Stopgap

A stopgap is a temporary fix applied to prevent a defect from getting worse while you take the time needed to plan the proper repair. It is not a permanent solution, and it is not intended to be. The point is to buy time: to check a warranty, to compare quotes, to wait for the right season, to bundle the work into another visit, or to budget for a repair that cannot be paid for in the same week the defect appeared.

The mechanism: the time the stopgap buys is what makes the eventual repair cheaper, more durable, or both. It is not procrastination; it is the difference between an immediate reaction and a considered response. A tarp over a leaking roof for one week while a roofer arranges access is a stopgap; a tarp for a winter is neglect. A sealant on a hairline crack until spring weather allows proper masonry work is a stopgap; sealant as the only repair is denial.

The distinction matters at three moments. When the 4P rule says non-urgent and you have time. Under contractor pressure for an immediate full repair. In conditions that block a permanent fix (frost, rain, wrong season).

Sibling frame: neglect (a stopgap with no date attached). The difference is the date on the calendar. “Sealant today, proper repair second week of May when the dry weather returns” is a stopgap. “I’ll worry about it later” is neglect. The first becomes a plan; the second becomes the thing that fails at the worst possible moment.