Shopfront Boarding in Staines

Our shopfront boarding service in Staines secures the broken glazing, entrance doors and side panels of shops, offices, restaurants and other commercial premises. We cover each damaged opening with exterior-grade timber and fix it securely. You also get the paperwork your insurer will ask for, so you can lock up and leave the premises. Someone answers the phone 24 hours a day. If the damage has only just happened, our emergency boarding page explains what to do first, or Call 01784 774 186.

When shopfront boarding is the right choice

This service suits ground-floor commercial frontages, where large glazed areas face the street and the main concern is getting the premises closed and secure. Typical situations:

• A display window that’s cracked, holed or broken out
• A glazed entrance door that has been smashed or forced, often with the lock or frame damaged too
• A restaurant or café frontage with large panes and a glazed door set into it
• Ground-floor office windows that can’t be left open overnight
• A warehouse or industrial unit with a damaged pedestrian door or broken windows
• A unit that has to stay closed until the glazier can fit replacement glass

If the problem is a single window on a flat or house, window boarding is the closer fit. Commercial frontages need their own approach because of the size of the panes and the way the doors sit within the glazing.

How shopfronts differ from house windows

A shopfront is rarely one simple opening. It’s usually a run of large panes in an aluminium or timber frame, with a glazed door, side lights, fanlights above and sometimes a stall riser below. A big pane often needs more than one sheet of board. The sheets have to be joined and fixed so there’s no loose edge or gap that someone could get a bar behind.

The entrance needs particular thought. If the door can still be locked and only the glass is gone, we can board the door’s glazing and leave the door working. If the door, frame or lock has been forced, we secure the doorway itself so it can’t be pushed open. We’ll talk through which approach applies on the call. The door boarding and securing page covers forced doors in more detail.

Materials and fixings

For most shop glazing we use exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm. It’s rigid enough to span a large pane and stands up to weather and knocks from the pavement side. For smaller openings, such as fanlights or narrow side panels, OSB is often suitable.

We use security or anti-tamper fixings on street-facing boards, so they can’t simply be unscrewed from outside. Where the frame allows, we fix the boards without damaging it. That makes it easier to fit the permanent glazing later.

This matters on older frontages. Much of the surviving historic building stock in Staines is 19th century, and the town’s oldest buildings sit mainly along Church Street and near the church. The commercial buildings around Market Square, the High Street and the Church Street junctions include traditional shopfronts where it’s worth protecting sound timber and mouldings.

If a frame is too badly damaged to take fixings safely, we won’t just fix into it and hope for the best. We’ll explain the options before starting, so you can agree how the opening will be secured.

Making glass and debris safe

Broken shopfront glass is heavy and dangerous. Keep staff and customers well clear, and don’t try to pull loose or hanging pieces out of the frame yourself. If it’s safe to do so, take a few photographs from a distance, and tell us on the call about any glass still in the frame or on the floor. We’ll make it safe as part of the job.

What happens on the visit

1. On the call. We ask for the postcode, the type and size of each opening, and details of access, such as upper-floor glazing, parking or loading at the front. Safe photographs help. We work out the arrival time from the postcode and give you a free, clear quote before any work starts.
2. Before photographs. On arrival we take time-stamped photographs of the damage.
3. Making safe. We deal with loose glass and debris, and secure any damaged door or frame first where that’s needed.
4. Boarding. Boards are cut to fit each opening and fixed with the agreed fixings. We carry boarding stock and fixings in the van.
5. After photographs and a walk round. We photograph the finished work and go over it with you, so you know which openings have been secured and how.

We have over 10 years’ experience and are fully insured, with a certificate available on request. We’re also DBS-checked, which landlords, managing agents and businesses often ask about before letting anyone on site.

What you receive

• Secured openings across the damaged parts of the frontage
• The work agreed on the call, with no surprises added on the day
• An itemised invoice
• Time-stamped before and after photographs
• A written statement of the work done

These documents support your claim, but the insurer decides what’s covered. Our insurance claims guide explains how to use them. If the damage came from a break-in, report it to the police and keep the crime reference number for your insurer.

Boarding keeps the premises secure until your glazier or shopfitter fits the permanent glass, door or frame. You can then arrange the repair at a sensible pace rather than in a rush.

What affects the quote

Every shopfront is different, so we price it on the call rather than from a list. The main factors are:

• How many openings need boarding and how big they are
• Height and access, such as upper-floor windows, fascia-level glazing or roof lights over a rear unit
• Materials and board thickness
• The fixing method, including security or anti-tamper fixings
• Whether a damaged door or frame has to be secured before boarding
• How much glass and debris needs making safe

How our pricing works explains each factor in more detail.

Talk to us about your shopfront

Call 01784 774 186 or Email us. Have these ready:

• The postcode of the premises
• What’s damaged (window, door, side panel or the whole frontage) and roughly how big each opening is
• Any access details
• Photographs, if you can take them safely

We’ll go through the options and give you a clear quote before anything is fixed.