Emergency Boarding Up London secure, weather-tight, within the hour.
Glazing London provides emergency boarding up across Central and North London, 24 hours a day. Broken windows, doors and shopfronts are measured and boarded on site with 18mm boards cut to size, then reglazed by our own glaziers. One call, no call-out fee. Ring 07399 253464.
When boarding up is the right call, and when it isn't
Not every broken pane needs a board. If your glass is a standard thickness we often carry it on the van and reglaze in one visit, cheaper and done. Boarding up windows is the right move when the glass has to be manufactured, when the opening is large or structural, or when securing the property matters more tonight than how it looks.
Board up first when…
It's a sealed double glazed unit, toughened or oversized pane that must be made to measure; a shopfront or large opening; a break-in where speed of securing is everything; or multiple openings after a storm.
Straight to reglazing when…
It's single glazing in a standard size, 4mm or 6mm float, 6.4mm laminated, which we usually stock on the van and can fit on the first visit. See emergency glazing.
How we board up a window or door
- Make safe. Loose and dangerous glass is removed from the frame and the area cleared, including a sweep for fragments where children or pets are around.
- Measure the opening. Boards are cut on site to the exact reveal or rebate size, not left as overhanging full sheets that catch the wind and look like an invitation.
- Cut 18mm OSB3 or plywood. We board with 18mm exterior-grade OSB3 or structural ply as standard, solid enough to resist a determined kick, not the 9mm sheet some "board up services" use.
- Fix without wrecking the frame. Non-invasive fixings wherever possible: boards secured through the glazing rebate or braced with 47×50mm timber battens against the reveal, so your uPVC or aluminium frame survives intact for the reglaze.
- Weather-seal and tidy. Edges sealed against rain, screws capped, broken glass bagged and taken away. You get photos of the finished board-up for your records or your insurer.
- Order your glass before we leave. The opening is measured for replacement glass at the same visit, so the reglaze is already in motion, typically fitted within 2-5 working days.
Shop boarding up & commercial premises
A smashed shopfront can't wait for opening hours. Our shop boarding up service covers retail frontages, offices, pubs and restaurants across London: large openings are boarded with framed 18mm sheets so the frontage stays secure and reasonably presentable, and door access is preserved wherever the layout allows, so you can usually trade the next morning.
For landlords, managing agents and insurers we also board void properties and handle multi-site callouts under one number with consolidated invoicing. When you're ready to replace the glass, our shopfront glazing team fits toughened or laminated retail glass to current safety standards.
Burglary board-ups & police attendance
If the police are attending, let them examine the point of entry before anything is moved, and ask for your crime reference (CAD) number: your insurer will want it. Then call us: we photograph the damage exactly as found before we touch it, so making the property safe never undermines your claim. In fact most policies require you to secure the premises promptly, and a boarded up window with documented evidence is precisely what they mean.
We can also replace forced locks and secure damaged doors on the same visit (see window & door repairs), and supply the written damage report and itemised invoice your claim needs.
From boarded up window to finished glass
A board is a bridge, not a fix. Because we're glaziers first and boarders second, the same company that secured you tonight returns with your glass: sealed double glazed units, toughened, laminated or obscured glass made to measure and fitted, usually within 2-5 working days. No hunting for a second trade, no re-measuring, no gap in responsibility.
Read more about our 24/7 emergency glazing, browse glass replacement services, or book a free survey and quote for non-urgent work.