Door Boarding Up in Kingston
When you need fast, reliable door boarding up in Kingston, our experienced local team secures broken and compromised doors at any time of day or night. Whether it’s a forced entry, a kicked-in door, or accidental damage, we board up and secure your property so you can rest easy and deal with insurers and follow-on repairs in your own time.
Need help now? Call 020 4572 1601 for immediate assistance. We’re on-call 24/7 across KT postcodes.
When You Need This
A damaged door leaves your home or business exposed. Our door boarding up service is designed for urgent situations and planned make-safe works, including:
- Break-ins and forced entries where the door or frame has been kicked, prised or smashed.
- Vandalism to front doors, communal entrances or shop doors.
- Fire or storm damage affecting door integrity, glazing or frames.
- Accidental impact, such as delivery trolleys, moving furniture, or vehicle contact with shopfront doors.
- Swollen or water-damaged doors after floods where they no longer latch securely.
Common signs you need emergency door boarding up:
- The door will not close or lock properly.
- The frame is split, hinges are loose, or the latch/keep is bent.
- Glass within or alongside the door is shattered or missing.
- There is a visible gap that allows easy entry or weather ingress.
- Your insurer has advised you to secure the property until a full repair can be arranged.
We regularly install a temporary secure door when a doorway must remain usable for access. For example, after a break-in at a shop or a communal entrance in a block of flats, we can fit a lockable steel temporary door or a boarded-and-battened timber panel with an anti-tamper locking solution so authorised users can still get in and out safely.
If your door damage follows a break-in, see our guidance on post-burglary boarding up for practical next steps and insurer expectations.
How We Secure Your Property
Our approach prioritises safety, strength and non-destructive securing wherever possible. We’re fully equipped for out-of-hours work and can handle residential and commercial doorways of all sizes.
- Attend and assess
- We arrive with a fully stocked mobile workshop, assess the door, frame, surrounding glazing and hinges/locks.
- We make the area safe first—sweeping glass, removing sharp hardware and cordoning as needed.
- We identify the best securing method: direct boarding, braced boarding, or a temporary steel door.
- Choose materials fit for purpose
- Plywood or OSB: Typically 18 mm structural-grade plywood or OSB for strength and rigidity. Thicker boards are used for larger openings or where additional bracing is needed.
- Weather-exposed areas: Exterior-grade materials and sealants to protect the opening from the elements.
- Timber battens: Used to create a sandwich fix where we secure boards with internal battens and anti-tamper fixings, distributing load and avoiding damage to the remaining frame.
- Anti-tamper fixings
- We use anti-tamper fixings designed so they can’t be easily removed from outside. This might include security screws, coach bolts with internal backing plates, or through-bolt systems with internal nuts.
- Where appropriate, we place fixings into solid structure (masonry or solid timber) to resist prying or levering.
- Non-destructive securing (our default)
- Our technicians aim to avoid further damage to frames or surrounding surfaces. We prefer through-bolt methods that use internal backing battens.
- Exceptions: If the frame is severely shattered, the wall is unstable, or there are structural risks, we may need to anchor to masonry or use additional bracing. We’ll explain options clearly on site before proceeding.
- Temporary secure door options
- Lockable steel door: We can install a temporary steel door with a robust locking cylinder and anti-tamper frame fixings—ideal for shops, communal entrances and properties that must remain occupied or accessible.
- Boarded door with access: For short-term needs, we can board the door and incorporate a lockable access panel for authorised entry. This is less common but helpful for quick, affordable overnight securing.
- Fire doors and compliance: We do not replace or certify fire doors. We provide temporary secure access and liaise with your chosen contractors for compliant replacements.
- Tidy finish and safety
- We trim and align boards neatly, ensuring hinges and hardware are safe and any jagged edges or splinters are removed.
- For businesses, we maintain emergency escape routes where possible and signpost any changes.
- Insurer-ready documentation
- Time-stamped photos of damage and the make-safe work.
- An itemised invoice and simple statement of works that align with typical insurer needs.
- If applicable, we’ll note your police reference number—please keep this handy for your claim.
Where relevant, we can coordinate with your glazier or door supplier. If the door incorporates glazing, we also work alongside emergency glaziers for “board & glaze” follow-ups once sites reopen.
Why Choose Us
- Local Kingston presence, KT-wide coverage: We serve Kingston upon Thames and all KT postcodes, from KT1 and KT2 across to KT24, including Surbiton, Norbiton, New Malden, Chessington, Thames Ditton, Esher and beyond.
- 10+ years’ experience: Skilled boarding up specialists who focus on secure, tidy, and insurer-friendly outcomes.
- 24/7 availability: Out-of-hours boarding up every day of the year. We dispatch efficiently and keep you updated.
- Non-destructive first: We secure doors without additional damage wherever possible, explaining any necessary exceptions clearly.
- Insured and vetted: Public liability insured and DBS-checked technicians for your peace of mind.
- Suitable for homes and businesses: Houses, flats, HMOs, shops, cafes, offices, industrial units, and communal entrances.
- Workmanship guarantee: We guarantee our boarding installation workmanship for the duration it remains in place. If any fixings work loose, we return to re-secure.
