Emergency boarding up
Emergency Boarding Up in Bournemouth
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
HD Locksmiths Bournemouth boards up smashed windows, forced doors and damaged openings across Bournemouth, 24 hours a day, to keep a property secure until a lasting repair is made. Boarding is temporary: it is normally done in one visit and stops the property standing open overnight.
If a break-in caused the damage, the police come first and say when work at the entry point may begin. There is no call-out charge.
Emergency Boarding Up: What It Actually Is
Emergency board up work covers and secures an exposed opening with boards fitted to its exact size. The aim is straightforward: nobody can get in through it, the weather is largely kept out, and the property is held safe until the damage is repaired for good.
The two jobs, in order
- Deal with broken glass so the area is no longer a hazard.
- Close the opening, restricting further access and reducing exposure to wind and rain.
Most damaged windows, doors and shopfronts can be secured in this way while the right permanent work is arranged. What boarding cannot do is repair anything. It is a temporary measure, and it does not replace the glazing or the door that was damaged.
For your own safety, do not move loose glass or attempt to cover a large or unstable opening yourself. Give us as much detail about the damage as you can when you call, since it lets us assess what the job will involve ahead of the visit.
How We Go About Boarding Up a Damaged Opening
No two damaged openings are identical, so each one is assessed before boarding is fitted. What has broken, how sound the surrounding structure is and where the fixing points are all shape the method.
Step 1: assessment. The technician examines the opening, its frame and any hazards that can be seen. That tells us whether boarding can be fitted safely and what the job is likely to involve, and it flags anything that could affect safe access or a correct fit.
Step 2: safety. Work on loose glass and unstable material takes place only when it is safe and appropriate to undertake it.
Step 3: measuring. Instead of selecting a standard board size, we take measurements of the actual damaged opening.
Step 4: fitting. The structure, access and extent of damage determine how the board is secured.
Step 5: final check. Once the boarding has been inspected in place, the technician explains to you what visibly needs to happen next; this might involve locksmith work, a door repair or replacement glazing.
With emergency boarding in place, safety in the area is improved and the opening is temporarily secured. Read on for who should handle the permanent repair.
When Do You Need Emergency Boarding Up?
The need arises whenever a home, rental property or commercial building has been left with an exposed opening that cannot be permanently repaired right away. That covers far more than break-ins.
When there was a break-in
A forced entrance or broken window leaves the property open to further access. After police approval, we fit temporary boards to secure the exposed opening while burglary repairs are assessed or arranged.
A door that cannot be repaired on the same visit
If the door, frame or a locking component is too damaged to repair during the initial visit, the opening can be boarded temporarily. Where a locking component has failed, an emergency lock repair may also be needed.
Vandalism, or a window that is smashed
Criminal damage can leave glass broken and the opening unsecured even though nobody entered. The board stays in place until a glazier has replaced the damaged glass.
Property that is empty or between-tenancy
An unoccupied property with a broken opening is exposed to unauthorised access, and wind or rain can get in without anyone seeing it. While permanent repairs are being arranged by the landlord, letting agent or property manager, boards maintain its security.
Storm or accidental damage
Strong winds, falling objects or accidental impact can damage windows, doors and the frames around them. Until repairs can be completed, temporary boards limit access and lessen further exposure to the weather.
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.
Will Your Insurance Cover Boarding Up?
Many home, landlord and commercial policies cover emergency boarding up when temporary work is needed to stop further access or damage after an insured incident. As policies differ in their cover, limits and claim requirements, review your own policy wording and get in touch with your insurer as soon as practical. Where you can, ring the insurer's emergency helpline before you authorise any work.
A few steps make a claim easier:
- If it is safe to do so, photograph or film the damage before work begins. Do not approach loose glass or an unstable opening to obtain evidence.
- If the incident has been reported to the police, keep the crime reference number for your claim.
- Keep every invoice and receipt for the boarding and for the repairs that follow.
If the property cannot safely stay exposed while you wait to hear back, obtain police permission after a break-in before arranging temporary security, record the damage, and follow your insurer's claims instructions as soon as possible.
Temporary Boarding Up: What Happens After?
The board is temporary, so there is always a next step. Which one depends on whether the permanent repair concerns the locking system, the door or frame, or the glass.
