# Board-up and tarping for Arlington Heights homes after a fire > Securing a fire-damaged Arlington Heights home: covering wood windows, alley garages and interwar roofs until restoration can start. URL: https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/board-up-tarping-arlington-heights/ Section: Home > Service areas > Arlington Heights > Board-Up and Tarping in Arlington Heights Last updated: 2026-10-31 Disclosure: Fire Damage Restoration Fort Worth 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. After a fire, an Arlington Heights house with broken windows and an open roof is exposed to every storm that rolls across the west side. Getting it closed in quickly protects the plaster, oak floors and belongings the fire spared. Our [board-up and tarping](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/services/board-up-and-tarping/) page covers the basics; this page looks at what is different about homes in this neighborhood. Call, and the independent local contractor who answers will talk it through through with you on that same call. ## Key facts - Arlington Heights grew as a west side neighborhood after World War I brought soldiers to nearby Camp Bowie [5][6]. - Roofs and floors weakened by fire can give way, so the U.S. Fire Administration urges care before anyone goes onto a burned structure [1]. - The National Weather Service office for Dallas–Fort Worth posts local storm forecasts that help in timing roof cover work [2]. ## What makes Arlington Heights houses different to secure Most homes here date from the 1920s and 1930s, with a mix of bungalows, Tudor and colonial revival houses and later additions. Many still have wood casement or double-hung windows, arched front doors and steep roof sections over entries. Those details are worth protecting, and they also make board-up less straightforward than on a newer house with standard openings. A crew that knows older houses fits plywood to the opening frame rather than nailing through trim, and uses custom-cut panels for arched or odd-sized openings. That keeps the original woodwork in repairable shape when the [smoke damage cleanup](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/services/smoke-damage-cleanup/) and rebuild begin. ## Alley garages and garage apartments Many Arlington Heights lots have a detached garage or garage apartment on the alley. If the fire started there or spread to it, that building may need its own board-up, and the alley side of the main house may also be exposed. Alleys give a crew access for materials and debris, but they can also make an empty, damaged house easier for trespassers to reach. Securing both buildings at once, and locking any gate between the alley and the yard, removes that weak spot. If a tenant lives in a garage apartment, ask the contractor how to keep their entrance usable while the main house is closed. ## Securing an Arlington Heights home step by step A typical order for closing up a fire-damaged house in this area. 1. **Get the all-clear from the fire department:** Nobody should enter or climb onto the house until it has been released and utilities have been checked. 2. **Record the damage on all sides:** Photograph the street side, the alley side and the roof from the ground before covering anything. 3. **Fit panels to the window and door frames:** Custom-cut panels protect arched and wood openings without drilling into the trim. 4. **Cover and batten the roof sections:** Tarps lap well past each opening and are fixed along their edges to resist west side winds. ## Spring storms and roof protection on the west side Fort Worth gets strong thunderstorms with hail and high winds, especially in spring. A tarp that is not fixed down properly can tear off in a single storm and let water into the attic and ceilings below. Checking the forecast before the work and again after each storm is part of keeping the house protected [2]. Large old trees line many Arlington Heights streets. After a fire, branches over the house may be scorched or weakened, so the contractor may point out limbs that should be looked at by a tree service before they fall on a tarped roof. ## Information that helps the crew prepare Share these details on your call so the right materials arrive. - **Window style and sizes:** Wood casements, arched windows or large picture windows each need different panels. - **Garage or apartment on the alley:** Whether a second building on the lot is damaged or occupied. - **Roof layout:** Where the roof is open, how steep it is and whether there is a second story. - **Truck and ladder access:** Whether trucks can use the alley, the driveway or only the street. ## From temporary protection to restoration Board-up and tarping are temporary. Once the house is weather-tight, the restoration contractor can start sorting contents, drying any [water from firefighting](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/services/water-damage-from-firefighting/) and cleaning smoke and soot. Our [Arlington Heights](https://firedamagerestorationfortworth.com/areas/arlington-heights/) page explains how the age and materials of these homes shape that later work. Keep receipts from the first night if you have to stay elsewhere. The Texas Department of Insurance explains how additional living expense coverage generally works for Texas policyholders [4]. ## Keeping an empty house safe in a busy neighborhood Arlington Heights sits close to Camp Bowie Boulevard and the Cultural District, with steady foot and car traffic. An obviously damaged, empty house draws attention. Solid panels on every ground-floor opening, a locked gate and a sign asking people to stay out all help. Some owners also ask a neighbor to keep an eye on the property and call if anything changes. Valuables that survived the fire are safer out of the house. If you can, remove documents, jewelry and small electronics once the fire department allows entry, and note what you took for your records. ## Before and after: Board-Up and Tarping in Arlington Heights Drag the handle to compare: board-up and tarping in a typical Arlington Heights home, before the work and after it. ## Board-Up and Tarping in Arlington Heights: questions ### Can a board-up crew work from the alley? Often yes. Many Arlington Heights lots have alley access, which gives room for a truck and materials. The crew will check whether the alley is wide enough and clear of power lines. ### Will plywood damage my arched or wood windows? It should not. Panels can be cut to fit and fastened to the opening frame so the sash and trim are left intact for later repair. ### What if the fire started in my detached garage? The garage may need its own board-up, and the house wall facing it may also need covering. The contractor can secure both on the same visit. ## Sources 1. [U.S. Fire Administration: After a fire](https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/after-a-fire/) 2. [National Weather Service: Dallas/Fort Worth forecast office](https://www.weather.gov/fwd/) 3. [City of Fort Worth: Historic districts](https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/development-services/historic-preservation/historic-districts) 4. [Texas Department of Insurance: Additional living expenses](https://tdi.texas.gov/tips/additional-living-expenses.html) 5. [Wikipedia: Arlington Heights, Fort Worth, Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_Heights,_Fort_Worth,_Texas) 6. [Wikipedia: Camp Bowie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Bowie) ## Talk to someone Call (817) 753-1164 (+18177531164). Your call connects to an independent local contractor who speaks with you on that call.