- Clear paperwork for insurers: Time-stamped photos, itemised invoices and a simple work statement provided as standard.
If you need immediate help, please Call 020 4572 1601 now. For planned works, email [email protected].
What Happens Next
Our process keeps things simple during a stressful moment:
- Call us
- Tell us what happened, the location and any access notes. For emergencies: Call 020 4572 1601.
- We’ll ask a few quick questions (door type, glazing, frame condition, floor level) and dispatch an emergency technician.
- Attend and secure
- We secure the doorway using robust boards or install a temporary secure door, using anti-tamper fixings and appropriate bracing.
- We tidy, photograph and provide a simple statement of works.
- Follow-up options
- We can liaise with your chosen contractor for permanent door replacement or glazing.
- Keep your police reference number and pass our invoice and photos to your insurer. If you need guidance, see our insurance support.
- Payment and paperwork
- We accept common payment methods on site.
- You’ll receive an itemised invoice and photos—useful for claims and your records.
Related information and services:
- For urgent call-outs, see our 24/7 emergency boarding up.
- If the damage followed a break-in, learn about our post-burglary boarding up.
- Curious about how we quote? Read about boarding up prices.
FAQs
How fast can you board up a broken door?
We operate 24/7 with mobile coverage across KT postcodes. We dispatch efficiently and keep you updated en route. While we don’t promise exact ETAs, we prioritise emergencies like forced entries and smashed shop doors.
Will you damage my door frame when boarding up?
We use non-destructive securing wherever possible. That means through-bolting boards with internal battens and anti-tamper fixings, avoiding further harm to frames. If the frame is severely split or unsafe, we’ll explain options that may require securing into masonry or added bracing.
Can you fit a temporary secure door so I can still use the entrance?
Yes. We install lockable temporary steel doors or a boarded access panel where practical. This keeps the property secure while allowing authorised entry until permanent repairs are completed.
What thickness boards do you use for door openings?
Typically 18 mm structural-grade plywood or OSB. For larger or exposed openings, we may use thicker boards or additional bracing. The aim is a secure, stable, tamper-resistant solution suited to the specific doorway.
Is boarding up covered by insurance?
Often it is, especially after burglary, vandalism or storm damage. We provide photos, an itemised invoice and a simple statement to support your claim. For guidance, see our dedicated page on insurance support. Please keep your police reference number if there has been a crime.
Do you cover commercial entrances and shopfront doors?
Absolutely. We secure shop doors, glazed aluminium entrances, roller-shutter areas and steel exit doors. For shopfronts outside trading hours, we can coordinate safe access and install temporary steel doors where needed.
Materials and Methods: A Closer Look
- Plywood vs OSB: Both are excellent for door boarding up. We select based on structural needs, weather exposure and availability at the time of call-out. Exterior-grade is used for weather-facing openings.
- Anti-tamper fixings: Security screws or coach bolts paired with internal battens prevent easy removal from outside. Fixings are positioned to resist levering and prying at typical attack points around locks and handles.
- Structural considerations: For frames split at the lock keep or hinges, we may add reinforcing battens across the opening to distribute load and deter kick-in attempts. If surrounding glazing is compromised, we board adjacent panels too.
- Temporary steel doors: Powder-coated steel frames with multi-point or cylinder locks provide robust short-to-medium-term security. Ideal for businesses needing controlled access while awaiting glass or door replacement.
- Weatherproofing: Where the door area is exposed, we add seals, drips or taped edges to limit water ingress. We avoid blocking essential ventilation unless instructed otherwise for security.
Safety and Compliance Notes
- Emergency egress: In commercial or communal settings, we maintain safe escape routes where possible and clearly explain any temporary changes to occupants or staff.
- Fire-damaged structures: If there’s significant structural or fire damage, we will only secure areas deemed safe to access. We can liaise with fire services or contractors for safe working boundaries.
- Electrics and floods: After flooding, we avoid driving fixings near live electrics and recommend power checks before reoccupation.
- RAMS: For larger commercial jobs, we can provide simple risk assessments and method statements to facilitate on-site approval.
Service Area
We’re local to Kingston upon Thames and cover the entire KT postcode area, including:
- Kingston, Norbiton, Canbury, Coombe, Berrylands, Surbiton, Tolworth and Chessington.
- New Malden, Old Malden, Worcester Park and Motspur Park.
- Thames Ditton, Long Ditton, Esher, Hinchley Wood and Claygate.
- Epsom, Ewell, Stoneleigh, Walton-on-Thames, Hersham, Molesey, and further across KT1–KT24.
Wherever you are in KT, we provide responsive, 24/7 door boarding up and temporary secure door solutions.
What You Can Expect From Us
- Clear communication, calm guidance and respectful service in stressful moments.
- A secure, tidy installation that protects your property and reassures occupants.
- Straightforward paperwork for insurers, including photos and an itemised invoice.
- Advice on next steps for permanent repairs, replacements and glazing.
If you’re reading this because you need help now, please call—there’s no obligation, and we’ll talk you through your options in minutes.
Need help now? Call 020 4572 1601 or Email us.
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