When a fire tears through your roof, a tree crashes through your window, or a storm rips off shingles, the immediate damage is only part of the problem. An unsecured property continues to deteriorate every hour it's left exposed — to weather, vandalism, animals, and liability risks.
Emergency board-up and tarping is the critical first response that stops the bleeding. Here's why it matters more than most homeowners realize.
What Are Board-Up and Tarping Services?
Board-up involves covering openings in your property — broken windows, damaged doors, holes in walls — with plywood or other materials to secure the structure from unauthorized entry, weather, and animals.
Tarping involves covering damaged roof sections with heavy-duty tarps to prevent rain and moisture from entering the building. Professional tarps are secured with lumber, screws, and sometimes weighted systems designed to withstand wind.
Why It Can't Wait
Preventing Secondary Damage
A house fire might destroy one room, but if the damaged roof isn't tarped, the next rainstorm floods the entire house. A broken window from a break-in becomes a pathway for rain, animals, and further intrusion. Secondary damage often exceeds the original damage — and it's entirely preventable.
Insurance Requirements
Your homeowner's insurance policy includes a "duty to mitigate" clause. This means you're required to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage after a loss. If you fail to secure your property and additional damage occurs, your insurance company can deny coverage for the secondary damage.
The good news: emergency board-up and tarping costs are almost always covered by your insurance policy as part of the claim.
Safety and Liability
An unsecured property is a liability risk. If someone enters your damaged property and is injured — whether a curious neighbor, a trespassing teenager, or a would-be thief — you could be held liable. Proper board-up and fencing demonstrate that you took reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized access.
Protecting Your Belongings
Even after significant damage, many of your belongings may be salvageable — but not if they're exposed to the elements. Securing the property protects remaining contents from rain, wind, theft, and animal damage while you work through the restoration process.
What Professional Board-Up Includes
- Window and door coverage: Plywood cut to fit and secured with screws (not nails, which can be easily removed).
- Roof tarping: Heavy-duty tarps extending beyond the damaged area, secured with 2x4 lumber and screws into the roof deck.
- Temporary fencing: For properties with extensive structural damage, chain-link fencing with privacy screening prevents access to the site.
- Lockbox installation: Secure key boxes allow authorized personnel (adjusters, contractors) to access the property without leaving it unsecured.
- Temporary weather barriers: For larger openings, framed plywood walls with vapor barriers provide better protection than simple boarding.
DIY vs. Professional Board-Up
In an emergency, covering a broken window with plywood from the hardware store is better than nothing. But professional board-up services offer significant advantages:
- 24/7 availability: Damage doesn't wait for business hours.
- Proper materials and techniques: Professional-grade tarps and securing methods that withstand weather.
- Insurance documentation: Professional services provide invoices and documentation that support your insurance claim.
- Safety: Working on a damaged roof or structure is dangerous. Professionals have the training and equipment to do it safely.
- Liability protection: Licensed and insured contractors protect you from additional liability.
When to Call for Board-Up Services
- Immediately after a fire, once the fire department clears the scene.
- After any storm that damages your roof, windows, or siding.
- Following a vehicle impact that damages your structure.
- After a break-in or vandalism that leaves your property unsecured.
- When a fallen tree damages your home.
Don't let secondary damage compound your losses. Independent Restoration Services provides 24/7 emergency board-up and tarping services across all our locations. Call us immediately after any property damage — we'll secure your home and start the restoration process. (615) 914-0754.