Fire Damage Boarding Up in Harlow

Fire damage boarding up in Harlow starts once the fire service has handed the property back to you. Until then the site is theirs, and nobody should go in or start securing it. After the handover, we board the broken windows, burnt-out doors and open roof sections so the building is closed against weather and intruders while you sort out insurance and repairs.

A person answers our phone 24 hours a day, and we attend at night, at weekends and on bank holidays. If the fire service has released the property and openings are exposed, call 01279 744 842 and we’ll talk it through.

Before you call: what to do first

• Stay out until you’re told it’s safe. Fire weakens floors, ceilings, stairs and roof timbers in ways you can’t always see. Heat-cracked glass can fall long after the flames are out.
• Wait for the fire service handover. They’ll tell you when the property is released. If you’re not sure whether that’s happened, ask them before arranging anything.
• Contact your insurer. Let them know about the fire as soon as you can. They decide what’s covered and may have their own process for emergency work.
• Photograph only what you can see safely. Pictures from the pavement or garden are fine. Don’t go inside or under damaged windows to get a better shot.
• Keep people and pets well back from broken glass, scorched frames and anything overhead.

Boarding up after a fire: what we secure

Fire leaves different damage from a break-in. Windows may be shattered by heat or by firefighters gaining access. Doors may be forced, charred or hanging off weakened frames, and roofs or skylights can be opened up. Once the fire service has handed back the site, we can secure:

• Windows blown out or cracked by heat, on the ground floor and above. See our window boarding service for how we fit and fix boards.
• Doors and frames that were forced for access or damaged by fire, so the property can be locked up again. Our door boarding and securing work covers damaged doors, frames and locks.
• Roof and skylight openings, where access can be reached safely with ladders or from inside. More on this in our roof and skylight boarding page.
• Shopfronts and commercial premises, including shops, offices, restaurants and warehouses, where large glazed areas need covering.

The van carries boarding stock and fixings. We typically use exterior-grade plywood, usually 18mm, with OSB for smaller openings. Security or anti-tamper fixings make the boards much harder to remove from outside, which matters if the property will stand empty while repairs are arranged.

When the frame is badly burnt

Fire often weakens window and door frames more than other damage does. Where a frame is still sound, we’ll fix boards with as little extra damage as possible. Where it’s charred, split or loose, we won’t just screw into it and hope. We’ll explain the options first, such as fixing to surrounding sound masonry or timber, and agree the approach with you before starting.

Fire damaged property securing: what the visit covers

When we arrive, we’ll check what’s been agreed on the phone against what we can actually see, then:

1. Clear loose glass and debris from the openings we’re securing, so the boards sit properly and the area is safer.
2. Measure and cut boards to fit each opening.
3. Fix them with the agreed method, including security fixings where needed.
4. Check the property is closed up and talk you through what’s been done.

Smoke and odour cleaning, structural assessment and fire-damage restoration are outside what we do. Your insurer or a specialist restoration firm will deal with those.

Boarding is a make-safe that protects the property until the permanent work is done. Glazing, doors and any structural repairs follow, arranged through your insurer or your own contractors. If a fire has damaged a shopfront in Old Harlow, Bush Fair or The Stow, it’s worth knowing that Harlow Council’s Shopfront Design Guide applies to planning applications for shopfronts. Check with the council about the permanent replacement.

Insurance paperwork for fire boarding

Insurers usually want to see exactly what emergency work was done and why. After the job, you’ll receive:

• an itemised invoice listing the openings secured and materials used
• time-stamped before and after photographs of each opening
• a written statement of the work carried out

Pass these to your insurer or loss adjuster with your claim. Your insurer decides what’s covered; we’re not loss adjusters and can’t advise on your policy. Our guide to insurance claims explains the paperwork in more detail.

What to tell us on the call

The more we know, the clearer the quote. It helps to have:

• The postcode and address. We use this to work out arrival on the call.
• Confirmation the fire service has handed the property back.
• What’s open: how many windows, doors or roof sections, and roughly how big.
• Height and access: ground floor, upper floors, roof or skylights, and whether ladders can be set up safely.
• Door and frame condition: whether doors are still hanging and whether frames look sound or burnt.
• Parking: if the street is in a residential permit area, let us know so we can plan where to stop.
• Safe photographs, taken from outside the danger area, if you can send them.

What affects the quote

We give a free, clear quote on the phone before any work starts. There are no prices on this page because every fire is different. The quote depends on:

• the number and size of openings
• height and access, such as upper floors, roofs, skylights and ladders
• materials and board thickness
• the fixing method, including security or anti-tamper fixings
• whether a damaged door or frame needs securing first
• how much glass and debris needs making safe

Who we are

Boarding Up Harlow is an independent local boarding-up service with over 10 years’ experience. We’re fully insured, with a certificate available on request, and DBS-checked. We work across Harlow, including Bush Fair, Staple Tye, Potter Street and Roydon, subject to confirming the address on the call.

Ready to secure the property?

Once the fire service has handed the property back, call 01279 744 842 any time, day or night. Have your postcode ready, tell us what’s open and roughly how big it is, and send safe photographs if you can. We’ll discuss access and give you a quote before anything starts. You can also email us with photos and details.