# Board-up and tarping for Nokomis houses > Closing up fire-damaged Nokomis homes: steep story-and-a-half roofs, wood windows with storms, alley garages and Minnesota snow on tarps. URL: https://firedamagerestorationminneapolis.com/board-up-tarping-nokomis/ Section: Home > Service areas > Nokomis > Board-Up and Tarping in Nokomis Last updated: 2026-10-31 Disclosure: Fire Damage Restoration Minneapolis is a call-in referral service. Your call is connected to an independent, licensed local contractor who speaks with you on that call; we do not perform the work ourselves. Around Lake Nokomis, most blocks are lined with bungalows and story-and-a-half houses that have steep roofs, wood windows behind storm sashes and a garage out on the alley. When a fire breaks glass or opens the roof, those openings let in cold air, snow and anyone passing by. Our [board-up and tarping](https://firedamagerestorationminneapolis.com/services/board-up-and-tarping/) page explains the general method. Phone us and you will be put through to an independent local contractor who can talk over closing up your Nokomis house during that same call. ## Key facts - Nokomis is a group of eleven Minneapolis neighborhoods, including the four known together as Nokomis East [5]. - The U.S. Fire Administration warns that a burned roof or floor can give way, so nobody should walk on it before it is checked [1]. - Minnesota law calls for a working carbon monoxide alarm within ten feet of each sleeping room [4]. ## What a Nokomis house looks like after the fire trucks leave A typical Nokomis fire leaves the brick or stucco walls standing while the weak points fail. Firefighters often break a window or two to let smoke out, and they may cut a hole in the roof over the half story to vent heat. The front door can be forced. Each of those openings has to be closed before the house is left overnight, because it is now open to weather and to strangers. Most of these houses are one or one-and-a-half stories, so much of the board-up can be done from the ground or a short ladder. The steep roof over the upstairs bedrooms is the exception. It usually needs roof jacks, harnesses or a lift, and the crew decides how to reach it once they have looked at the framing from inside. ## Steep roofs over the Nokomis half story Story-and-a-half houses put the upstairs bedrooms under a steep roof with sloped ceilings and knee walls. A vent hole or a burn-through there opens straight into those rooms. The tarp has to run well past the damage on every side and lap up and over the ridge so water cannot get under the top edge. Wood battens screwed into sound rafters hold it in place. Before anyone steps onto that slope, the crew checks the decking from the attic or the knee-wall spaces where they can. Charred boards may look fine from above. The U.S. Fire Administration notes that fire-damaged roofs can fail without warning [1], so the safe path across the roof is worked out before the tarp goes up. ## Closing a Nokomis story-and-a-half step by step The order a crew usually follows on these houses. 1. **Wait for the fire department release in Nokomis:** Do not enter or start work until the fire department says the house can be entered and the gas and power are safe. 2. **Photograph the Nokomis house from every side:** Take pictures of the front, both sides, the back, the roof and the garage before anything is covered. 3. **Board windows and doors on the main floor and dormers:** Panels go over broken windows, the forced door and any dormer window that cracked in the heat. 4. **Tarp the roof over the upstairs bedrooms:** The tarp laps over the ridge and is fixed with battens into solid rafters. ## Wood windows, storm sashes and winter drafts Many Nokomis homes still have their original wood double-hung windows with storm windows on the outside. Heat can crack both layers, and firefighters may break them to vent. Plywood fitted to the outside of the opening protects the old sash so it can be reglazed later. If a storm window is still whole, it can be lifted out and stored in the garage for reinstallation. In cold months, a sheet of foam insulation behind the plywood cuts the draft. That matters because the pipes in many of these houses run close to outside walls and along the basement rim joist. An open window in January can chill a wall cavity fast enough to freeze a supply line before the plumbing has been drained. ## Snow load and wind on a Nokomis tarp A tarp that works in July can fail in a Minnesota winter. Wet snow builds up in the low spots, ice forms along the battens, and the weight can pull fasteners or tear the plastic. The crew uses heavy reinforced tarps and sets the battens so meltwater runs off instead of pooling. On a steep roof, snow tends to slide, which helps, but drifts still form at dormers. The National Weather Service office for the Twin Cities posts winter storm watches and wind forecasts [2]. Check the tarp after each storm or heavy wind, from the ground if you can. If a corner lifts or snow piles up in a valley, call the contractor back before water finds its way into the half-story ceilings. ## Alley garages in Nokomis Nearly every Nokomis lot has a detached garage on the alley, and many fires start there. A garage fire can burn through the overhead door, the side service door and the