# Board-up and tarping in Northeast Minneapolis > Securing fire-damaged Northeast Minneapolis duplexes, walk-ups and old frame houses on narrow lots, with tarps built for snow and wind. URL: https://firedamagerestorationminneapolis.com/board-up-tarping-northeast/ Section: Home > Service areas > Northeast > Board-Up and Tarping in Northeast 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. Northeast Minneapolis is full of century-old frame houses, up-and-down duplexes and small walk-up buildings standing a few feet from each other. After a fire, broken windows, a forced door and a vented roof leave the building open, and on a narrow lot the house next door may be damaged too. The [board-up and tarping](https://firedamagerestorationminneapolis.com/services/board-up-and-tarping/) page covers our general approach. One phone call links you to an independent local contractor, and on that call you can plan how to make your Northeast building secure. ## Key facts - Northeast was once the separate City of St. Anthony and joined Minneapolis in 1872 [5]. - Fire-weakened roofs and floors can collapse under a person's weight, the U.S. Fire Administration cautions [1]. - The Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service issues winter storm and wind forecasts for Minneapolis [2]. ## Old frame buildings on tight Northeast lots Much of Northeast was built in the late 1800s and early 1900s [5], and many lots are so narrow that the side yard is little more than a walkway. When a fire breaks windows on the side of a house, the crew may have only a few feet of space to work in. Ladders sometimes have to stand on the neighbor's ground, so a short, friendly word next door before work starts makes the job easier. Wood-frame walls, wood lap siding and old double-hung windows are common here. Panels are fastened into the window casings or the framing around them, not into thin siding boards, so the opening holds through wind and snow and can take a new window later. ## Securing both halves of a Northeast duplex An up-and-down duplex is two homes in one building. A fire in either unit usually breaks windows on both floors as firefighters vent smoke, and the shared front entry or back stairs may be forced open. Securing the building means closing every opening on both levels, plus the shared doors, even if one household was barely touched. If the owner lives in one unit and rents the other, both households need a way to reach belongings safely. The crew can fit a lockable temporary door on a shared entry. Agree early on who holds the keys and who the contractor is working for, so tenants and the owner are not left guessing. ## Making a Northeast building secure The usual sequence after the fire department leaves. 1. **Get the release for the Northeast property:** Wait until the fire department says the building can be entered and utilities are safe. 2. **Photograph each face of the building:** Include the narrow side yards, the roof, the alley side and any neighbor's damage. 3. **Board every opening on each floor:** Close windows, doors and porch openings on all levels and units. 4. **Tarp the roof and any vent holes:** Lap the tarp over the ridge and fasten battens to solid rafters. ## Roofs on century-old houses Many Northeast houses have steep roofs over a half story or attic, and some walk-ups have low flat roofs behind a parapet. Firefighters often cut vent holes to release heat. A steep roof needs roof jacks or a lift, while a flat roof needs the tarp tucked and weighted at the edges so wind cannot get underneath it. Old roofs may have several layers of shingles over plank decking, and fire can weaken the planks without showing it. The crew checks from inside first, and nobody walks a burned roof until its strength is known. ## Snow, ice and wind on Northeast tarps Winter storms can load a tarp with heavy, wet snow. Ice dams, already common on older Minneapolis roofs, can form along the battens and push water under the edge. Heavy reinforced tarps and battens set so meltwater drains off help a cover last until the roof is rebuilt. Check the National Weather Service forecasts for the Twin Cities [2] and look at the tarp after each storm. If snow is piling in a valley or a corner has lifted, call the contractor before water reaches the plaster ceilings below. ## When the fire was next door On a block of close-set wood houses, a serious fire can crack windows and blister siding on the neighbor's house without any flames crossing. Those broken windows still need boarding, and embers in gutters or on the roof may have damaged shingles. Your own insurer usually handles damage to your house, wherever the fire began. Photograph the side of your house that faced the fire before anything is covered, including the gutters and roof edge. Then let the crew close any broken openings. Look inside the rooms and attic on that side for smoke as well. ## Useful details for a Northeast board-up call So the crew comes prepared. - **Whether the Northeast building is a house, duplex or walk-up:** Shared buildings need every unit secured. - **How wide the side yards are:** Narrow gaps change how ladders and lifts are used. - **Whether the roof was vented:** Steep and flat roofs are tarped differently. - **Whether alley access is open:** Snow and parked cars can block equipment. ## Porches, back entries and basement windows Many Northeast houses have an enclosed front porch or a small back entry added to the original house. Their windows break easily in a fire, and an open porch leaves cold air against the main door. Porch openings are boarded at the same visit as the house. Low basement windows at grade are covered too, so cold air does not reach the boiler and pipes. A forced back door is the most likely way in from the alley. A solid panel or a lockable temporary door keeps the building closed until the frame can be repaired. ## Keeping an old house from freezing Older Northeast houses often have little wall insulation and lose heat fast once windows are open. If the boiler or furnace is out, pipes along cold foundation walls can freeze within hours. Closing openings quickly, with foam behind the plywood in cold weather, buys time to arrange safe temporary heat or drain the plumbing. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are often damaged in a fire. Minnesota law calls for carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping rooms [4], so replace them before anyone sleeps in the building again, and keep fuel-burning heaters and generators outside. ## Records for owners, landlords and tenants Before the plywood goes up, photograph each opening from outside and inside. Keep the board-up invoice with your claim file. The Minnesota Department of Commerce encourages policyholders to read their policy and keep records [3]. In a duplex or walk-up, the owner handles the building, while tenants contact their own renters insurer about belongings and temporary housing. The [Northeast area page](https://firedamagerestorationminneapolis.com/areas/northeast/) explains how restorations work in shared buildings, and our guide to [working with your insurance adjuster](https://firedamagerestorationminneapolis.com/guides/working-with-your-insurance-adjuster/) covers organizing the claim. ## Board-Up and Tarping in Northeast: before and after Slide to see a Northeast room before and after board-up and tarping work. ## Board-Up and Tarping in Northeast: questions ### Who arranges board-up for a Northeast duplex? Usually the building owner, since the roof, windows and doors belong to the building. Tenants should tell the owner or manager about damage in their unit. ### My neighbor's fire broke my windows. Do I need board-up? Yes. Broken windows let in cold, snow and intruders. Photograph them first, then have them covered and contact your own insurer. ### Can a flat walk-up roof be tarped in winter? Yes. The tarp is tucked and weighted at the edges, and snow is watched closely so it does not pile up and tear the cover. ## 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: Northeast, Minneapolis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast,_Minneapolis) ## Talk to someone Call (612) 471-0995 (+16124710995). Your call connects to an independent local contractor who speaks with you on that call.