue tarp is a cheap, temporary patch. It’s designed to cover a woodpile, not protect your single most valuable asset.
- They Don’t Stay Put: Tarps are held down by sandbags, bricks, or nails. Hurricane-force winds (or even strong afternoon thunderstorms) will get underneath them, creating a “sail” effect. They flap, tear, and are often ripped completely off the roof.
- They Leak: Tarps are not 100% waterproof. They have seams, and the material itself can allow water to penetrate under pressure. Worse, they channel water in unpredictable ways, often creating new leaks.
- They Cause More Damage: The constant flapping and abrasion from a loose tarp can strip off the protective granules from your remaining shingles. The nails used to secure them create new holes in your roof.
- They Degrade Quickly: Standard blue tarps have very little UV protection. In the intense post-storm sun, they become brittle and can crack or disintegrate in just a few weeks.
When to Choose Professional Shrink Wrap
Professional shrink wrap (like the system used by StormWrappers) is a fundamentally different technology. It’s a 12-mil, UV-protected, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) wrap that is heat-shrunk to fit your roof‘s exact contours.
Choose shrink wrap over a tarp when:
1. Repairs Will Take Weeks or Months
This is the #1 reason. After a major hurricane, the waitlist for a qualified roofer can be 6-12 months long. A tarp will not last that long. Our shrink wrap is warrantied to last for a full year, giving you the time you need to find the right contractor, not just the fastest one.
2. You Have Large or Complex Roof Damage
A tarp simply cannot cover a roof with multiple damaged sections, valleys, and dormers. Our wrap can be seamed together to create a single, seamless membrane over any roofline, no matter how complex.
3. You Need to Prevent Mold and Water Intrusion
A tarp will leak during the next rainstorm. This continuous water intrusion leads to rampant mold growth in your attic and walls, turning a $20,000 roof repair into a $100,000+ mold remediation project. Shrink wrap is 100% waterproof. It stops the leak completely, protecting your property’s value.
4. You Have a Claim with Your Insurance Company
Your insurance policy requires you to “mitigate further damage.” A blue tarp that blows off in the next storm may not satisfy this requirement, potentially jeopardizing your claim. A professional shrink wrap installation is a definitive, documented, and warrantied act of mitigation that insurers recognize and often pay for.
5. You Want to Protect Your Interior and Belongings
The cost of a new roof pales in comparison to the cost of replacing all your furniture, electronics, and priceless family belongings. A shrink wrap roof protects the inside of your home, not just the outside.
The Verdict: Tarp or Wrap?
- Use a Tarp if: You have a small, simple leak (e.g., a few missing shingles) and your roofer is scheduled to be there in the next 48 hours.
- Use Shrink Wrap if: You have experienced any significant storm damage. It’s the only solution that provides a durable, long-term, and fully waterproof enclosure to protect your home or business during the long recovery process.
[Don’t risk your property with a blue tarp. Contact StormWrappers today for a professional shrink wrap solution that lasts.]
