Burglary Repairs in Bracknell: Securing Your Property After a Break-In
After a break-in, your first job is to get the property secure again so you can lock up, sleep, or close the shop for the night. Boarding Up Bracknell handles the immediate burglary repairs Bracknell homes and businesses need: boarding broken windows, securing forced doors and making damaged frames safe until permanent repairs can be arranged. A person answers the phone 24 hours a day. Call 01344 951 955 and we’ll talk through what’s happened.
What to do first after a burglary
Before anything else, make sure everyone is safe and away from broken glass. If you think someone may still be inside, stay out and call 999.
Once it’s safe:
- Report it to the police. Use 999 if the crime is in progress or someone is in danger, and 101 otherwise.
- Keep the crime reference number. Your insurer will almost certainly ask for it.
- Contact your insurer. Tell them about the break-in and ask what they need from you.
- Photograph the damage if it’s safe to do so. Take pictures of forced doors, broken panes and damaged frames before anything is moved or boarded. Don’t reach through broken glass or handle sharp edges to get a better shot.
If the police have asked you to leave anything untouched while they examine it, tell us on the call so we can plan around it.
Boarding up after a break-in: what we secure
Most break-ins leave damage at the point of entry. Here’s how we deal with the common types.
Forced doors, frames and locks
A door that’s been kicked or levered often won’t close or lock properly. The frame may be split, the lock keep torn out or the hinges strained. We secure the door so the property can be locked up again. If the door and frame are sound enough, that might mean fixing it closed and boarding over it. If the frame is badly broken, we’ll explain the options before starting, because boards and fixings need something solid to hold them. Our door boarding service has more detail on how we secure doors after forced entry.
Broken windows and glazed panels
Smashed panes, cracked double glazing and broken door lights are all made safe with boarding. We’ll clear loose glass where it’s a hazard and fix exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm, across the opening. Smaller openings may suit OSB. See window boarding for how we approach different window types.
Shopfronts and commercial premises
For shops, offices and restaurants, the priority is often getting a glazed frontage or entrance door secured so the stock and premises are protected overnight. That applies to a town-centre unit near Braccan Walk or a mixed-use building on Market Street just as much as an office or a warehouse further out.
Fixings and how we protect the frame
We use security or anti-tamper fixings so the boarding can’t simply be unscrewed from outside. Where the frame allows, we use non-destructive fixing so there’s less damage for whoever carries out the permanent repair. Not every job needs every method. A single broken pane on a ground-floor window is a very different job from a split back-door frame, and we’ll suggest what fits.
What to tell us when you call
It helps to have a few details ready:
- Your postcode, so we can work out arrival time on the call
- What’s damaged: door, window, shopfront glazing, frame or lock
- Rough sizes of the openings
- Access: ground floor or upstairs, a side passage, parking nearby
- Safe photographs, if you can take them without going near broken glass
We’ll give you a free, clear quote on the phone before any work starts. The price depends on things like the number and size of openings, height and access, materials and board thickness, the fixing method, whether a damaged door or frame needs securing first, and any glass or debris to make safe. There’s more on this on our insurance claims guide, which also covers the paperwork side.
What happens on the visit
We attend at any hour, including nights, weekends and bank holidays. The van carries boarding stock and fixings, so in most cases we can get on with the agreed work once we’ve had a look.
On arrival we’ll check the damage against what you described on the phone and confirm the plan before starting. If something has changed, such as a frame that’s worse than it looked in the photos, we’ll talk it through with you first rather than pressing on.
When we’re finished, you’ll have:
- Openings made safe and secured
- The agreed work completed
- Loose glass and debris at the boarded openings made safe
Insurance paperwork you’ll receive
After the job we provide documents you can pass to your insurer:
- An itemised invoice
- Time-stamped before and after photographs
- A written statement of the work done
Your insurer decides what’s covered under your policy. We’re not loss adjusters or legal advisers, so if you’re unsure about your cover, check with your insurer directly.
What happens next
Boarding gives you a secure property straight away and buys time for the permanent fix. New glazing, a replacement door or a repaired frame can then be arranged at a sensible pace, often after your insurer has had a chance to look at the claim.
Who we help
We’re an independent local boarding-up service with over 10 years’ experience. We’re fully insured (certificate available on request) and DBS-checked, which matters when you’re letting someone into your home straight after a break-in.
We work with:
- Householders dealing with a forced door or broken window
- Shop owners and businesses needing a frontage or entrance secured
- Landlords and letting agents making a tenanted or empty property safe
We cover Bracknell, from the older pockets of Victorian housing to the New Town estates and office developments, and nearby areas including Crowthorne, Ascot, Winkfield and Sandhurst, subject to confirming your address on the call.
Get your property secured
If you’ve had a break-in, call us with your postcode, a description of what’s damaged and, if you can take them safely, a few photos. We’ll talk through the job, give you a clear quote and work out when we can get to you.
Call 01344 951 955 or Email us with your photos and postcode.