Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC 1334537
Roof tarping trouble, quoted at a flat rate in Westwood Lakes, FL
Roof Tarping & Shrink Wrap for homes in Westwood Lakes and the surrounding area — from our Sunrise headquarters. Free quote.
Westwood Lakes is a mid-century pocket of 1950s–1970s concrete block and stucco homes, and it sits inside Miami-Dade County's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. If a storm has lifted tile or shingles, or a limb has come through the deck, an open roof here means wind-driven rain reaches decking, insulation and ceilings quickly. A tarp or shrink wrap cover is a temporary measure to keep water out until the permanent repair is done. It is not the repair.
Flat Rate Roofing does roofing only. We look at the damage and the deck, put a temporary cover on to suit your roof type, and take photos for your records. Then we give you a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof that says what is included. The quote is free.
Westwood Lakes has a hot, humid climate with a May-through-October wet season of near-daily thunderstorms, and Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. A roof opened by one storm can take on more water in the next afternoon downpour. The homes here are largely 60–70 years old, so the roofs and sections that fail may be old ones. Intense UV, summer heat and wind also wear on any temporary cover the longer it stays up, which is one reason to schedule the permanent repair rather than leave a cover in place.
Problems to watch for in Westwood Lakes
Tile or shingles lifted by wind
Hurricane and tropical-storm wind can lift tile, shingles and flashing on the block-and-stucco homes around Westchester and Coral Terrace, leaving bare spots that let water in.
Limbs through the roof deck
A fallen limb can puncture the deck and leave a hole over a room. A cover keeps rain out until the deck section is repaired.
Wind-driven rain in an open roof
During the wet season, summer storms push rain sideways into any opening. Wet decking, insulation and ceilings can follow.
Low-slope sections of mid-century roofs
Low-slope and flat sections are part of this housing stock, and ponding water after a storm can find an opening in a damaged area.
A tarp fastened the wrong way
Tarps fastened through the middle of the roof, or stopped short of the ridge, can let water run in underneath. A cover has to shed water over it, not under it.
A cover left up too long
Sun, heat and wind wear a cover down the longer it stays up. A temporary cover is a stopgap, not a long-term plan.
Many roofs damaged at once
After a widespread storm, roofers and materials can be in demand across the whole region. A temporary cover protects the house while the permanent repair is scheduled.
What we do
- Look at the damage firstWe check the damaged area and the deck before any cover goes on, so the cover goes over what actually needs protecting.
- Blue tarps done to shed waterPolyethylene tarps are secured with wood battens along the edges and run over the ridge where the roof allows. Water sheds over the cover rather than under it.
- Shrink wrap for a tighter coverPolyethylene 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.
- Fastened to suit your roofCovers are fastened to suit tile, shingle, metal and flat roofs, which matters on Westwood Lakes homes with barrel tile, shingle or low-slope roofs.
- Photos and a written flat-rate quoteWe take photos before and after for your records and your insurance claim. You also get a written flat-rate quote for the permanent repair or re-roof.
Licenses, permits and codes in Westwood Lakes
A tarp or shrink-wrap cover is temporary until the permanent repair. For that permanent work, here is the rule as Florida states it: "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. Our license is Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1334537, which you can verify on the DBPR website. Whether a temporary cover needs a permit is up to your local building department, so confirm with them. In Westwood Lakes, which is in Miami-Dade's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, product approval applies 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." For the permanent repair, we pull permits under our own license, schedule and pass inspections, and close out the permit.
When to call
A cover is needed after hurricanes, tropical storms, severe thunderstorms and fallen trees, in any month. Around Westwood Lakes, the risk rises through the wet season and Atlantic hurricane season, June 1 to November 30. If your roof is open, stay off it, take photos from the ground and call (954) 775-8990. The phone is answered around the clock, and the 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 Westwood Lakes and nearby areas including Westchester, Olympia Heights, Coral Terrace, Sunset, Glenvar Heights, Tamiami, University Park, Kendale Lakes, Fontainebleau and the Bird Road corridor.
Roof Tarping in Westwood Lakes: questions we hear
- Is a tarp or shrink wrap a roof repair?
- No. Both are temporary covers that keep water out until the permanent repair. In Westwood Lakes, where many homes are 1950s–1970s block-and-stucco construction, the permanent repair is still needed to restore the roof.
- 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 on any cover, so plan the permanent repair rather than relying on the cover.
- What should I do about insurance after storm damage in Miami-Dade?
- Photograph the damage from the ground, keep your records, and talk to your insurer or agent. We take before-and-after photos of the cover work for your records. We cannot say what any claim will pay.
- Does a temporary cover need a permit in Westwood Lakes?
- That is up to the local building department, so confirm with them. For the permanent repair, Florida's rule is that roofing work "legally requires a licensed roofing contractor and generally a permit from the local building department."
- Does hurricane season change when I should call?
- A cover can be needed in any month after a storm or a fallen tree. Westwood Lakes has near-daily summer thunderstorms from May through October, and hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. If you can see damage, call (954) 775-8990.
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