Burglary Repairs in Staines: Making Your Property Secure After a Break-In

After a break-in, the first job is getting the forced door or broken window closed so the property is secure tonight and nobody is cut on loose glass. Boarding Up Staines handles burglary repairs in Staines as a make-safe. We secure damaged doors, frames and windows with boarding and suitable fixings, then supply the paperwork your insurer will ask for. A person answers the phone 24 hours a day, and we attend at night, at weekends and on bank holidays.

Call 01784 774 186 and give us your postcode. We’ll work out the arrival time on the call and agree a free, clear quote before any work starts.

What to do first after a burglary in Staines

Take these steps in order. Do only what is safe.

• Stay out if someone might still be inside. Call 999 and wait for the police.
• Report the burglary to the police. Keep the crime reference number. Your insurer will want it.
• Keep everyone clear of broken glass. That includes children and pets. Leave hanging glass where it is and don’t try to pull it out of the frame.
• Photograph the damage if it’s safe. Take wide shots and close-ups of the door, lock, frame and windows. If the police are attending, check with them before you tidy anything.
• Contact your insurer. Tell them what’s happened and that you’re arranging for the property to be made secure.
• Call us to secure the openings. You don’t need to have spoken to your insurer before you ring.

Securing broken doors after a break-in

Forced entry usually damages the door, the frame and the lock together. Common damage includes a split frame around the lock keep, a door that’s been kicked off its line, a snapped cylinder, or a smashed glass panel that someone reached through. Sometimes the door still shuts but won’t lock. Sometimes it won’t close at all.

How we secure it depends on what’s left. Where the frame is sound, we can usually secure the door in place or board across the opening so it can’t be opened from outside. We use security fixings that are hard to remove with ordinary tools.

If the frame is badly split or pulled away from the wall, a board may have nothing solid to fix into. In that case we explain the options before doing any work, so you know what will hold and why. Much of Staines’ older housing dates from the 19th century. That includes terraces and villas around Knowle Green and along London Road and Kingston Road. Timber frames in buildings of that age vary a lot, so we check what the fixings will bite into rather than assuming.

There’s more detail on our door boarding and forced-entry securing service.

Broken windows and shop glass

A smashed window is often the way in, or the way out. We make loose glass safe first, where that’s part of the agreed work. Then we board the opening, usually with exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm, or OSB for smaller openings. Where the frame allows, we fix in a way that limits further damage to it, which helps when the glazier comes to replace the pane. You can read how we approach different openings on our window boarding page.

For shops, offices and restaurants, including premises around the High Street, Market Square and Church Street, a broken shopfront creates a large opening that needs a solid fix. Your trading hours and stock also come into it. Our shopfront boarding service covers how we deal with larger glazed areas and commercial doors.

What to tell us on the call

The more we know, the more accurate the quote and the better prepared we’ll be when we arrive. Have these ready if you can:

• Your postcode and how to reach the damaged openings
• Which openings are damaged: front door, back door, ground-floor windows, upper windows or a shopfront
• Rough sizes of each opening
• Whether the door closes and whether the frame is split
• Any glass still hanging or lying in walkways
• Photographs, if it’s safe to take them. Send them to info@boarding-up-staines.co.uk

What happens when we arrive

We confirm the work agreed on the call and take time-stamped photographs of the damage. Then we make broken glass and debris safe as agreed. The van carries boarding stock and fixings, so we measure and cut to fit on site. We fix the boards, check the opening is secure, and take time-stamped photographs of the finished work.

We’ve been boarding up properties for over 10 years. We’re fully insured, with a certificate available on request, and DBS-checked. That matters when we’re working in your home after a stranger has already been inside it.

Paperwork for your insurer

Once the job is done, you receive:

• An itemised invoice for the make-safe work
• Time-stamped before and after photographs
• A written statement describing what we secured and how

Your insurer decides what is covered. We’re not loss adjusters or legal advisers, but clear records give them what they usually need to assess the emergency work. Our guide to documentation for insurance claims explains each item in more detail.

After the boarding goes up

Boarding gives you a secure property while the permanent repairs are arranged. A glazier, door fitter or locksmith can then replace the glass, door or lock when it suits you and your insurer. You won’t be rushing to decide anything tonight.

What affects the quote

We agree the price on the call before starting. These things affect it:

• How many openings there are and how large they are
• Height and access, such as upper-floor windows or anything needing ladders
• Materials and board thickness
• Whether security or anti-tamper fixings are needed
• Whether a damaged door or frame has to be secured first
• How much broken glass or debris needs making safe

We cover Staines, and we can often attend in Laleham, Stanwell Moor and Wraysbury, subject to confirming on the call.

Get the property secure

Call 01784 774 186 at any hour, or email us with your postcode, the type and rough size of each damaged opening, and safe photographs. We’ll talk through access, explain the options if a frame is badly damaged, and give you a clear quote before any work begins.