Emergency boarding up
Emergency Boarding Up in Farnborough
Call with your postcode for a current arrival estimate.
- 24-hour emergency cover
- No call-out charge
- Price agreed before work starts
Window or Door Smashed? We Can Secure It
Call now if the opening is exposed: Wilds Locksmiths Farnborough boards up smashed windows, forced doors and damaged openings across Farnborough, 24 hours a day, so the property is secure until a permanent repair is made. Boarding is temporary; it stops the property being left open overnight.
There is no call-out charge. If a break-in caused the damage, speak to the police first (see burglary repairs).
What Is Emergency Boarding Up, Actually?
Boarding up means fixing cut boards over a broken or exposed opening so the building is closed again. It is the standard emergency answer when a window, door or shopfront has been damaged and cannot be put right on the spot, because it secures the opening temporarily while a lasting repair is arranged.
Each job sets out to achieve two things, and the order is deliberate:
- remove the immediate danger of broken glass to anyone nearby
- shut the opening, so access is restricted and exposure to the weather is reduced
Think of it as protection, not a cure. A board is not new glass, it is not a new door, and it should never be mistaken for the finished repair.
Please do not move loose glass or attempt to cover a large or unstable opening yourself, as handling it is where injuries tend to happen. The more detail you can give us about the damage, the better we can assess the likely work before attendance.
When You Need Emergency Boarding Up
Boarding up is needed whenever damage leaves a home, a rented property or commercial premises exposed and the opening cannot be permanently repaired straight away. Burglary is only one of the reasons people call.
After a break-in
A forced door or smashed window can leave the property open to anyone who comes back. Once the police allow work, temporary boards keep the opening secure while permanent burglary repairs are assessed or arranged.
A smashed window or vandalism
Criminal damage can leave broken glass and an unsecured opening even when nobody got inside. Until a glazier replaces the damaged glass, the gap remains closed by a board.
Storm damage or accidental damage
Strong winds, falling objects or an accidental knock can damage windows, doors and the frames around them. Boarding restricts access and cuts down further exposure to the weather until the repair is done.
A door that cannot be repaired during the same visit
When a damaged door, frame or locking component cannot be put right on the first visit, boarding can secure the opening in the meantime. An emergency lock repair may also be necessary if a locking component has failed.
Empty or between-tenancy property
At a vacant property, a broken opening can let people in and let wind or rain enter without anyone noticing. While the landlord, letting agent or property manager makes arrangements for the permanent repair, boards maintain the property's security.
Locksmith pricing
Before Anyone Attends: Agreeing the Price
Ask for the price before anyone travels, and do not let anyone board your property unless you have authorised it. Those two rules matter because of a practice that is rarely discussed: boarding operators attending properties uninvited, sometimes after an incident has been reported to the police or the council, carrying out work that nobody commissioned, then billing several times what it was worth and pressing hard for payment.
You are also entitled to know what you are paying for. Ask what the board is, how it will be fixed, and what happens if you want it removed.
That is how we prefer to be dealt with, so it is how we deal with you. The price is given on the call. We only attend at your request.
Our guide on how to choose a locksmith covers other checks worth making.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
How a Damaged Opening Is Boarded Up
A competent boarding job is more than a sheet screwed over a hole. We assess each opening first, because the method depends on what is damaged, the state of the surrounding structure and which fixing points are available.
- Look over the opening, the frame around it and any hazards in view, to judge whether temporary boarding can go on safely and what the work will probably involve.
- Identify anything that might prevent safe access or stop the boarding sitting correctly.
- Attend to loose glass or unstable material only when doing so is both safe and appropriate.
- Measure the actual opening instead of working to a standard board size, then fit the boarding in a way that suits the structure, access and extent of damage.
- Check the fitted boarding, then explain the next step that is visible, such as locksmith work, door repair or new glazing.
The fixings deserve a mention, since boards held by ordinary screws on the outside can be taken off by anyone with a screwdriver.
Put simply, fitting emergency boarding improves safety around the damage while keeping the opening secure for the time being. Who should carry out the permanent repair is explained in the following section.
Boarding Up Is Temporary: What Happens After?
Think of boarding as time bought, not a job done. What comes after it depends on where the damage is: in the locking system, in the door or frame, or in the glass itself.
If the lock, door or frame is damaged
That falls to us. Locks, doors, frames and mechanisms can be repaired or replaced, often on a return visit once parts have been sourced.
If the glass is broken
That falls to a glazier. We board the opening and leave it secure, but replacing glass or a sealed unit is not our work, and you will need a glazier to reglaze it.
How long the board should stay
Days or a few weeks, rather than months. Weather will eventually get in around the fixings of a board left up long term, so it is worth arranging the permanent repair promptly.