That is a glazier's work. We board the opening, leave the property secure, and you then bring in a glazier to reglaze it.
Now what we do: damage to a lock, a door, a frame or a mechanism is ours to repair or replace. Often that means a return visit once the parts have been sourced.
On timing, a board is meant to hold for days or a few weeks, not for months. If it stays up long term, weather will eventually get in around the fixings, so book the permanent repair as soon as practical.
Locksmith pricing
What Happens When You Call
It is simple to contact us when you need emergency boarding up. To help us assess the damage, outline the work likely to be needed and provide an up-to-date arrival estimate, tell us as much as it is safe for you to share.
- At this point, our task is to make the exposed opening secure for the time being.
Arrange the permanent repair as soon as practical. Although boarding provides temporary protection for the opening, it should not take the place of window, door or locking system repairs over the longer term.
Describe the damage.
Tell us what has broken, roughly how big the opening is and whether there is broken glass, because boarding is priced on the size and number of openings.
Hear the price.
You get a price and an honest arrival estimate before anyone travels.
We explain the permanent repair.
If a lock, cylinder, handle or locking mechanism is damaged, we can assess whether it needs repairing or replacing. A damaged door or frame may need locksmith work, replacement components or a door-repair specialist, and after a forced entry our burglary repair service can help decide the right next step.
Emergency Boarding Up Across Bournemouth
Damaged doors, windows and shopfronts are boarded for homeowners, landlords, letting agents and businesses across Bournemouth, because an open property cannot wait until morning.
Boarding up covers Boscombe, Pokesdown, Springbourne, Winton, Charminster and Moordown, plus every postcode in the BH1 to BH11 districts and the parts of BH13 around Bournemouth. After a break-in, report it to Dorset Police on 101 or online at dorset.police.uk, and ask whether the property may be secured now.
See all areas we cover, or read about emergency boarding up.
Locksmith pricing
Emergency Boarding Up: What Does It Cost?
Clear pricing, agreed before anyone attends, with no separate call-out charge. Within that, the opening involved and the work required to secure it determine the boarding cost.
A small window that is easy to get at is a much lighter job than a wide doorway, a shopfront or a property where several openings are damaged. These are the factors that set the price:
- size and type of opening
- number of openings that need boarding
- damage to the frame or structure around it
- ease and safety of access
- residential or commercial property
- the time attendance is needed
We base the price on what you describe when you call and explain it before attendance. 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.
One caveat. If the damage turns out to be materially different from the description we were given, we explain any change in work or price before any work is carried out.
What affects the cost?
Service required, time of attendance, lock and door type, labour and parts.
Emergency and planned locksmith services
Call HD Locksmiths Bournemouth Now
Calls are taken 24 hours a day, with no call-out charge, and the price is agreed on the phone before anyone travels.
- Phone: 01202 935089
01202 935089
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. After a break-in, wait until the police say work at the entry point may start.
Do you replace the glass as well?
No. New glass and sealed units are fitted by a glazier. Being clear about that boundary saves you a wasted call, and we will tell you on the day which work needs which trade.
How long can boarding stay up?
Boarding is built to last for days or a few weeks, not for months on end. Its purpose is to keep the property secure and dry while a permanent repair is arranged. A board left in place long term will start to let weather in around where it is fixed, and it does not replace a proper repair.
Will my insurance pay for it?
Many home and business policies can cover this work, though payment is not automatic. The cover often concerns emergency boarding after a storm, vandalism or forced entry, as a measure against further loss. Check the limits in your policy and tell the insurer about the incident promptly.
Can I just board it up myself?
You can for a small, easy opening if you have the right materials. Most home boarding falls down on fit and fixings, because ordinary screws put in from the outside let anyone unscrew the board. Avoid broken glass and do not attempt work at height. After a break-in, get police permission before boarding; a large opening is safer left to a professional.
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?
We do. Shopfronts, office entrances, industrial units and empty commercial premises are all handled on the same terms as homes. Because commercial openings are often bigger, and may need several boards or working at height, the price can be higher, which is why a description of the opening on the call is useful.
What do you use to board up with?
Cutting to the opening makes a real difference to how secure and weather tight the result is.
Still have a question or need urgent assistance? Call 01202 935089, tell us what has happened and receive a current arrival estimate.