Cladding removed from sides of dormer, should it be covered if not being replaced for a week?

Question

I'm having all of the soffits, fascias & guttering replaced along with cladding to the sides of upstairs dormer windows. The upstairs windows look like this picture:

The guy doing the work started by removing all of the old wooden soffits & fascias as well as the cladding to the sides of the dormers. He has put all new soffits, Fascias & Guttering on the main roof line but has left the sides of the dormers open.

There has been a delay with some materials and he has said he will be back next Wednesday/Thursday (that's approx. a week from now for future reference) to complete the job. I should stress that I'm not worried about this being a "builder never returns" problem, I have 100% confidence that the work will be completed.

What I am worried about is the sides of 4 large dormers being open to the element for a week with heavy rain forecast! Should I be worried? Should they be covered by plastic (tarp) or perhaps temporarily boarded up? The builder doesn't seem overly concerned but I am.

Answer 1

I would cover the openings with plastic sheet or some other water proof material. It doesn't have to be perfect, just enough to prevent the rain getting onto sensitive surfaces. The timbers should be treated and should be able to withstand some rain, but you don't want water getting into the walls etc.

The main issue I see would be how to ensure it was properly secured, but there should be enough exposed timbers for you to staple into to get a good enough seal.