What Board-Up Does
Board-up is short-term armor. Wood or panels go over burst windows, doors, and holes in walls and roofs. It keeps out rain, beasts, and thieves till lasting fixes come. It is the first real work after a storm. And your policy likely wants it. Policies make you guard the home from worse harm. An open window in the next rain is harm you could have stopped.
What Gets Boarded and How
Windows. The classic job. Half-inch wood cut wide of the hole. Screwed to the frame — not just the trim. On brick homes, pros use bolts that grip the brick with no wreck.
Doors. Kicked or burst doors get the same deal. Full cover. Screwed firm, best from in.
Roof holes. Limb holes get a tarp first — same day. Then wood over the hole if the boards broke. Never walk a hurt roof to do this. Hire it out.
What not to do. Do not nail wood to trim alone. It rips off in the next gust and wrecks the trim. Do not use card or thin film as "board-up." Do not seal so tight that trapped damp cannot get out. Board-up keeps rain out, but a wet in still needs air to dry.
How It Works: A Board-Up Job
1. List openings. Walk in and out. Note each burst window, door, and roof hole. Shoot photos for the claim.
2. Cut panels. Cut wide of each hole by some inches each way.
3. Screw to frame. Screws go to studs and frame wood — the strong parts. Not trim. Not siding.
4. Tarp the roof. Torn roof spots get thick tarps tied firm at rims. From ladders or by pros — not by foot on hurt boards.
5. Bill and photos. Shoot the shut holes. Keep the bill. Insurers pay back fair urgent board-up.
DIY or Hire?
Ground-floor windows are fair DIY if you own wood, a saw, and screws. Cut once, screw to frame. Past the first floor, all roof work, and all you cannot reach safe — hire out. Urgent crews work fast and own the right bolts for brick. After a hurricane, real crews book up. Shun the knock with quick slots and no license who wants cash to board today.
How Long Can Boards Stay?
Board-up is short-term by design. Weeks, not months. Wood weathers. A boarded home shouts "empty" to thieves. Push lasting fixes fast. Get the roof and window work on the books. Pull boards as each hole gets fixed right.
Goods to Have on Hand
- Half-inch plywood sheets
- Hand saw or power saw
- Long wood screws (not nails)
- Drill and bits
- Thick tarps and rope
- Work gloves and eye gear
Renters: What You Can Do
If you rent, the roof and walls are your landlord's job. But you can:
- Tell your landlord in writing, right away, with photos
- Board a burst window if the landlord cannot come fast — keep the bill
- Move your goods from wet spots
- File a renter insurance claim for your hurt goods
- Sign up with FEMA as a renter if an order covers the county
Keep Pets and Kids Safe
- Keep all from board-up zones — nails, glass, and sharp rims
- Do not let kids play near tarped roofs or loose boards
- Pets chew wood rims — fence them off till boards come down
When the Boards Come Down
Pull boards as each hole gets a lasting fix. Do not pull them all at once if work is half done. Save the plywood — the next storm may come before you think. Stack it dry in the garage, marked by window, and it is ready to go back up fast.
Board-Up vs Hurricane Shutters
Boards are for after the storm. Shutters are for before it. If you live on the Gulf, real shutters pay off:
- Plywood boards: cheap, strong, ugly. Good for urgent post-storm cover.
- Panel shutters: metal or poly panels you put up each storm. Quick with pre-set bolts.
- Roll shutters: roll down by hand or motor. Cost most. Best ease of use.
- Colonial shutters: fixed by the windows, swing shut. Look good year round.
Pre-set the bolts now, in calm air. When a storm comes, panels go up in minutes, not hours.
After the Storm: First Walk
- Walk the full outside ere you touch a thing
- Note each burst pane, bent frame, and roof hole
- Shoot wide, then close, for each one
- Check the attic for light and drips
- Then start boards on the worst holes first
Label Your Panels
Mark each plywood panel with the window or door it fits — "front-left," "back door." Stack them in order in the garage. Next storm, you or a neighbor can put them up in half the time, with no guesswork and no new cuts. A labeled stack is the cheapest storm prep you can own. Take a photo of the stacked, labeled panels so you know just what you have on hand before the next storm watch.
Every project is different — contact us for a free written estimate.