Boarding up

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A house boarded up in preparation for Hurricane Ike

Boarding up is the process of installing boards on the windows and doors of a property to protect it from storm damage,^[1] to protect unused, vacant, or abandoned property, and/or to prevent unauthorized access by squatters, looters or vandals.^[2]

Plywood sheets are usually used for this but an alternative is plastic sheeting.^{[citation needed]} Specialists use 32-foot rolls of tough plastic for this and are able to wrap a complete house in 90 minutes. This has the advantage of waterproofing storm-damaged property but will not protect it from looters or squatters as the plastic may be cut.^[3]

While short-term boarding up is associated with protection from storms or in case of a broken window, long-term boarding up is most often associated with unoccupied buildings, and may form part of property preservation of foreclosed properties.

References[]

• United States Fire Administration (29 November 1999). "Board Up Procedures" (PDF).
• Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Hurricanes". Are You Ready?. Archived from the original on 29 June 2006.