Key facts: Board-Up and Tarping in Linden Hills
- Linden Hills is a hilltop neighborhood in southwest Minneapolis between Lake Harriet and Bde Maka Ska [5].
- The U.S. Fire Administration warns that a burned roof or floor may give way, so nobody should walk on one before it is checked [1].
- Snow, wind and cold alerts for the metro come from the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service [2].
What gets opened up in a Linden Hills fire
Most fires here start in a kitchen, a basement mechanical room or an attached garage on a newer house. Firefighters often break windows to vent heat and cut a hole near the roof peak so smoke can escape. Those openings are what let snow, rain, cold air and intruders in once the trucks leave.
A board-up crew starts with the doors and the ground-floor windows, then moves to the roof. On a small cottage that can be done from ladders. On a tall rebuild with a steep pitch, the crew may need roof brackets or a lift, which is worth mentioning when you call.
Tudor gables and steep cottage roofs
Tudor Revival houses in the neighborhood have steep front gables, stucco walls and small roof sections that meet at sharp valleys [5]. A tarp on a roof like this has to be laid so water runs over the valley rather than into it. Battens are screwed to sound decking along every edge so the wind off the lake cannot lift the sheet.
Steep pitches also hold less snow than low roofs, but the snow that does slide off can tear a tarp loose at the eave. Crews often run the tarp over the ridge and down the far side so the top edge is anchored where the slope works in its favor.
Snow load and freeze on a temporary roof cover
A tarp is a short-term fix, and a Minnesota winter tests it hard. Heavy snow sitting on a sagging tarp can pond meltwater, and that water finds the hole beneath it. Brushing snow off with a soft roof rake from the ground, never from a ladder on ice, keeps the weight down.
When the forecast calls for a big snowfall or a hard freeze after a thaw, it pays to have the contractor look at the cover first [2]. Ice dams can form along the eaves of a house whose attic insulation was soaked or pulled out, so the cover may need extending past the damaged area.
Closing up a Linden Hills home after the fire
A common order of work once the fire department leaves.
- 1
Confirm the release and the utilities
Get the all-clear from the fire department and make sure gas and power are shut off or safe.
- 2
Photograph every opening before it is covered
Windows, doors, the garage and the roof, from the street and the back yard.
- 3
Board the doors and lower windows
Panels are cut to the opening and fixed to the framing, not the old sash.
- 4
Tarp the roof and check the attic
Cover holes with wide overlap and look from inside for weak decking.
Old wood windows near Lake Harriet
Original double-hung wood windows survive in many of the older Linden Hills houses. Their frames are deep and solid, which gives a good place to fix plywood without damaging the trim. A careful crew screws into the frame rather than the face of the casing, so the window can be restored later.
Leaded or art glass panels, sometimes found on Tudors and bungalows, are worth protecting even if a pane cracked. Ask that any loose original glass be taped, removed in one piece and stored inside rather than swept away with the debris.
Tall rebuilds and large window walls
Many smaller houses in the neighborhood have been replaced by larger homes with wide window walls and two full stories [5]. A broken sheet of glass in a big modern unit needs a large panel or several joined panels, and the upper ones need a lift or staging. That is a slower job than boarding a cottage.
Newer houses also tend to have attached garages with a wide overhead door. If heat warped the door so it will not close, the crew can brace it or cover the opening so the house stays locked.
Mature trees, tight lots and getting the crew in
Linden Hills lots are narrow and the trees are big. Branches overhang many roofs, and a fire can scorch a limb that later drops onto a fresh tarp. Point out damaged branches on the call so the crew can plan around them or bring in a tree service.
Side yards between houses are often only a few feet wide. Crews may carry panels through the back yard or the alley. Street parking near the 43rd and Upton shops and close to the lake can be tight on busy days, so tell the contractor where a truck can stop [5].
Points to mention when you phone
These details help the crew arrive with the right panels and ladders.
- Original cottage or newer rebuildIt changes the height, window sizes and roof pitch.
- Where the roof is openPeak vent hole, burned section over the kitchen or garage.
- Broken art glass or leaded panesSo they can be saved rather than swept up.
- Snow or ice already on the roofIt affects how the tarp is laid and fixed.
Carbon monoxide risk while a Linden Hills house is boarded
If the furnace is off after a winter fire, people sometimes bring in portable heaters or run a generator to keep pipes from freezing. Combustion heaters and generators can fill a closed-up house with carbon monoxide. Minnesota law requires working carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping rooms in homes, and those alarms should be checked before anyone stays there [4].
Keep any generator well outside, away from windows and the boarded openings. Electric heaters are safer inside, but only once an electrician has said the circuits are sound.
Keeping a record for the insurer
Board-up is usually one of the first items on a fire claim. The Minnesota Department of Commerce suggests reading your policy, keeping a log of each step and holding on to paperwork from every company you hire [3]. Before and after photos of each covered opening are simple proof the work was done.
Our guide on working with your insurance adjuster covers what to keep. The contractor can add notes and photos of the board-up to your file.
Checking the cover through the season
A cover that held in October may not hold in January. Walk around the house after each storm and look for panels that have shifted, tarps that are flapping and new drips inside. Call the contractor back if anything has moved.
Once the repair contractor is ready to reframe the roof and set new windows, the temporary panels come off section by section. Until then, the board-up is what keeps a damaged Linden Hills house dry and secure.
FAQ
Board-Up and Tarping in Linden Hills: questions
Can a tarp stay on a Linden Hills roof through the winter?
It can, but it needs checking after heavy snow and wind. Keep snow off it with a roof rake from the ground and have the contractor refasten any loose battens.
Will boarding damage my original wood windows?
It should not. Panels are fixed into the deep frame rather than the face trim, and loose original glass can be stored inside.
Who handles board-up on a house near Lake Harriet with a tall new roof?
The same kind of crew, but tell them the height and pitch on the call so they bring a lift or roof brackets.
