Boarding Up Services in Harlow

Boarding Up Harlow provides boarding up services in Harlow for homes, shops, offices and empty properties. We secure broken windows, forced doors, damaged shopfronts, roof openings and void properties with boards cut to fit, helping protect exposed openings until permanent repairs are arranged.

This page sets out each service, when it fits, and what to tell us so the right materials and fixings come on the van. If you’re unsure which applies, describe the damage on the phone and we’ll work it out with you.

Which boarding up service do I need?

Start with the opening that’s damaged and the type of property:

  • A broken or cracked window, at home or at work: window boarding
  • A door that’s been kicked in, forced or won’t lock: door boarding, including securing the frame and lock
  • A smashed shop window, glazed entrance or commercial frontage: shopfront boarding
  • Damage to a skylight, roof light or roof opening: roof boarding
  • An empty house, flat or commercial unit that needs closing up: vacant property securing

Some jobs involve more than one. A break-in might leave a smashed rear window and a damaged back door, and a storm can affect a skylight as well as a window. We quote for everything on one call.

Our services

Window boarding

Window boarding covers broken, cracked or missing glass in houses, flats and commercial buildings. We clear loose glass from the frame where it’s safe to do so, then fix a board over the opening. For most windows that’s exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm. Smaller openings may suit OSB. Where the frame is sound, we can often fix without causing further damage to it, which helps when the glazier arrives.

Door boarding

Door boarding and securing damaged doors is for forced entry, split frames, broken locks and smashed door glass. A door often can’t simply be boarded over: if the frame has been pulled away or the lock side has split, we look at that first and talk you through the options before fixing anything. The aim is to leave the doorway secure, not just covered.

Shopfront boarding

Shopfront and commercial boarding is for shops, offices, restaurants and warehouses. Shopfronts tend to have large panes, glazed doors and fascias, so the board size, number of sheets and fixing positions matter more than on a house window. Security fixings make the boards harder to remove from outside.

Harlow has older frontages too, including original shopfronts on Old Harlow High Street. Where a frame is worth protecting, we’ll discuss non-destructive fixing if the frame allows it.

Roof and skylight boarding

Roof and skylight boarding covers broken skylights, roof lights and openings left by damage. Height and access shape this job more than any other, so we’ll ask about it on the call. Please don’t climb up to look. A photograph from the ground or from inside, taken only if it’s safe, is plenty.

Vacant property securing

Vacant and void property securing is for landlords, agents and owners who need the windows and doors of an empty property boarded. This is often planned rather than urgent: between tenancies, before a sale, or after a property has been found open. We board the openings you agree and photograph the work so you have a record of how the property was left.

What you get on every job

Whichever service you need, the visit ends with:

  • The agreed openings made safe and boarded
  • Loose glass or debris at those openings dealt with, where that was part of the agreed work
  • An itemised invoice
  • Time-stamped before and after photographs
  • A written statement of the work carried out

That paperwork is there to support any claim you make. Your insurer decides what’s covered. Our insurance claims guide explains how to use it.

Boarding is a make-safe. It gets the building secure, so the permanent glazing or door repair can be booked at a sensible pace afterwards.

What affects the quote

The quote is given on the call, free and clear, before any work starts. It depends on:

  • How many openings there are and how big they are
  • Height and access, such as upper floors, roofs, skylights or ladder work
  • Materials and board thickness
  • The fixing method, including security or anti-tamper fixings
  • Whether a damaged door or frame needs securing before it can be boarded
  • Any glass or debris that needs making safe

There’s more detail on our pricing page.

If something has just happened

The phone is answered by a person 24 hours a day, and we attend at any hour, including nights, weekends and bank holidays. If you need someone out now, our 24-hour emergency boarding up page covers what to do first. If you’re dealing with a break-in, fire or storm, the situations guides cover the immediate steps, such as reporting a burglary to the police and keeping the crime reference number.

Who does the work

Boarding Up Harlow is an independent local boarding-up service with over 10 years’ experience. We’re fully insured, with the certificate available on request, and DBS-checked. The van carries boarding stock and fixings. We work across Harlow, including Bush Fair, Staple Tye, Potter Street and Old Harlow, and we’ll confirm your address on the call.

Tell us about the damage

To get an accurate quote and the right kit on the van, it helps to have:

  • Your postcode
  • Which openings are affected, roughly how big they are, and which floor they’re on
  • Whether a door still closes or locks
  • Photographs, taken only if it’s safe to do so

We’ll work out the arrival time from your postcode on the call and agree the quote before anything starts.

Call 01279 744 842 or Email us with your postcode, a description of the openings and any safe photos.