Fire Damage Boarding Up in Epsom

Once the fire service has handed your property back, the next job is closing the openings the fire, the heat or the firefighting left behind. Boarding Up Epsom provides fire damage boarding up across Epsom, securing broken windows, damaged doors and exposed openings so the building is weatherproof and harder to get into while you arrange the permanent repairs. A person answers the phone 24 hours a day, so you can call 01372 656234 as soon as you’ve been told you can go back to the property.

First, wait for the fire service handover

We can only secure a fire-damaged property after the fire service has handed the site back. Until then, the building is theirs to manage. Even after handover, parts of it may be unsafe, so please:

• Stay out of rooms and areas you’ve been told to avoid. Ceilings, floors and stairs can be weakened even where they look intact.
• Keep clear of broken glass, including glass that’s cracked but still in the frame. Heat-stressed panes can fall without warning.
• Don’t climb ladders or go onto the roof to look at damage. Tell us what you can see from the ground and we’ll assess roof and upper-floor openings when we attend.
• Keep children and pets away from the building’s perimeter where glass or debris has fallen.

If the fire service or another professional has told you something about the building’s safety, pass it on when you call. It helps us plan the visit properly.

What a fire-damaged property usually needs

Fires leave openings in a few different ways. Windows crack or shatter in the heat, firefighters may have broken glass or forced a door to get in, and a roof or skylight can be damaged from above or below. Each needs a slightly different approach.

Windows

Broken and heat-cracked windows are usually the bulk of the work. We board them with exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm, and use OSB for smaller openings where it’s suitable. Where a frame is sound enough, we use non-destructive fixing so the frame isn’t damaged further before the glazier arrives. Our window boarding service explains the options in more detail.

Doors and frames

Doors forced during the fire service’s entry, or warped and charred by heat, often won’t close or lock properly. We secure the damaged door, frame or lock first, then board the opening if it needs it. Where a frame is too badly burnt or split to take fixings safely, we’ll explain the options before doing anything, rather than fixing into timber that won’t hold. See door boarding and securing after damage for how this works.

Roofs and skylights

If fire has broken through a roof light or damaged part of a roof, we’ll talk through access on the call. Height, ladders and the condition of the structure all affect what can be done safely, and we’ll only work where it’s safe to do so. More on this is in our roof and skylight boarding page.

What to tell us when you call

The quicker we can picture the job, the quicker we can give you a clear quote. When you ring, it helps to have:

• The postcode, so we can work out arrival time on the call
• Which openings are damaged: how many, roughly what size and which floors they’re on
• Access details: ground floor, upper floors, side passages, roof lights
• Door condition: whether any doors or frames were forced, burnt or won’t lock
• Whether the fire service has handed the site back
• Safe photographs, if you can take them from outside without going near glass or unsafe areas

If the property is a listed building or sits within the Epsom Town Centre Conservation Area, which covers the High Street and parts of West Street, South Street, Waterloo Road, Ashley Avenue and Upper High Street, mention it on the call. Many of the period buildings there have original frames worth protecting, and that’s worth discussing when we choose a fixing method.

The free quote on the call

The quote is free and clear, and it’s agreed on the phone before any work starts. It depends on:

• The number and size of openings
• Height and access, including upper floors, roofs and skylights
• Materials and board thickness
• The fixing method, including security or anti-tamper fixings
• Whether a damaged door or frame needs securing first
• How much broken glass and debris needs making safe around the openings

Nothing’s added at the property without you knowing about it first. If we find something on site that wasn’t clear from the call, we’ll explain it and agree it with you before carrying on.

What happens on the visit

Our van carries boarding stock and fixings, so most openings can be secured on the same visit. We clear loose glass from the frames we’re working on, cut boards to fit, and fix them using the method agreed. Where security matters, such as ground-floor windows and doors of a building that’ll be empty for a while, anti-tamper fixings make the boards harder to remove.

Boarding is the make-safe stage. It keeps out weather and intruders while your insurer, builders and glaziers organise the permanent repairs. Smoke and odour remediation is a separate specialist job and isn’t something we do, though the boarding gives those trades a secure building to work in.

We’re an independent local service with over 10 years’ experience, fully insured (certificate on request) and DBS-checked.

Insurance paperwork for fire boarding

After a fire, your insurer will want a clear record of what was done to protect the property. With every job, you’ll get:

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

These help you show your insurer what was done and when. Your insurer decides what’s covered under your policy, and we’re not loss adjusters or legal advisers, so check cover questions with them directly. Our guide to insurance paperwork explains how to use these documents with your claim.

Homes, shops and lettings across Epsom

We secure fire-damaged homes, flats, shops, offices and restaurants, including the period town houses and shop terraces in and around the town centre. Landlords and letting agents can arrange the work on a tenant’s behalf. We also cover nearby areas including Stoneleigh, Langley Vale and Epsom Downs. Confirm your address on the call.

Get the property secured

Once the fire service has handed the building back, call 01372 656234. Someone answers 24 hours a day. Give us the postcode, the type and size of the damaged openings and any safe photographs you’ve taken, and we’ll talk through access and give you a free, clear quote before anything starts. If it isn’t urgent, you can email us instead.