Locksmith pricing
What Emergency Boarding Up Costs
Cost follows the opening and the work required to secure it. Securing a small, reachable window is a quick job; securing a large doorway, a shopfront or a property with several damaged openings involves a great deal more. Six factors decide where your job falls:
- the size of the opening and what type it is
- the number of openings to board
- the extent of damage to the frame or surrounding structure
- how easy and how safe the opening is to access
- whether the property is residential or commercial
- the time attendance is required
Our pricing is clear. You do not pay a separate call-out charge, and the price is explained from the information you give us before anyone attends. You pay for the work carried out, any parts needed, and VAT. Rates outside Monday to Friday, 7am to 6pm, are higher, but the call-out itself is never charged.
If arrival reveals damage that differs materially from the description supplied, we explain any adjustment to the work or price before beginning any work.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Locksmith pricing
Boarding Up: Will Your Insurance Cover It?
Insurance may well pay for boarding up. Many home, landlord and commercial policies cover temporary work needed to prevent further access or damage after an insured event, although cover, limits and claim conditions differ from policy to policy.
Before the work - Contact your insurer's emergency helpline before authorising work, where that is practical. - Take photographs or a short video of the damage if it is safe to do so. - Do not go near loose glass or an unstable opening just to get evidence.
For the claim - If the police have been told about the incident, keep the crime reference number to hand for your claim. - Keep all invoices and receipts, both for the boarding and for any later repairs. - Check your policy and speak to your insurer as soon as practical.
Sometimes a property cannot safely be left exposed while you wait for the insurer to respond. In that case, wait for police clearance after a break-in before arranging temporary security, document the damage and follow the claims instructions as soon as possible.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Emergency Boarding Up Across Farnborough
An open property cannot wait until morning, and Farnborough is a built-up area of around 60,700 usual residents (Census 2021, ONS). We board up damaged doors, windows and shopfronts for homeowners, landlords, letting agents and businesses across it. Calls from North Camp, South Farnborough, North Farnborough, Cove, Fox Lane and West Heath, and from the rest of GU14, go to one number. Cove is mostly houses, and North Camp has a high share of private renting (Census 2021, ONS; indicative).
If a crime caused the damage, report it to Hampshire Constabulary on 101 or at hampshire.police.uk, and wait for them to say when the entry point can be touched.
When You Call, What Happens?
Four steps, and the first one is yours. Calling for emergency boarding up is straightforward, and anything you can safely tell us helps us understand the damage, explain the likely work and give you a current arrival estimate.
1. Tell us about the opening. What is damaged, its rough size, and whether there is broken glass.
2. Agree the price. We give you the price and an honest estimate of arrival time.
**3. Our part here is temporary security for the exposed opening.
4. Next steps are explained. A damaged lock, cylinder, handle or locking mechanism can be assessed by us for repair or replacement. If the door or frame is damaged, it may need locksmith work, new components or a door-repair specialist. To establish what to do next following a forced entry, our burglary repair service can provide help.
Make arrangements for a permanent repair at the earliest practical opportunity. The board protects the opening for now, but it is not a long-term substitute for repairing the window, door or locking system.
Emergency and planned locksmith services
Call Wilds Locksmiths Farnborough Now
Ring 01252 493213 at any hour. We answer 24 hours a day, there is no call-out charge, and the price is agreed on the call before anyone travels.
- Phone: 01252 493213
01252 493213
Frequently Asked Questions
How quickly can you board up my property?
Boarding call-outs are taken 24 hours a day, nights, weekends and bank holidays included.
Do you replace the glass as well?
That part needs a glazier. We secure the property by boarding the damaged opening, and we repair or replace locks, doors, frames and mechanisms where they have been affected. Reglazing a window or replacing a sealed unit is outside our trade, and we will say clearly which parts we cover so you know who to book for the rest.
How long can boarding stay up?
It is meant for a short period, typically days or a few weeks rather than months. In that time it keeps the property secure and keeps the weather out while the proper repair is organised. Over a longer stretch, water starts to find its way in around the fixings, which is why boarding should not be treated as permanent.
Will my insurance pay for it?
Your policy may pay towards emergency boarding, but check the terms and limits. Boarding after storm damage, a break-in or vandalism is often covered because it helps prevent additional loss. Home and business policies can both include this protection. Notify the insurer without delay.
Can I just board it up myself?
You can, and with the right materials a small window is not complicated. The usual problems are cutting the board to fit and the fixings: a board screwed on from outside with ordinary screws can be unscrewed by anyone in moments. Avoid handling broken glass or working at height. After a break-in, boarding must wait for police permission; for a large opening, have it done properly.
Someone turned up and boarded my property without being asked. Do I have to pay?
Do not simply pay it. You should never have work done to your property that you did not authorise, and a price should come before anyone travels. If a firm attended and invoiced without instruction, seek advice on it first. We work the other way round: we do not come out unless you request it, and the price is given on the call.
Do you board up shops and commercial premises?
Yes. Shopfronts, office doors, industrial units and vacant premises are boarded on the same basis as domestic work. Commercial openings tend to be larger and sometimes need more than one board or work at height, which affects the price, so it helps to describe the opening when you call and we can price it properly.
What do you use to board up with?
A board cut to fit is noticeably more secure and keeps weather out better.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01252 493213, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.