Emergency Board Up/Property Board Up and Window Boarding Services

Emergency Board Up Services

We cover broken windows, forced doors and fire or storm openings with plywood and lumber so a house or storefront is closed to rain, wind and intruders until permanent repairs can start.

• Shattered window glass after a break-in or thrown rock
• Kicked-in entry doors with split jambs and strike plates
• Storefront plate glass cracked by a vehicle or vandal
• Fire-damaged window openings left after the fire department vents
• Sliding patio doors with a smashed tempered glass panel
• Storm-blown windows and holes torn through exterior siding
• Vacant houses with open basement windows and missing doors

How Emergency Board Up Is Done

Loose shards still hanging in the frame get knocked out with a pry bar and gloved hands, since glass left in the sash can fall later or cut through a tarp. Each opening is measured with a tape measure, and sheets of 1/2-inch or 5/8-inch CDX plywood are cut to size on site with a circular saw, sized to overlap the trim by an inch or two. On upper-story windows and openings that only need weather protection, we fasten the plywood to the trim or framing with 3-inch construction screws driven by an impact driver, which pull out cleanly later without splitting the casing. Ground-floor windows and doors that need real security get 2x4 strongbacks on the inside, with carriage bolts run through the plywood and lumber so the panel can't be pried off from outside. One door is usually left operable with a hasp and padlock so the owner and adjusters can get in. Broken glass is swept up and bagged, and we photograph each opening before and after for the insurance claim.

How Long Does Emergency Board Up Take?

Emergency board up usually takes one to three hours for a house with a few broken windows or a single damaged door. A storefront with large plate glass panels, or a fire-damaged home with a dozen openings, can run most of a day. Upper-story windows that need ladders or a lift, and openings where charred framing has to be cut back before plywood will hold, typically add time.

Can You Do Emergency Board Up Yourself?

Covering a single cracked ground-floor window with a plywood board is something many homeowners can handle with a drill, screws and a precut sheet from a lumberyard. The harder parts are large plate glass, second-story openings and doors that need through-bolted strongbacks to stop someone from prying the panel off. Fire- and storm-damaged openings also hide weak framing and loose glass, which is where most cuts and falls happen.

How Long Does an Emergency Board Up Last?

A plywood board-up on a window or door usually holds for several months, since it's meant as a temporary barrier until glass, doors or framing can be replaced. CDX plywood tolerates rain, but edges that stay wet start to delaminate over a season, especially on the weather side of a house. Screws can loosen as the wood swells and shrinks, so panels left up longer should be checked after heavy storms.