Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap at a written flat rate in Brownsville, FL
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap for homes in Brownsville and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Brownsville's housing is dominated by modest 1940s–1960s concrete block homes with stucco and low-slope or gable roofs, in unincorporated Miami-Dade a few miles west of Biscayne Bay. When wind or a fallen limb opens one of those roofs, the job has two steps: a temporary cover, either a blue tarp or shrink wrap, and then a plan for the permanent repair. Plan around hurricane season, June through November, because salt-laden air and wind-driven rain can test any roof that is already open.
A cover is temporary until the permanent repair is done. It is not a repair. We look at the damage and the deck first, then fit a tarp or shrink wrap to suit the roof. We photograph the roof before and after for your records, and we put the permanent repair or re-roof in a written flat-rate quote that says what is included. The estimate is free.
Many Brownsville homes are older concrete block with low-slope or gable roofs, and Miami-Dade's hot, humid climate keeps moisture and heat working on them all year. Salt air drifting in from Biscayne Bay can corrode fasteners, flashings and unprotected metal, which can leave edges loose when a storm arrives. After a widespread storm, roofers and materials can be in demand across the whole region, so a temporary cover helps protect decking, insulation and ceilings while the permanent repair is scheduled. Sun, heat and wind also wear a cover down the longer it stays up, so the permanent repair still needs a plan.
Problems to watch for in Brownsville
Wind lifting tile, shingles and flashing
Hurricane and tropical-storm wind in Miami-Dade can lift roofing and flashing and leave bare sections of a block home's roof open to rain.
Fallen limbs puncturing the deck
A limb coming down on an older gable or low-slope roof can punch through the roof deck and let water straight into the attic.
Wind-driven rain in an open roof
Near-daily summer thunderstorms and tropical rain can soak decking, insulation and ceilings quickly once the roof is open.
Tarps fastened the wrong way
A tarp fastened through the middle of the roof, or stopped short of the ridge, can let water run in under it instead of shedding over it.
Covers wearing down in the sun
South Florida sun, heat and wind wear a temporary cover down the longer it stays up, which is why it is only a stopgap.
Salt air weakening older roof edges
Salt air from Biscayne Bay can corrode fasteners and flashings on older roofs, which can leave edges loose when wind arrives.
What we do
- Look at the damage and the deckBefore any cover goes on, we look at the damaged section and the deck beneath it so the cover is fitted to what is actually there.
- Blue tarps with battensBlue polyethylene tarps are secured with wood battens fastened along the edges and run over the ridge where the roof allows, so water sheds over the cover rather than under it.
- Shrink-wrap coversPolyethylene film is heat-shrunk tight over the damaged section or the whole roof, leaving fewer loose edges for wind to lift. It is designed to last up to about a year (a typical lifespan, not a promise), longer than a standard blue tarp.
- Fitted to your roof typeCovers are fastened to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs, including the low-slope and gable roofs found on older block homes in Brownsville.
- Photos and a written flat-rate quoteWe take photos before and after for your records and insurance claim, then give you a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof that says what is included.
Licenses, permits and codes in Brownsville
For the permanent roof repair: "Roofing work in Florida legally requires a licensed roofing contractor and generally a permit from the local building department; a contractor's license is verified on the Florida DBPR website." The regulator is the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Flat Rate Roofing Inc holds Florida Certified Roofing Contractor license CCC1334537, a state certification valid in every Florida county that you can verify on the DBPR website. Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with them before work starts. A tarp or shrink wrap is not described here as code-approved or wind-rated. Product approvals apply to the permanent roofing products: "Miami-Dade and Broward are Florida's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. Roofing products used there need a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) for that use; elsewhere in Florida they need a Florida Product Approval (or local approval). Either way the product is installed per its approval." When planning the permanent work, note that "Florida's 25% roof rule (Florida Building Code, Existing Building volume, section 706.1.1): when more than 25% of a roof or roof section is repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period, the entire roof or section has to be brought up to current code." Verify how it applies to your roof with your city or county building department.
When to call
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and Brownsville homeowners often plan around it. Tarping can be needed after hurricanes, tropical storms, severe thunderstorms and fallen trees in any month. The phone is answered around the clock at (954) 775-8990, and the office keeps weekday hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Our office is at 9610 NW 24th St, Sunrise, FL 33322. You can also request a free estimate with the form on this page. We do not promise arrival or completion times.
We serve Brownsville and nearby areas including Gladeview, West Little River, Liberty City, Model City, Allapattah, Pinewood, Little River, the Brownsville Metrorail area, the Hialeah Gardens area and Opa-locka.
Roof Tarping in Brownsville: questions we hear
- Is a tarp or shrink wrap a roof repair?
- No. Both are temporary covers until the permanent repair is done. On an older Brownsville block home, the cover keeps rain out while the permanent repair or re-roof is planned and quoted.
- How long does shrink wrap stay on a roof?
- Shrink wrap is designed to last up to about a year (a typical lifespan, not a promise), longer than a standard blue tarp. Florida sun, heat and wind wear on any cover, so the permanent repair should still be planned.
- Do I need a permit for a temporary cover in Brownsville?
- Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with them. The permanent repair is a separate matter and follows the licensing and permit wording above.
- What should I do about my insurance claim?
- Photograph the damage safely from the ground or from inside the home, keep records, and talk to your insurer or agent. We also take photos before and after the cover goes on for your records.
- Why consider shrink wrap during hurricane season?
- Shrink wrap is heat-shrunk tight over the roof, so it has fewer loose edges for wind to lift. That matters in Miami-Dade between June and November, when wind-driven rain follows storms. We can look at the roof and tell you which cover suits it.
Get a free roof tarping quote in Brownsville
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