Fire Damage Boarding Up in Staines

Once the fire service has handed your property back, boarding up the broken windows, doors and other openings is usually the next practical job. Fire damage boarding up in Staines keeps weather out and stops people getting in while you sort out insurance and repairs. We answer the phone 24 hours a day. When you’re ready, call 01784 774 186 and we’ll talk through what’s happened, what needs securing and what it will cost.

First, let the fire service finish

We don’t start until the fire service has handed the site back. Until then, stay out of the building, even if the flames are out. Fire weakens floors, ceilings, stairs and roof timbers in ways you often can’t see, and glass that’s been heated can crack or drop later.

While you wait:

• Keep yourself, your family and any staff well clear of the building and any fallen glass.
• Follow what the fire service tells you about access and about utilities.
• Photograph the outside from a safe distance if you can. Don’t go back in for photos.
• Let your insurer know there’s been a fire, and note any reference they give you.
• Make sure any neighbours affected by the fire know what’s happening.

If the fire service has told you parts of the building aren’t safe to enter, tell us on the call. We work from the outside wherever we can and won’t enter an area that isn’t safe.

Why boarding up after a fire matters

A fire-damaged building tends to be left open in several places at once. Windows shatter from heat, the fire service may have forced doors or broken glass to get in, and roofs or skylights can be holed. Each of those openings lets in rain, which adds water damage to what’s already there. Each one is also a way in for anyone who notices the property is empty.

Boarding up after a fire closes those openings with timber that’s fixed properly, so the building is weatherproof and secure at the openings until repairs can start. It’s a make-safe. Your glazier, door fitter or builder does the permanent repair once the insurer and the trades are ready.

What we can secure

What we secure depends on what the fire and the firefighting left behind:

• Windows. Blown or cracked panes, frames that have scorched or warped. Our window boarding service covers single panes through to large openings.
• Doors and frames. Doors forced by the fire service, burnt through, or left hanging off damaged hinges. The door boarding and securing service covers doors that won’t close or lock.
• Shopfronts and commercial premises. Large display glazing and entrances at shops, offices, restaurants and warehouses. See shopfront and commercial boarding.
• Roofs and skylights. Holes or failed rooflights, where it’s safe to reach them. If the roof structure has been weakened by fire, we’ll discuss what’s possible before anyone goes up.

We secure openings. Clearing smoke damage and removing odour are specialist jobs outside what we do. Your insurer can usually point you to the right people for that.

Materials and fixings for fire-damaged openings

For most windows and doors we use exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm, which stands up to weather and to someone trying to force it. For smaller openings, OSB can be suitable. Where a building is going to stand empty for a while, we can use security or anti-tamper fixings that are harder to undo from outside.

Fire makes the frame the main question. Heat can char, split or warp timber frames, and UPVC frames can soften and distort. If the frame is still sound, we can often fix in a way that does less harm to it, which helps when the repair comes later. If it’s too damaged to hold boarding, we’ll explain the options and agree them with you before we fix anything.

That’s worth knowing if your property is one of Staines’ older buildings. Much of the town’s surviving historic housing dates from the 19th century, including the villas and terraces around Knowle Green and along London Road, Gresham Road and Kingston Road. If you have original timber windows or doors, mention it and send photos so we can talk about the fixing approach first.

What to tell us on the call

The more we know, the clearer the quote. When you ring, it helps to have:

• The postcode, so we can work out when we can get there.
• Whether the fire service has handed the property back, and anything they told you about unsafe areas.
• Which openings need securing: how many, roughly what size, and which floor.
• Access: upper floors, roofs, a shared entrance or a rear yard.
• The state of doors and frames: whether they close, whether they’re burnt or warped.
• Debris or glass that needs making safe around the openings.
• Photos, taken only from somewhere safe. They help us judge materials and access before we arrive.

We give you a free, clear quote on the call before any work starts. The price depends on the number and size of openings, height and access, the materials and board thickness, the fixing method, whether a damaged door or frame needs securing first, and how much glass or debris needs making safe. Nothing starts until you’ve agreed it.

On the visit

The van carries boarding stock and fixings. When we arrive, we check the openings against what we discussed on the call. We make loose glass and debris at the openings safe, then cut and fix boards to each opening as agreed. If something turns out different once we’re there, such as a frame in worse condition than the photos showed, we’ll talk to you before going further.

We’ve been boarding up properties for over 10 years. We’re fully insured, and you can have the certificate on request. Everyone is DBS-checked, which matters when a family home or business is open and you may not be there.

Insurance paperwork for fire boarding

Fire claims tend to involve a lot of documents, so we give you three things when the job’s done:

• An itemised invoice showing what was secured and what was used.
• Time-stamped before and after photographs of each opening.
• A written statement of the work carried out.

Pass these to your insurer with the rest of your claim. Your insurer decides what’s covered. We’re not loss adjusters and can’t advise on your policy, but our paperwork gives them a clear record of the make-safe. Our guide to insurance claims after boarding up has more on what to keep.

Homes, shops, landlords and agents

We board up after fires at houses, flats, shops and commercial premises across Staines, from the residential streets to Market Square, the High Street and Church Street. Landlords and letting agents can arrange the work on a tenant’s behalf if they have permission to authorise it. Give us a contact for whoever will be at the property.

We also cover nearby places such as Laleham, Stanwell Moor and Wraysbury, subject to confirming on the call.

Get fire-damaged property secured

When the fire service has handed the building back, call us with the postcode, a description of the damaged openings and any photos you can take safely. We’ll go through access and materials and give you a quote before anything starts.

Call 01784 774 186 at any hour, or email us with photos and the property details.