roof. Once the fire department releases it, the crew closes the openings with plywood or bracing so tools, bikes and vehicles are not exposed. If the roof collapsed, the structure may be fenced off rather than tarped. A garage fire can also crack the back windows of the house and scorch the rear wall. Those openings get boarded at the same visit. If the fire reached a neighbor's garage across the property line, each owner works with their own insurer, but it helps to agree on how the alley will be used while both garages are secured. ## Things to mention when you call from Nokomis Helpful details for planning the visit. - **Whether the roof over the upstairs was vented:** A hole in the steep roof calls for roof safety gear. - **How many windows are broken, and on which floor:** Main floor, dormer or basement window wells. - **Whether the garage on the alley burned:** Garage openings and the alley access affect the plan. - **Whether the heat is working:** In winter this decides how quickly pipes need protecting. ## Basement window wells and the back entry Nokomis basements often have small windows at grade, some set in window wells. Firefighters may break them to vent a basement fire, and a broken basement window in winter lets cold air straight onto the water heater and pipes. These small openings are easy to overlook, so the crew walks the whole foundation and covers each one. Many houses also have a back entry with a few steps down to the basement and up to the kitchen. If that door was forced or burned, it is the most likely way for someone to get in from the alley. A solid panel with a secure fastening, or a temporary lockable door, closes it until the frame is rebuilt. ## Heat, carbon monoxide alarms and temporary heaters Once the openings are closed, the next worry in cold weather is keeping the house above freezing. If the furnace survived, a heating contractor checks it before it runs. If not, temporary heaters may be set up, and these must be the right type for indoor use and placed away from anything that can burn. Some families drain the plumbing instead and leave the house cold. Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are often ruined by the fire or removed during cleanup. Minnesota law requires a working carbon monoxide alarm near every sleeping area [4]. Replace them before anyone sleeps in the house again, and do not run fuel-burning heaters or generators inside or near open windows. ## Insurance photos before the plywood goes up Once a window is boarded, the adjuster cannot see what was behind it. Take clear photos and short videos of every broken opening, the roof damage and the garage first. Note the time you called for board-up. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and closing up the house is usually one of them. The Minnesota Department of Commerce suggests reading your policy, keeping records and asking questions early [3]. Keep the board-up invoice and photos with the rest of your claim file. Our guide to [working with your insurance adjuster](https://firedamagerestorationminneapolis.com/guides/working-with-your-insurance-adjuster/) has more on organizing that file. ## Next steps once the Nokomis house is closed With the house secure and protected from cold, the work moves inside. Basement water from the hoses is pumped and dried, smoke residue is cleaned from the half story down, and the furnace and ducts are checked. The [Nokomis area page](https://firedamagerestorationminneapolis.com/areas/nokomis/) describes how smoke and water usually travel through these houses. Keep an eye on the boarded house while you are staying elsewhere. Walk past it every few days, look at the tarp and panels, and note any snow buildup. Neighbors on most Nokomis blocks know each other, so asking someone nearby to tell you if anything looks loose is a sensible extra step. ## Board-Up and Tarping in Nokomis: before and after Slide to see a Nokomis room before and after board-up and tarping work. ## Board-Up and Tarping in Nokomis: questions ### Can I tarp my own Nokomis roof after a fire? It is risky. Fire can weaken the decking under a steep roof without visible signs, and snow or ice adds to the danger. A crew with roof safety gear is the safer option. ### How long can plywood stay on my Nokomis windows? Panels can stay on through the cleanup and repairs, often for several months. They should be checked after storms and replaced if they loosen or let in water. ### Does the alley garage get boarded up too? Yes, if it is still standing. Its openings are closed to protect what is inside. A badly burned garage may be fenced off instead. ## Sources 1. [U.S. Fire Administration: After a fire](https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/after-a-fire/) 2. [National Weather Service: Twin Cities forecast office](https://www.weather.gov/mpx/) 3. [Minnesota Department of Commerce: Disaster Information Center](https://mn.gov/commerce/insurance/home/dic) 4. [Minnesota Statutes 299F.51: Carbon monoxide alarms](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/299F.51) 5. [Wikipedia: Nokomis, Minneapolis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokomis,_Minneapolis) ## Talk to someone Call (612) 471-0995 (+16124710995). Your call connects to an independent local contractor who speaks with you on that call.