A tarp buys time. A bad tarp doesn't.
A correctly installed tarp stops water, withstands wind, and buys time for permanent repair. A poorly installed tarp fails in the next event. We do it right.
Emergency tarping situations we respond to immediately.
A correctly installed tarp holds through another storm. A poorly installed one doesn't. We know the difference.
Emergency Roof Tarping
Storm Damage Make-Safe
Structural Breach Tarping
Winter Emergency Tarping
Temporary Flashing
Tarp-to-Repair Transition
Emergency Roof Tarping
Same-hour installation
We tarp open roof breaches before any other assessment. A correctly secured tarp holds through another storm, a poorly secured one doesn't.
Storm Damage Make-Safe
Post-storm stabilization
After any storm event that compromises the building envelope, we stabilize before assessing permanent repair needs.
Structural Breach Tarping
Large impact areas
Tree impact, structural collapse, and large membrane failures require heavier temporary protection than a standard tarp.
Winter Emergency Tarping
Cold-weather installation
We install temporary protection year-round, cold temperatures, ice, and snow do not pause emergency response.
Temporary Flashing
Penetration protection
When chimney caps, pipe boots, or flashing is displaced, we install temporary protection while permanent repair is scheduled.
Tarp-to-Repair Transition
Permanent repair planning
We provide a written permanent repair scope during the tarp visit so you can begin insurance approval immediately.
Open breach in your roof right now? We tarp before we leave.
Why Blue Knight installs tarps that actually hold.
Properly secured tarps
60-minute dispatch
Year-round tarping
Damage documentation included
Tarp-to-repair transition
Properly secured tarps
A tarp secured with boards and proper ballast withstands another storm. We install tarps that hold until permanent repair.
60-minute dispatch
We target on-site within 60 minutes for active roof breaches. Open breaches get covered before we leave.
Year-round tarping
January ice storms, February wind events, we install temporary protection regardless of temperature or weather.
Damage documentation included
We photograph every failure point on arrival and produce a written report suitable for insurance submission.
Tarp-to-repair transition
We provide the permanent repair scope during the tarp visit so you can begin insurance and scheduling immediately.
“A correctly installed tarp is a temporary roof. An incorrectly installed tarp is more damage by morning.”
“A correctly installed tarp is a temporary roof. An incorrectly installed tarp is more damage by morning.”
Rated 5 out of 5Blue Knight was, by far, the best. Responsive, ethical, totally professional — and their crew went above and beyond at no extra charge.
Rated 5 out of 5They installed a full new roof in one day. The crew worked around the house without us hardly knowing they were there.
Rated 5 out of 5I emailed at 4 a.m. and spoke with someone that same day. Estimate and completed work all within one day. Pricing was fair, work was excellent.
I emailed at 4 a.m. and spoke with someone that same day. Estimate and completed work all within one day. Pricing was fair, work was excellent.
Blue Knight was, by far, the best. Responsive, ethical, totally professional — and their crew went above and beyond at no extra charge.
They installed a full new roof in one day. The crew worked around the house without us hardly knowing they were there.
Luciano did not try to sell me a new roof. Appreciated the honesty — he showed up when he said he would.
We had a leak diagnosed by two other contractors who could not find the source. Blue Knight found it on the first visit and fixed it the same week.
Flat roof replacement on a commercial unit. Clean, fast, no surprises on the invoice. The crew left the site cleaner than they found it.
Called after a storm damaged our roof. Someone was on site within hours, tarped everything, and had us fully repaired before the next rain.
Had a slow basement leak for years. Every other company just caulked it. Blue Knight found the actual source and did a proper waterproofing job. No issues since.
Our neighbours recommended them for a valley repair. Small job, but they treated it like it mattered — showed up on time, matched the shingles perfectly, and charged exactly what they quoted.
Featured Projects.
Rooftops across the GTA.
From downtown Toronto to the 905 and beyond, one crew, one warranty, twenty-five years of GTA rooflines.
Service availability may vary. Call (647) 383-8664 to confirm coverage for your area.
