Honestly, I’ve seen both sides of this. On one hand, yeah, it can feel like overkill to wrap up every box and chair in the attic. But after watching a client’s vintage comic collection get showered in shingle grit (not pretty), I’m a little paranoid about dust and debris now. Even if you’re not storing family heirlooms up there, insulation is expensive to replace if it gets trashed. A few tarps and some prep work can save a lot of regret later... just depends how much you want to gamble with cleanup duty.
- Seen way too many attics trashed by roof jobs where folks thought “it’ll be fine.”
- Dust, nails, bits of shingle—stuff gets everywhere, and insulation’s a pain to clean or replace.
- I get why some people skip it if their attic’s empty, but honestly, even a quick layer of plastic sheeting helps.
- Had a client once who ignored the prep and ended up with fiberglass bits in every holiday box. Not fun.
- It’s not about being paranoid, just realistic. Prep takes an hour, cleanup can take days... your call.
Prep takes an hour, cleanup can take days... your call.
That’s a fair point. I’ve seen people underestimate just how much mess a roof replacement can make—especially with older homes where insulation is already fragile. I’ll admit, sometimes the prep feels like overkill, but it’s always the folks who skip it that regret it later. Plastic sheeting isn’t glamorous, but neither is picking shingle grit out of your stuff for months. Worth the hassle, in my experience.
Plastic sheeting isn’t glamorous, but neither is picking shingle grit out of your stuff for months.
- Totally agree on the plastic sheeting. I’ve seen dust get into closets and even drawers if you skip it.
- Curious—has anyone tried using zip walls or temporary barriers instead? Wondering if it’s worth the extra setup for bigger jobs.
Curious—has anyone tried using zip walls or temporary barriers instead? Wondering if it’s worth the extra setup for bigger jobs.
I’ve used zip walls on a couple of reno projects, and honestly, they’re a step up from just draping plastic everywhere. The zipper access is handy when you’re in and out a lot, and they seal better around the edges. For big jobs where you’re tearing off a whole roof or opening up ceilings, I’d say it’s worth the hassle—especially if you care about indoor air quality or have allergies in the house.
That said, for smaller fixes, I still just tape up plastic sheeting. It’s cheap and does the trick if you’re careful. But yeah, dust finds its way into every nook if you skip barriers... had to vacuum my sock drawer for weeks after one “quick” patch job. Not fun.
If you’re trying to keep things green, reusable zip wall panels are less wasteful than tossing plastic after every project. Just something to think about.
