24 hour emergency board up: what happens from your call to the new glass
By Glazing London,
A window goes through at two in the morning: a break-in, a stone, a storm, a door slammed too hard. The room is open to the street and the glass is still falling. This is what a 24 hour emergency board up service is for, and this is exactly what happens when you ring us.
The quick answer
A 24 hour board up service makes the opening safe, fixes a solid board over it, and keeps the property secure until the new glass is fitted. With us that is one company from start to finish: we board it tonight, measure for the glass at the same visit, and come back to glaze it, usually within 2 to 5 working days. Call 07915 903485 any time.
Step by step: from the call to the board
- The call. Tell us what broke, which floor it is on and roughly how big it is. A photo on WhatsApp is even better. You get a fixed price before anyone sets off, and there is no call-out fee.
- On the way. Across Central and North London we aim to be with you within 60 minutes, with 18mm boards, battens and glass stock on the van.
- Photos first. Before we touch anything we photograph the damage as we found it. Insurers ask for this, and it protects your claim.
- Make safe. Loose shards are taken out of the frame, fragments swept up and bagged, and anything sharp left at child or pet height dealt with.
- Board it. The board is cut to the opening, not left as a full sheet hanging off the wall, and fixed so the frame survives for the reglaze.
- Measure for glass. We measure the opening and order the replacement before we leave.
- Photos and paperwork. You get photos of the finished board-up and an itemised invoice, ready for your insurer.
A real board-up: one pane of a bifold door
The middle pane of this bifold door was broken. First the broken glass was cleared out of the sash, and the board was cut from a full sheet of OSB to the size of the glass.
Then only that pane was boarded, with the board fixed inside the sash, so the outer leaves and the lock still worked and the house stayed secure until the new glass arrived. On glazing day the board comes out and the new sealed unit goes into the same sash. Nothing else on the door needs replacing.
What we board up with, and why it matters
- 18mm OSB3 or structural ply as standard. Thin sheet flexes and can be pulled off by hand, which defeats the point.
- Cut to the opening. A board that fits the rebate or reveal is harder to lever off and looks less like an invitation.
- Fixings that spare the frame. Through the glazing rebate, or braced on timber battens against the reveal, wherever the frame allows.
- Weather-sealed edges so rain does not get in behind the board.
If you need to cover a small window yourself while you wait, our guide on how to board up a window shows how to do it safely, and when not to try.
Homes, shops and empty properties
The same night service covers shopfronts, offices, pubs and restaurants, where we board large openings with framed sheets and keep a door usable where we can so you can trade in the morning. For landlords and managing agents we also board void properties. See our full emergency boarding up in London page for areas, including the north London and central London services.
What it costs
You get a fixed price on the phone before we travel, and it does not change when we arrive. A typical London board-up is £120 to £250 per opening, with a £0 call-out. Shopfronts cost more because the boards are bigger and it takes a bigger crew. Our glazier cost guide has the rest of our prices.
After a break-in
If the police are coming, let them see the point of entry before anything is moved, and ask for a crime reference number. Then call us. Our guide on what to do after a break-in covers the first hour, and our insurance claim guide covers the paperwork.
Need a board up now?
Ring 07915 903485 or send a photo on WhatsApp. We are an emergency glazier first, so the company that boards your window tonight is the one that fits the new glass.
Emergency board up questions
Do you really board up at night, at weekends and on bank holidays?
Yes. Boarding up is the part of our work that cannot wait for the morning, so the phone is answered around the clock and the price is the same fixed price we give you on the call. There is no call-out fee.
Can you board up just one pane of a bifold or French door?
Yes. We cut the board to the size of the broken pane and fix it in that sash only, so the other leaves still open, close and lock. The door stays usable while the new glass is made.
Will the board damage my frame?
We fix through the glazing rebate or brace against the reveal wherever we can, so the frame survives for the new glass. Screwing straight through the face of a uPVC or aluminium frame is a last resort.
How long will the board stay up?
Usually 2 to 5 working days. We measure for the new glass at the board-up visit, so the order goes in straight away instead of waiting for a second appointment.
Do I need a board up or can you just reglaze?
If we carry the right glass on the van, for example a small single pane, we may glaze it the same night. Sealed double glazed units, toughened and laminated glass are made to measure, so a board keeps you secure until they arrive.