Rooftops across the GTA.
From downtown Toronto to the 905 and beyond, one crew, one warranty, twenty-five years of GTA rooflines.
Service availability may vary. Call (647) 383-8664 to confirm coverage for your area.
Emergency tarping questions.
We target on-site within 60 minutes for active roof breach situations across the GTA. Call (647) 383-8664 directly for fastest dispatch. A tarp installed same-hour is the difference between one damage event and two.
A professional tarp installation uses correct material weight, proper batten board and ballast securing, adequate overlap beyond the breach zone, and drainage direction away from the structure. A tarp not properly secured fails in wind, which typically follows rain events. We install tarps that hold until permanent repair.
A correctly installed professional tarp can protect a roof for 60-90 days under normal conditions. UV degradation, wind abrasion, and puncture risk accelerate failure. We install tarps as a bridge to permanent repair, not a permanent solution, and we provide the repair scope during the tarp visit so you can schedule promptly.
Yes. We install temporary protection year-round regardless of temperature. Cold-weather tarp installation requires appropriate securing methods and attention to ice and snow accumulation. We do not suspend emergency response for weather.
Yes, emergency mitigation costs incurred to prevent further damage after a covered loss event are generally included in the insured claim. Keep the invoice, note the date and reason for the tarp, and include it with your insurance documentation. We provide itemized invoices suitable for insurance submission on every tarp call.
What GTA Homeowners Ask About Emergency Tarping.
From what makes a proper tarp to what happens next, answered by 25-year GTA emergency specialists.
We target on-site within 60 minutes for active roof breaches across the GTA. Emergency tarping calls are dispatched immediately. Call (647) 383-8664, phone dispatch is faster than any online form.
Any open roof breach, storm wind removal of shingles, tree impact, structural fire damage, severe hail penetration, or any event that leaves the deck exposed to weather. If the sky is visible from inside, or if rain is entering, a tarp is needed immediately.
Yes. We operate 24/7 emergency response for active roof breaches, flooding, storm damage, and fire situations. We answer the phone at 2am and dispatch immediately. Call (647) 383-8664.
Professional tarps use heavier-gauge polyethylene or woven poly rated for UV and wind resistance. More importantly, professional installation uses proper batten boards and ballast or mechanical securing to prevent uplift, a tarp not properly secured fails in the next wind event, which typically follows rain damage. Standard blue hardware-store tarps rarely hold through another significant event.
- How quickly can Blue Knight provide emergency tarping in Toronto?
- We target on-site within 60 minutes for active roof breaches across the GTA. Emergency tarping calls are dispatched immediately. Call (647) 383-8664, phone dispatch is faster than any online form.
- What situations require emergency tarping?
- Any open roof breach, storm wind removal of shingles, tree impact, structural fire damage, severe hail penetration, or any event that leaves the deck exposed to weather. If the sky is visible from inside, or if rain is entering, a tarp is needed immediately.
- Is emergency tarping available 24 hours in Toronto?
- Yes. We operate 24/7 emergency response for active roof breaches, flooding, storm damage, and fire situations. We answer the phone at 2am and dispatch immediately. Call (647) 383-8664.
- What is the difference between a professional tarp and a DIY blue tarp?
- Professional tarps use heavier-gauge polyethylene or woven poly rated for UV and wind resistance. More importantly, professional installation uses proper batten boards and ballast or mechanical securing to prevent uplift, a tarp not properly secured fails in the next wind event, which typically follows rain damage. Standard blue hardware-store tarps rarely hold through another significant event.
- How is an emergency tarp properly installed on a Toronto roof?
- Proper installation: enough material to cover the breach plus 4-6 feet beyond in all directions. Battens (boards) across the tarp surface nailed through the tarp into the sheathing at the perimeter. Ridge roll at the peak to prevent water pooling behind the tarp. Material weighted and secured at the eaves. We verify the installation can withstand a wind event before leaving the site.
- How much does emergency tarping cost in Toronto?
