Residential Boarding Up South East London

Residential boarding up in South East London is often needed after a sudden shock: a smashed window, a forced front door, storm damage, or a fire or flood. Our local team provides fast, careful residential boarding up South East London services to secure your home, protect your family, and satisfy your insurer’s requirements.

We offer 24/7 emergency securing across all SE postcodes, using non-destructive methods wherever possible, with DBS-checked technicians and full public liability insurance.

When You Need Residential Boarding Up

Homeowners, tenants and landlords call us for emergency window boarding, burglary boarding and other make-safe work in all kinds of situations, including:

• Break-ins and attempted burglaries

  • Front or back door kicked in
  • Locks or frames split
  • Windows forced or left unable to lock

• Smashed or broken windows

  • Thrown objects, accidents, sports balls
  • Street incidents affecting bay windows or sash windows
  • Patio/bi-fold doors with shattered glass

• Vandalism and antisocial behaviour

  • Bricks or bottles through windows
  • Deliberate damage to doors or porches
  • Glazing to communal doors in blocks of flats smashed

• Storm, fire and flood damage

  • High winds blowing out panes or damaging frames
  • Fire crews needing to ventilate a house and leaving openings
  • Flood-swollen timber doors that will not close or lock properly

• Securing empty or vulnerable homes

  • Properties between tenants
  • Homes left empty due to major repairs or hospital stays
  • Protecting children or vulnerable adults from unsafe glass or openings

If you need to secure your home after a break-in in South East London, or simply want a window boarded up safely until it can be replaced, we can help.

For door-specific issues, our dedicated door boarding up page explains how we make damaged entrances safe and secure.

How We Secure Your Property

We focus on non-destructive securing – protecting your home and contents while preserving as much of the existing structure as possible for future repairs or glazing.

Step 1: On-site Assessment and Safety Check

When we arrive, we:

• Check the immediate area for loose glass, trip hazards and exposed edges
• Make sure children, pets and neighbours are kept safely away from the work zone
• Assess the damage to frames, locks and surrounding structure
• Discuss with you (or a keyholder/landlord) what needs to be secured and any access requirements

Where there are signs of forced entry, we’ll work around any police instructions and advise you to keep your crime reference number for your insurer and for our insurance support paperwork.

Step 2: Choosing the Right Boarding Materials

For residential boarding up South East London, we typically use:

• Plywood or OSB boarding – usually 11–18mm thick, depending on risk and opening size
• Cut precisely to size to cover the whole opening, not just the broken glass area
• Balanced between strength, appearance and cost, especially where children are present

For higher-risk openings (e.g. ground-floor bays or patio doors facing a main road), we may recommend:

• Thicker boards, or
• Additional bracing timbers on the inside

We’ll always explain the options and why we suggest them.

Step 3: Fixings and Non-Destructive Methods

We aim to avoid unnecessary damage to your frames, brickwork or decoration:

• Anti-tamper fixings

  • Screws or bolts designed so they can’t easily be removed from the outside
  • Helps deter opportunistic intruders and keeps children from tampering

• Use of existing structure where possible

  • Securing into existing frame, reveals or surrounding timber
  • Avoiding drilling into decorative stone, tiles or delicate fascias unless no safe alternative

• Internal bracing for larger openings

  • For big patio doors or picture windows, we may use internal bracing timbers
  • This spreads the load and reduces stress on the remaining frame

Non-destructive boarding means that when your glazier or builder arrives later, they have less repair work to do, and your overall costs stay lower.

For purely glass-related issues, you can read more about our window boarding in South East London service.

Step 4: Doors, Temporary Secure Doors and Locks

If your door has been kicked in or burnt, we will:

• Check hinges, keeps and frames for structural damage
• Re-align and secure if possible, then board over any glazing panels
• If the door itself is unusable, we can fit a temporary secure door solution, typically:
  • Solid-board door leaf
  • Strong hinges and locks
  • Fitted to the existing frame or a temporary frame

This keeps your home secure while you organise permanent repairs or replacements through your own contractor or insurer.

Step 5: Tidy, Insurer-Friendly Finish

Before leaving, we:

• Clear away loose glass and obvious debris from the affected area
• Check that doors and windows are secure from the outside
• Take time-stamped photos of the damage and the completed boarding
• Provide an itemised invoice and, where needed, a simple work statement for your insurer

If you’re concerned about costs and how they’re worked out, you can read more on our boarding up prices page (we explain the factors, not fixed prices).

Why Choose Us for Residential Boarding Up in South East London?

