Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Roof tarping trouble, quoted at a flat rate in Three Lakes, FL
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap for homes in Three Lakes and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Three Lakes sits in Miami-Dade's High Velocity Hurricane Zone, only a handful of miles inland from Biscayne Bay, and tropical storm season brings heavy wind-driven rain. If wind has lifted tile or shingles, or a fallen limb has opened the roof deck, rain can reach the decking, insulation and ceilings below. A temporary cover can keep more of that water out until the permanent repair is done.
Flat Rate Roofing does roofing only. We look at the damage and the deck first, then put on a blue tarp or a shrink-wrap cover that suits your roof type. We take photos before and after for your records. A tarp or shrink wrap is a temporary cover, not a repair. We follow it with a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof, and the estimate is free.
This part of southwest Miami-Dade was directly in the path of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and much of the area was rebuilt or retrofitted under the stricter post-Andrew building code. Housing here is dominated by 1970s-through-1990s single-family homes and townhomes of concrete block and stucco, with barrel tile or asphalt shingle roofs, plus low-rise condo and villa communities. A roof near the end of its service life can lose tile, shingles or flashing in a strong storm, and a cover that is fastened badly or left up too long can let water in again. Many planned subdivisions here have homeowner associations, so check whether yours has rules about exterior work.
Problems to watch for in Three Lakes
Tile or shingles lifted by wind
Hurricane and tropical-storm wind can lift barrel tile and asphalt shingles, leaving bare spots where rain gets in. Three Lakes sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so storm wind is a real exposure here.
Limbs puncturing the roof deck
A fallen limb can punch through the deck and open a hole straight into the attic. The opening usually needs a look at the deck before any cover goes on.
Wind-driven rain inside the house
Heavy tropical rain pushed by wind can enter an open roof and soak decking, insulation and ceilings. Photograph the damage and talk to your insurer or agent.
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. Battens along the edges and a run over the ridge, where the roof allows, help water shed over the cover.
Sun, heat and wind wearing down a cover
South Florida sun and wind wear a temporary cover down the longer it stays up. That is why a cover should lead to the permanent repair and not replace it.
Older roofs past their service life
Many homes here date from the 1970s through the 1990s, and some roofs are well past their service life. After a storm, damage on an older roof can be wider than the visible leak.
What we do
- Look at the damage and deck firstBefore any cover goes on, we look at the damaged area and the deck beneath it. This shows where the cover has to go and what the permanent repair may involve.
- Blue tarps secured with battensWe fasten wood battens along the edges and run the tarp over the ridge where the roof allows, so water sheds over the cover instead of under it. A tarp is temporary until the permanent repair.
- Shrink-wrap roof coversPolyethylene film is heat-shrunk tight over the damaged section or the whole roof, leaving fewer loose edges for wind to lift. Shrink wrap is designed to last up to about a year (a typical lifespan, not a promise), longer than a standard blue tarp, and it is still temporary.
- Covers fitted to your roof typeWe fasten covers to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs, which matters in a neighborhood mixing barrel tile and asphalt shingle homes.
- Photos and a written flat-rate quoteWe take photos before and after for your records and insurance claim. Then we give you a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof that says what is included.
Licenses, permits and codes in Three Lakes
For the permanent 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 Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board, is the state regulator. Our Florida Certified Roofing Contractor license, CCC1334537, can be verified on the DBPR website. Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to the local building department, so confirm with them. A tarp or shrink wrap is not a code-approved or product-approved roofing product. Product approvals apply to the permanent roofing materials: "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." Florida's 25% roof rule can also affect the permanent repair: "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." "How it is applied can vary, so verify with your city or county building department."
When to call
Demand in Three Lakes spikes in May and June as homeowners prepare for hurricane season, and again after any named storm passes through between August and October. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but tarping can be needed after hurricanes, tropical storms, severe thunderstorms and fallen trees in any month. After a widespread storm, roofers and materials are in demand across the whole region, so call as soon as you can. The phone at (954) 775-8990 is answered around the clock, and our Sunrise office keeps weekday hours, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. You can also request a free estimate with the form on this page.
We serve Three Lakes and nearby areas including The Crossings, The Hammocks, Country Walk, Kendale Lakes, Richmond West, Palmetto Estates, Richmond Heights, South Miami Heights, Kendall and Sunset.
Roof Tarping in Three Lakes: questions we hear
- Is a tarp or shrink wrap a permanent roof repair?
- No. Both are temporary covers that keep water out until the permanent repair or re-roof is done. We follow the cover with a written flat-rate quote for that permanent work.
- How long does shrink wrap last compared with a blue tarp?
- Shrink wrap is designed to last up to about a year (a typical lifespan, not a promise), longer than a standard blue tarp. Sun, heat and wind wear any cover down the longer it stays up, so plan the permanent repair rather than leaving a cover on.
- Why does a storm matter so much for roofs in Three Lakes?
- Three Lakes is in Miami-Dade's High Velocity Hurricane Zone, and tropical storm season brings heavy wind-driven rain. Many local roofs are barrel tile or asphalt shingle on 1970s-through-1990s homes, and wind can lift either one.
- What should I do for my insurance claim?
- Photograph the damage, keep your records and talk to your insurer or agent. We take photos before and after the cover goes on for your records, but we cannot say what a claim will or will not include.
- Does my homeowners association need to know about a temporary cover?
- Homeowner associations are widespread in the planned subdivisions of southwest Miami-Dade, and some have their own approval processes. Check your association's rules, and confirm with the local building department whether a temporary cover needs a permit.
Get a free roof tarping quote in Three Lakes
Tell us what's going on. A state-certified contractor will get back to you.