Have you ever walked past a building and seen windows covered up with wood? This is known as boarding up. Boarding up is a professional service offered by glaziers and other businesses to help increase the security and safety of a property after a glass break.
In this post, we’ve answered all your frequently asked questions surrounding boarding up. As we offer the service ourselves to our clients across Norwich and Norfolk, we have the details you need to feel confident about this useful service.
A guide to boarding up
While no one wants to experience the stress of a broken window or glass, it can happen to anyone. Boarding up is a quick, temporary and reliable solution to these breaks. Let’s get into the most asked questions.
What does boarding up mean?
Boarding up is the method of covering windows or other broken glass, such as doors or walls, with wooden boards before replacements or repairs occur. It protects you and your property by keeping the elements out, eliminating broken glass, and increasing the security lost from the broken glass.
Why would a window be boarded up?
There are a number of reasons why a window or other glass feature may need to be boarded up:
- Vandalism – Unfortunately, vandals breaking windows is fairly common. Windows may need boarding up if they are broken by vandals.
- Break-ins – If a home or business is broken into via glass windows or doors, they will be boarded up to protect families and property.
- Accidents – Accidents happen. A flying ball, the failure of a window hinge, and more can result in broken glass that needs to be boarded up.
- Replacements – If glass needs to be replaced and the materials aren’t immediately available, boarding up works great as a temporary cover and security measure.
- Extreme weather – Though thankfully not really a problem in the UK, it’s worth mentioning that in some areas of the world, boarded-up windows help prevent damage during extreme weather events, such as hurricanes.
Is it worth boarding up windows?
Yes, getting broken windows boarded up is worth it. Not only do professionally attached wooden boards keep you and others safe from broken glass and other materials, but they also add an extra layer of security for peace of mind.
Boarding up is necessary to keep the elements, such as wind and rain, out of your home or business while waiting for a window replacement. It also prevents anyone from being harmed by jagged glass left in frames. If your store’s glass front breaks and a customer is hurt on it, you’ll likely have a serious legal issue on your hands. This can be easily prevented with a professional emergency boarding up service by a glazier team like ours.
How much does boarding up cost?
The cost of boarding up varies from job to job. Small windows will cost less than entire glass walls. The location of the building requiring a boarding up service may also affect the cost. Our quoting is clear and upfront with no hidden fees, so you’ll know exactly what to expect.
If you would like a quote for this service, then please send an email with your address, a rough size of the window, and a photo to info@norwich-glass.co.uk and we will email back the pricing.
Can you board up a door?
The Norwich Glass team would board up a door but only if the door has been completely demolished and is not usable. Otherwise, we would just board up the glass panel in the door.
How do I board up a broken window?
We strongly advise you not to attempt to do this yourself. Glass is incredibly dangerous, and you could cause yourself serious harm if you mishandle broken pieces or shards.
What should I do if a window breaks?
Call the professionals. Our team of glaziers are ready to respond to emergency situations 24/7, from footballs crashing through kitchen windows in winter to vandals cracking your store’s window just before you open. Call us on 01603 431409 to arrange for a member of our team to help as soon as possible
If we can’t reach you as soon as you need it, there are a few small preparation steps you can take to protect yourself or your property. Before trying any of these, you should dress in the appropriate clothing, such as thick gloves (proper gardening gloves will work), full sleeves, closed-toe shoes with thick soles, and protective eyewear. If possible, it’s best to leave these next steps to the professionals.
Secure the area by placing barriers. This can be anything, as long as it alerts or prevents others from getting close to the broken glass. If you feel it is necessary to clean the area before the experts get there, then be careful. Use a brush to sweep glass away so it cannot hurt anyone, ensuring you take extra care with bigger pieces. We advise against picking up large pieces of broken glass – simply border it off instead.
If the broken window really needs to be covered or blocked then and there and cannot wait, use cardboard. Large boxes broken down can be used as temporary covers, attached with strong tape. Avoid touching any glass that may remain in the existing frame – try to tape the cardboard to the frame or wall instead. We do not suggest you attempt to cover the broken window, but we understand that there may be no choice in some circumstances.
If the situation is an emergency, such as a break-in or aggressive vandalism, make sure to call the police before any of the above steps. Your safety and the safety of your family, occupants, or employees is always more important than the broken window.
Emergency glaziers in Norwich
If you’ve been unfortunate enough to suffer a broken window or glass, we’re here to help. Our team of glaziers are always ready to respond to emergency situations, no matter the day or time.
From windows in your home to glass walls in your office building, we’re trained to expertly remove broken glass and fit temporary wooden coverings to increase safety and security until we can replace or repair the glass. We aim every time to board up the property in a non-destructive way, as screwing boards into UPVC and aluminium frames causes further damage that is not as easily repairable as timber.
To use our professional services or to request emergency help, call us on 01603 431409.