Local, Residential-Focused Expertise

• Over 10 years’ experience securing houses and flats across South East London
• Familiar with Victorian terraces in Brockley, tower blocks in Woolwich, maisonettes in Catford and converted flats in Peckham
• 24/7 mobile coverage across SE postcodes, including areas such as Greenwich, Lewisham, Bermondsey, Dulwich, Sydenham, Crystal Palace and Thamesmead

Safety, Security and Peace of Mind

• DBS-checked technicians for your reassurance, especially important for families and vulnerable residents
• Public liability insurance in place for all work
• Non-destructive securing methods used wherever possible, with clear explanation when we must do something more invasive (e.g. where frames are rotten or structurally unsafe)
• We always work tidily, mindful of children, pets and shared/common areas

Insurance-Ready Documentation

We understand what insurers usually ask for:

• Clear, time-stamped photos before and after
• An itemised invoice showing labour and materials
• A short work statement describing what happened and what we did
• Guidance on keeping your police reference number with your paperwork where relevant

For more detail on this, visit our insurance support for boarding up in South East London page.

Trusted by Landlords and Managing Agents

We regularly carry out residential boarding up South East London for:

• Private landlords
• Housing associations
• Estate and lettings agents
• RTM companies and resident freehold companies

If you manage multiple homes, flats or blocks, we can work with your existing contractors and provide simple RAMS where required for larger sites.

For commercial and mixed-use buildings, see our commercial boarding up in South East London service.

What Happens Next?

Whether you’ve just had a break-in or discovered a smashed window after work, we keep the process simple.

1. Contact Our South East London Team

• Call us any time, day or night, on 020 4538 1506
• Or send an enquiry via our contact our South East London team page if it’s not urgent

If it’s an emergency, please mention:

• Your exact location and property type (house, flat, maisonette)
• What’s been damaged (window, door, multiple openings)
• Any safety issues (children, pets, broken glass on pavements, busy road, etc.)

2. We Advise You on Immediate Steps

Over the phone we can:

• Help you decide if you need 24/7 emergency boarding up right now
• Suggest basic safety steps before we arrive
• Explain what we’ll do when on site and what access will be needed

If you’re still unsure about the overall process, our Boarding Up FAQs and what is boarding up pages give more background.

3. On-Site Boarding and Securing

Once on site we:

• Make the area safe
• Apply the appropriate plywood or OSB boarding with anti-tamper fixings
• Ensure all affected openings are secured for the short to medium term
• Leave you with a secure, weather-resistant solution and clear next steps for permanent repairs

4. Follow-Up and Local Coverage

We cover all SE postcodes and neighbourhoods. To see specific locations such as Greenwich, Lewisham, Abbey Wood, Sydenham, Peckham, Woolwich, Crystal Palace and more, visit areas we cover.

If your home is likely to be empty for a while due to major works, it may be worth looking at our vacant property boarding in South East London options for longer-term security.

FAQs – Residential Boarding Up

How long does it take to board up a typical house window?

Most standard house windows can be safely boarded within 30–60 minutes once we’re on site, depending on access and damage. Larger patio doors, bays or upper floors using towers or specialist ladders can take longer. We’ll give you an estimate on arrival.

Will the boarding damage my window frames or walls?

We focus on non-destructive securing wherever possible. We usually fix into the strongest parts of the existing frame or surrounding reveal. Sometimes, if the frame is badly damaged, rotten or unsafe, we may have to fix into brickwork or use bracing – we will always explain this before we proceed.

Is residential boarding up covered by my insurance?

Many home insurance policies do cover emergency make-safe works, including boarding up, but it depends on your policy. We provide insurance-ready paperwork – photos, an itemised invoice and a simple statement – to help you claim. For specifics, check your policy or speak to your insurer directly.

You can read more about this in our insurance support for boarding up section.

Can you help secure my home after a break-in at night?

Yes. We offer 24/7 emergency boarding up near you across South East London. We can secure smashed windows and doors, fit temporary secure doors where needed, and ensure your home is safe until permanent repairs are arranged. For urgent help, please call rather than email.

For more details on the process after a break-in, see our post-burglary boarding up page.

How quickly do you respond in South East London?

We cover the whole SE postcode area with mobile teams operating around the clock. Actual response times depend on workload, traffic and your exact location, but we always work to attend as efficiently as possible, especially where there is a safety risk or unsecured property.

Do you also board up flats and maisonettes?

Yes, we regularly secure:

• Purpose-built flats
• Converted houses
• Maisonettes above shops
• Shared entrances and communal windows

We work carefully in shared hallways and stairwells and coordinate with neighbours or managing agents where needed.

Need help now? Call 020 4538 1506 or Email us.

Helpful links

• Boarding up services in South East London
• 24/7 emergency boarding up in South East London
• Boarding up prices
• Insurance support for boarding up in South East London
• Areas we cover across South East London
• Contact our South East London team