What is Boarding Up? A Guide for Sutton Property Owners

If you’ve ever seen a property in Sutton with its windows or doors covered in wooden panels, you’ve seen boarding up in action. But what is boarding up, really? And what does the professional boarding up process involve when your property is suddenly left vulnerable?

In simple terms, boarding up is the process of temporarily securing a building’s openings with robust boards after they have been damaged. It’s the immediate, essential first step in property security after an incident like a break-in, a storm, or an accident. This guide will explain exactly how does boarding up work, the materials we use, and why a professional service is crucial for protecting your home or business.

The Core Purpose: More Than Just Covering a Hole

Professional boarding up is a specialist security service with three critical goals:

  1. To Provide Immediate Security: Its primary job is to create a strong physical barrier. After a burglary, a boarded-up window or door prevents intruders from re-entering. It acts as a powerful visual deterrent to opportunistic thieves and vandals, instantly making your property a hard target.

  2. To Protect from the Elements: A broken window doesn’t just compromise your security; it exposes your property to the British weather. Rain can lead to severe water damage, damp, and mould. Wind can cause further structural stress. Boarding up creates a weatherproof seal, protecting the interior of your home or business from costly secondary damage, which is vital after storm damage.

  3. To Ensure Safety: Broken glass and damaged frames are a serious safety hazard, especially for children, pets, or the public. The boarding up process includes the safe removal of dangerous debris and securing the area to prevent accidents. This is a key step in making a site safe after a fire or accident.

The Professional Boarding Up Process: A Step-by-Step Explanation

Securing a property correctly requires more than just a hammer and some nails. Our professional boarding up process in Sutton is designed to be fast, effective, and, most importantly, non-destructive to your existing property.

Step 1: Emergency Call & Rapid Dispatch

It all starts with your call to our 24/7 emergency line. We gather the essential information and immediately dispatch a trained technician to your location anywhere in Sutton or the surrounding areas.

Step 2: On-Site Assessment and Measurement

Upon arrival, our technician assesses the damage. They will:

  • Inspect the damaged window, door, or opening.
  • Take precise measurements.
  • Determine the safest and most secure method of installation.
  • Provide you with a clear, upfront price for the work.

Step 3: Material Selection and Cutting

We carry a stock of high-quality, 18mm marine-grade plywood in our vans. This material is chosen for its superior strength and weather resistance. The technician will custom-cut the boards on-site to the exact size of the opening. This ensures a perfect, snug fit with no gaps.

Step 4: The Critical Installation – Our Damage-Free Technique

This is what separates a professional service from an amateur one. We never drill or screw directly into your window or door frames. A DIY job or an inexperienced handyman might cause irreparable damage to your uPVC, wood, or aluminium frames, leading to much higher costs when you need a permanent repair.

Our trained technicians use specialist methods:

  • For Windows: We cut the board to fit perfectly within the window reveal (the internal recess). The board is then secured by bracing it against the internal walls of the reveal. This creates an incredibly strong and secure seal without a single screw touching your window frame. It’s a clean, effective, and completely reversible process.
  • For Doors: We typically build a temporary internal sub-frame. The boarding is then fixed securely to this sub-frame, again leaving your original door frame completely untouched and intact.

This meticulous, non-destructive approach is a cornerstone of our service. It protects your property, saves you money, and makes the job of the permanent glazier or door fitter much easier.

Step 5: Site Cleanup and Completion

Once the property is secure, our job isn’t finished. We conduct a thorough cleanup of the area, carefully sweeping up and safely removing all hazardous materials, including broken glass. We leave your property safe and tidy. You will then be provided with a full invoice that can be used for your insurance claim.

Why Professional Boarding Up is Essential

Opting for a professional service is an investment in doing the job right the first time.

  • It’s Safer: Our technicians are trained to handle broken glass and work safely in hazardous situations.
  • It’s More Secure: Our methods and materials provide a far stronger barrier than a hastily nailed piece of wood.
  • It Protects Your Property: Our damage-free techniques preserve your window and door frames.
  • It’s Insurance Compliant: Our professional service and detailed invoices are exactly what insurers need to see.

Whether you need temporary window boarding for a residential home or a full shopfront secured, the principles of professional installation remain the same.

If you have more questions about our process or need immediate assistance, call our expert team now. We are here to help secure your Sutton property.