Roof and Skylight Boarding in Staines
Roof boarding in Staines makes a broken skylight, roof light or damaged section of roof safe and weather-resistant until a permanent repair can be arranged. A falling branch, a storm, a break-in through a skylight or a failed roof light can leave an open hole above a room, a stairwell or a shop floor. We fit exterior-grade boarding over that opening and fix it securely.
If you’re dealing with an opening now, call 01784 774 186. A person answers 24 hours a day. Tell us your postcode and what’s broken, and we’ll talk through access and give you a free, clear quote before any work starts.
When roof boarding is the right fix
Roof and skylight boarding suits openings that are high up, exposed to the weather and often hard to reach safely. Typical examples include:
- A broken skylight or roof light, cracked or shattered by impact, frost, a dropped object or an attempted break-in
- Flat-roof rooflights on extensions, garages, shops and commercial units where the glazing or dome has failed
- Roof windows in loft conversions with broken glass or a damaged sash
- A small damaged section of roof where boarding over the opening will keep weather and intruders out while repairs are planned
Boarding closes and secures the opening. It’s a make-safe that protects the building and its contents, and the permanent repair, such as new glazing, a replacement roof light or roofing work, follows once you’ve arranged it.
If the roof damage came from high winds, our storm damage guidance covers the first steps to take before and after you call.
Stay safe while you wait
Please don’t climb onto the roof, lean out of a roof window or stand under a broken skylight. Glass can keep falling, and damaged roof structures can give way without warning. If you can, close the door to the affected room, move people and pets out, and put a bucket or sheeting under any drip if you can do it without standing beneath the opening.
Photographs help us plan, but only take them from a safe spot: from the ground, from a neighbour’s window, or from a doorway inside the room. Don’t go up a ladder to get a better shot.
How we board a roof or skylight opening
Every roof is different, so the method depends on what we find. Staines has a lot of 19th-century housing, including the villas and smaller terraces around Knowle Green and along London Road, as well as modern extensions, flats and commercial units. The construction, roof pitch and type of roof light all shape how the boarding is fixed.
Materials
For most skylight and roof openings we use exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm, cut to cover the opening with enough overlap to sit on solid material. Smaller openings may suit OSB. The aim is a board that’s strong enough to resist weather and tampering, and fixed so water runs off rather than pooling.
Fixings
Where the frame or upstand is sound, we’ll use a non-destructive fixing method where the frame allows, which keeps extra damage to a minimum and makes life easier for whoever carries out the permanent repair. Where security matters, for example a rooflight over a shop or an empty property, we can use security or anti-tamper fixings that are harder to remove from outside.
When the frame is badly damaged
Sometimes the skylight frame, kerb or surrounding timber is split, rotten or pushed out of shape. Fixing straight into it wouldn’t hold. In that case we’ll explain the options first, before doing anything, so you can decide how you’d like the opening secured. That conversation happens on site or on the call, and nothing changes without your agreement.
Access and preparation
Height and access make the biggest practical difference on roof jobs. On the call we’ll ask:
- Your postcode and the type of property: house, flat, shop, office or warehouse
- Where the opening is: a pitched roof, a flat roof, a roof light over a stairwell, a loft window
- How it can be reached: from inside through a loft or upper room, from a flat roof, or only from outside at height
- The rough size and shape of the opening, and whether glass or debris is still in place
- Anything nearby that affects access, such as conservatories, parked cars or a narrow side passage
If a roof light can be boarded from inside, that’s often simpler. Where it has to be done from outside, we’ll talk you through what’s involved. If an opening can’t be reached safely, we’ll tell you plainly rather than attempt it.
If the damage followed a fire, we can only secure the roof once the fire service has handed the site back.
What happens on the visit
When we arrive, we’ll check the opening and the surrounding frame, then confirm the agreed work with you before starting. A typical visit covers:
- Making loose glass and debris safe where we can reach it
- Measuring and cutting boarding to suit the opening
- Fixing the boarding using the agreed method
- Checking the finished board for security and weather run-off
- Taking time-stamped photographs before and after the work
Our van carries boarding stock and fixings, so most openings can be secured from what we bring. We’ve been doing this for over 10 years, we’re fully insured (certificate on request) and DBS-checked.
What you receive
Once the opening is secured you’ll have:
- A made-safe roof or skylight opening, boarded and fixed as agreed
- An itemised invoice for the work carried out
- Time-stamped before and after photographs
- A written statement describing what we did
That paperwork is designed to help when you speak to your insurer. Your insurer decides what’s covered. Our insurance claims guide explains what to keep and how it’s usually used.
What affects the quote
There are no set prices for roof boarding because every opening is different. The quote you get on the call depends on:
- The number and size of openings
- Height and access: upper floors, pitched or flat roofs, skylights and whether ladders are needed
- Materials and board thickness
- The fixing method, including anti-tamper fixings
- Whether a damaged frame or kerb needs securing first
- How much broken glass or debris needs making safe
You’ll hear the price before we start. More detail is on our pricing page.
Areas we cover
We board roofs and skylights across Staines and the surrounding area, including Laleham, Stanwell Moor and Wraysbury. We’ll confirm your address is covered when you call.
Get a roof boarding quote
Have your postcode ready, along with a description of the opening and, if you can take them safely, a few photographs from the ground or from inside. We’ll talk through access, explain the options and give you a free, clear quote.