- A standard residential roof tarp installation runs $300-$800 depending on breach size, roof pitch, and accessibility. Larger structural breaches (tree impact, extensive storm damage) run $600-$1,500. Emergency tarping costs are recoverable under most Ontario home insurance policies for covered loss events. We provide itemized invoices from every call.
- Does insurance cover emergency tarping costs in Toronto?
- Yes, emergency mitigation costs incurred to prevent further damage after a covered loss event are generally included in the insured claim. Maintain the invoice with date, location, and reason for the tarp. Include it with your insurance claim documentation. We format invoices for insurance submission as standard.
- Should I call insurance or a contractor first after a storm?
- Call us first, we'll be on site and tarping before your insurer has finished the paperwork for the call. Then call your insurer within 24 hours to report the event. You have a duty to mitigate further damage under your policy, and emergency tarping fulfills that duty. Both calls should happen the same day.
- Will insurance pay for permanent repairs after emergency tarping?
- Yes, for damage covered under the policy. The tarp and the permanent repair are both part of the same insured event. The key is having documentation that connects them, our emergency response report documents the original breach, the tarp installation, and the permanent repair scope, all in one report.
- Do you remove ice dams and roof snow in Toronto?
- Yes. We steam ice dams off safely, never chipped with an axe, which destroys shingles, and clear excessive snow loads from flat and low-slope roofs across the GTA. If an ice dam has already forced water inside, we treat it as an active leak and prioritize dispatch.
- Can emergency tarping be done in winter in Toronto?
- Yes. We install temporary protection year-round regardless of temperature or weather. Cold weather requires adjustments to securing methods, mechanical fastening rather than ballast in frozen conditions, consideration of ice and snow accumulation on the tarp surface. Winter emergency response is a significant portion of our call volume, and we are equipped for it.
- What happens to an emergency tarp in a Toronto winter?
- Ice accumulation and snow load add significant weight to a tarp surface, installation must account for drainage direction to prevent ponding and subsequent freezing. Properly installed winter tarps direct meltwater away from the breach and off the eave. We check tarp installations after significant ice or snow events and advise on re-securing if conditions warrant.
- Do I need emergency tarping after a Toronto ice storm?
- If the ice storm displaced shingles, bent flashing, or exposed the deck in any area, yes. Ice storms often displace components without creating an obviously visible breach, flashings can be lifted, drip edge bent back, and pipe boot covers removed without showing immediate leakage. We inspect the full roof after any significant ice event and tarp any compromised zones.
- How do I know if my tarp needs to be replaced or re-secured after a storm?
- Signs that a tarp needs attention: visible lifting at any edge, water pooling on the tarp surface, debris accumulation, visible tearing. After any wind event following a tarp installation, we recommend a visual check from the ground. We provide follow-up inspection calls as part of our post-tarp service.
- How long do I have to schedule permanent repair after emergency tarping?
- We recommend beginning the permanent repair process within 30-60 days of tarp installation. A correctly installed tarp is a bridge, not a permanent solution. UV degradation, wind, and material wear accelerate tarp failure over months. We provide the permanent repair scope during the tarp visit so the clock starts immediately on insurance approval and scheduling.
- What permanent repairs typically follow emergency tarping?
- Depends on the original event. Post-storm shingle replacement, membrane repair, flashing restoration, structural repair after tree impact. We document the required permanent repair scope during the tarp visit and provide a fixed-price estimate. For insurance claims, we format the estimate to match claim submission requirements.
- Will the permanent repair contractor remove the tarp?
- Yes, permanent repair begins with tarp removal and reassessment of the breach area. In some cases, conditions observed after tarp removal require adjustment to the repair scope. We account for this in our estimates and communicate any scope changes before proceeding.
More ways Blue Knight can help.
Flooding Response
Learn more EmergencyStorm & Wind Damage
Learn more EmergencyFire-Related Repairs
Learn moreReady to schedule your estimate?
We come to you, assess the roof, and give you a written quote. You are not obliged to proceed. Most estimates completed same week.