Have you noticed that water is getting into your building? If so, you'll want to act quickly. The damaged portion of your roof is going to be its primary weak point, and you'll want to repair this damage quickly so that you can protect your building from further damage. Even if the job is not perfect, it can buy you some time to bring out a commercial roofing contractor to repair it properly. Here are a few tips that will help you repair your roof in an emergency. 

Gather Some Tools

When you are facing a roofing emergency, you may not have the right tools for the job, but you certainly have tools that can get the job done. Ideally, you would want to have a flat bar that will help remove the shingles from the roof, but you may not have access to one. A longer knife can get the job done as well in a pinch. 

You'll also need something to cover the holes on your roof. Any type of plastic sheeting will do, such as a tarp, but you may not have access to one in an emergency situation. A heavy-duty trash bag may be enough to temporarily fix the problem and prevent or limit more water from getting inside. 

Something is also going to be needed to weigh the plastic down. Grab a hammer and nails to do this, even if they are not the right kind of roofing nails. 

Lift Up The Shingles Above The Hole

The first step will be to lift up the shingles that are above the hole. Even though the shingles that you're lifting up are ones in good condition, you need to lift them up so that the water rolls over the good shingle and over the plastic. Your knife will be needed to break the bond created by the glue underneath the shingles.

Place The Plastic Underneath The Shingles And Secure It

Cut the plastic to a size that is bigger than the hole. There should be enough plastic underneath the upper row shingles so that it goes up to the top of the drain channel. Work the plastic in there well so that it looks like there is not a gap where water can get in from rolling down the roof. You can then use some nails to secure the plastic in place so that it will not move.

Is the repair perfect? No, but now you have some time until you can get a commercial roofing contractor out to your building to perform the repair the right way. 

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