Vacant Property Security in Staines
When a house, flat or commercial unit in Staines is going to stand empty, boarding the vulnerable openings is a practical way to secure it. We board windows and doors on vacant and void properties for landlords, letting and estate agents, executors and owners. A person answers the phone 24 hours a day, so you can arrange it whenever it suits.
When empty property boarding makes sense
A property doesn’t have to be damaged to need securing. These are typical situations:
- Between tenancies, when a let property is empty for longer than expected
- During probate, when a family home is waiting to be sorted and sold
- Awaiting sale or refurbishment, with nobody living there and work not yet started
- Empty commercial units, such as a closed shop, office or restaurant waiting for a new occupier
- After damage to an empty building, where a broken pane or forced door has left it open
Sometimes only one or two openings need boarding, such as a rear door and a ground-floor window that can’t be seen from the street. Sometimes a landlord wants every reachable opening covered. We’ll talk through which makes sense for your building on the call.
Which openings we secure
On most void properties the priorities are the openings someone could get through or break most easily:
- Ground-floor windows, front and back
- Front, back and side doors, including patio and French doors
- Lower roofs, flat roofs and skylights where these give access to the building
- Upper-floor windows, where we can reach them safely
For detail on individual openings, see our pages on window boarding and door boarding.
If you need a way into the property for viewings, inspections or contractors, tell us on the call. How we board the door you’ll use is worth agreeing before we start, not after.
Materials and fixings for void property securing
The board we use depends on the size of the opening and how exposed it is.
- Exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm, is the standard choice for windows, doors and shopfronts. It stands up to weather and makes a solid barrier.
- OSB can suit smaller openings where heavy plywood would be more than the job needs.
- Security or anti-tamper fixings make the boards much harder to remove from outside. This matters on an empty building, where nobody is there to notice someone working at a board.
Where the frame allows, we use non-destructive fixing so the frame is less likely to need repairs later. This is useful if you plan to keep the existing windows or doors.
Older properties and damaged frames
Much of Staines’s surviving historic housing dates from the 19th century, including villas and terraces around Knowle Green and along roads such as London Road and Kingston Road. Older timber frames vary a great deal in condition. If a frame is rotten, split or already damaged by a forced entry, it may not hold fixings the usual way. In that case we’ll explain the options before any work starts, so nothing is fixed into a frame that can’t take it.
What happens on the visit
When you call, we’ll ask for the postcode, the type and number of openings, and any photographs you can take safely. From that we’ll work out when we can attend and give you a free, clear quote before any work starts.
On site, we:
- Confirm the openings we’ve agreed to board, so the scope matches the quote
- Take time-stamped photographs of each opening before we start
- Make safe any broken glass or debris at the openings we’re working on, where that’s part of the agreed job
- Cut and fit the boards from the stock and fixings carried on the van
- Take time-stamped photographs of the finished work
We have over 10 years’ experience boarding up property. We’re fully insured, with a certificate available on request, and DBS-checked. That matters to many landlords and agents sending someone to a building nobody is watching.
What you receive
Once the work is done, you’ll have:
- Secured openings covering the windows and doors we agreed
- An itemised invoice listing the work
- Time-stamped before and after photographs
- A written statement describing what was done
That paperwork is useful for your own records. It also helps if you need to show a landlord, client, executor or insurer what was secured and when. If an insurer has asked about the property’s security, they decide whether the work meets their requirements. Our guide to insurance claims paperwork explains what each document is for.
Boarding protects the property for as long as it stands empty or until permanent repairs are arranged. When the building is let, sold or refurbished, the glazing and doors can be replaced or reinstated as part of that work.
What affects the quote
Every empty property is different, so we quote on the call once we know what’s involved. The main factors are:
- Number and size of openings: a single back door costs less than a full house of windows
- Height and access: upper floors, roofs and skylights may need ladders or more time
- Materials and board thickness: plywood or OSB, chosen to suit each opening
- Fixing method: security or anti-tamper fixings, where needed
- Damaged doors or frames: these may need securing before a board can go on
- Glass and debris: broken panes may need making safe first
Our pricing page explains these factors in more detail. We don’t publish set prices, because the quote depends on the building.
Securing vacant property for landlords and agents
If you’re managing a property for someone else, it helps to have the details ready when you call:
- The full address and postcode
- Which openings you want boarded, or whether you’d like us to advise
- How we’ll get access to the inside, if we need it
- Whether anyone else needs copies of the photographs and written statement
We cover Staines and the surrounding area. Laleham, Stanwell Moor and Wraysbury are served subject to confirming the address on the call.
Talk to us about securing an empty property
To board up an empty house, flat or commercial unit in Staines, send us the postcode, the type and size of each opening, and safe photographs if you have them. We’ll talk through access and give you a free, clear quote before any work starts.