What Is Boarding Up? A Plain Guide for Bracknell Properties
Boarding up is the temporary securing of a damaged or exposed opening by fixing strong sheet material over it, so the building is closed against weather and unwanted entry until a permanent repair can be made. In Bracknell that might mean a broken window in a New Town terrace, a forced back door, a cracked shopfront glass panel or a damaged skylight. The aim is simple: turn an open, unsafe gap into a solid, secure one.
This page explains what boarding does, the materials and fixings involved, which openings commonly need it, and what you should expect to receive afterwards.
What boarding up actually does
A boarded opening does three jobs at once.
- Keeps people out. A properly fitted board over a window or door frame is far harder to get past than broken glass or a door that won’t lock.
- Keeps weather out. Rain and wind through a smashed pane or damaged roof light can cause more harm than the original break: wet floors, soaked furnishings, damaged electrics.
- Makes the area safer. Loose or cracked glass is removed or made safe as part of the job, so it isn’t left hanging in a frame or scattered where people walk.
It’s a make-safe, not a repair. Boarding gives you a secure, weathertight opening while you arrange glazing, a new door or roof work in your own time, with your insurer and a tradesperson of your choosing.
Plywood or OSB: the materials
Most boarding uses one of two sheet materials, and the choice depends on the opening.
Exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm, is the standard for doors, larger windows, shopfronts and anything that needs to resist force or weather for a while. It’s strong, holds fixings well and copes with damp.
OSB (oriented strand board) can suit smaller openings where a lighter sheet does the job, such as a small side pane or a toilet window.
Thickness matters. A thin sheet over a large opening can flex, and flex gives someone leverage. We carry boarding stock and fixings on the van, and we’ll explain what we’d use for your opening and why.
How boarding is fixed
Fixing method is as important as the board itself.
- Security or anti-tamper fixings are used where an opening is at risk of being interfered with, because standard screws can simply be undone from outside.
- Non-destructive fixing is used where the frame allows it. This means securing the board in a way that limits damage to a frame that’s going to be reused, which helps the glazier or joiner who follows.
- Damaged frames need a conversation first. If a door frame has been split by forced entry, or a window frame is rotten or buckled, there may be nothing sound to fix into. In that case we explain the options before starting, because the board is only as secure as what it’s attached to. Sometimes the frame or door needs securing first; sometimes the board has to span a wider area to reach solid fixing points.
Not every job needs every method. A cracked pane in a sound frame is a very different job from a back door that’s been kicked off its hinges.
Which openings commonly need boarding
Windows
Broken panes from a break-in, an accident or storm debris are the most common reason people call. Bracknell’s housing ranges from pockets of Victorian development to New Town estates and newer builds, so frame types vary a great deal: timber sashes, older aluminium, modern uPVC. Each takes fixings differently. See our window boarding service for more on how different frames are handled.
Doors
After forced entry, the glass may be fine but the lock, frame or hinges aren’t. Boarding a door can mean securing the door itself, covering a glazed panel, or boarding the whole opening if the door can’t be closed. Our page on door boarding and securing forced doors goes into this in more detail.
Shopfronts and commercial premises
Large glazed frontages, like those along Braccan Walk or the mixed shops and offices on Market Street, need bigger sheets, careful handling of broken glass near pedestrians, and boarding that lets the business keep trading or reopen quickly where possible.
Roofs and skylights
Damaged roof lights and holes in a roof need boarding to keep rain out. These jobs depend heavily on access: height, ladder positions and whether the roof surface is safe to work from. Please never climb onto a damaged roof yourself to check it.
Empty and void properties
Landlords and agents often board the windows and doors of an empty property to keep it secure between tenancies, during probate or before refurbishment.
After a fire
Once the fire service has handed the site back, openings can be boarded to secure the property. Smoke and odour remediation is separate specialist work.
What you receive
When the job’s done, you should have:
- openings that are boarded, fixed and secure
- broken glass and debris from the openings made safe
- the work you agreed on the call, and nothing added without asking you
For insurance purposes we also supply an itemised invoice, time-stamped before and after photographs, and a written statement of the work carried out. Your insurer decides what’s covered; we’re not loss adjusters. Our guide to insurance paperwork explains what to keep and why. If the damage came from a break-in, report it to the police, keep the crime reference number and contact your insurer.
How boarding up is priced
There’s no set price for boarding because no two openings are the same. The quote depends on 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 how much glass or debris needs making safe. You’ll get a free, clear quote on the phone before any work starts. More detail is on our pricing page.
Who does the work
Boarding Up Bracknell is an independent local boarding-up service with over 10 years’ experience. We’re fully insured (certificate on request) and DBS-checked. A person answers the phone 24 hours a day, and we attend at any hour, including nights, weekends and bank holidays. We’ll confirm a likely arrival time on the call once we know your postcode. As well as Bracknell, we cover nearby places such as Crowthorne, Ascot, Winkfield and Sandhurst, subject to confirming on the call.
Talk it through
If you’re not sure whether an opening needs boarding, or which approach suits it, give us a ring. It helps if you can tell us your postcode, what’s damaged (window, door, shopfront, roof light) and roughly how big it is. If it’s safe to do so, take a few photographs from a distance, so we can talk through access and give you a quote.