Shopfront Boarding in Barnet
Our shopfront boarding in Barnet covers broken or forced commercial glazing at shops, offices, restaurants and warehouses. We fit exterior-grade boarding over the damaged area, secure it with fixings suited to a street-facing frontage, and leave you with paperwork for your insurer. Our phone is answered by a person 24 hours a day, and we attend at any hour, including nights, weekends and bank holidays. You’ll get a free, clear quote on the call before any work starts.
When shopfront boarding is the right call
Shopfronts behave differently from house windows. The panes are larger, the frame often holds the entrance door as well, and the glass sits right next to a pavement full of people. Boarding usually makes sense when:
- a display window has cracked, holed or shattered and can’t be left open overnight
- a door or side panel has been forced and the premises can’t be locked
- glass is loose in the frame and could fall onto the pavement
- the frontage is damaged and glazing replacement will take time to arrange
- a unit is closing early or standing empty while repairs are booked
If only a single small pane is affected, it may be a simpler job. If the main entrance is the problem, our door boarding and frame securing covers that in more detail.
Shops, offices, restaurants and warehouses
The basic aim is the same everywhere: close the opening and stop anyone getting in. The practical detail changes with the building.
- Retail units: often have one or more large display panes, sometimes floor to ceiling. They may need several sheets fitted together to cover the full width.
- Restaurants, cafes and bars: frequently have glazed doors, folding frontages or windows close to seating. Tell us about anything that opens or slides.
- Offices: may have ground-floor glazing alongside upper-floor windows above the street. Height affects the approach.
- Warehouses and industrial units: tend to have high-level windows, roller-door surrounds or side doors in less visible spots.
Barnet Council describes Chipping Barnet, also known as High Barnet, as a historic town centre with Barnet Market, the Spires Shopping Centre, independent shops, restaurants, cafés and bars on the High Street. If your frontage has timber frames, decorative mouldings or stall risers, tell us on the call so we can discuss where the fixings can go.
Materials and fixings
For most shopfront work we use exterior-grade plywood, typically 18mm. It’s rigid enough for wide openings and stands up to weather and knocks at street level. OSB can suit smaller openings, such as a fanlight or a narrow side pane.
On a frontage facing a public pavement, security or anti-tamper fixings are often worth considering. They’re harder to remove than standard screws. Where the frame allows, we fix in a way that limits further damage to it, which helps when the glazier comes to do the permanent repair.
When the frame is badly damaged
Sometimes the frame itself has been bent, split or pulled away, and not just the glass. A forced entrance door is a common example. That changes the job. A board is only as secure as what it’s fixed to, so if the frame can’t take fixings safely, we’ll explain the options first and agree the approach with you before going ahead. This might mean securing the door or frame before boarding, or fixing to sound sections around the damaged area.
What happens on the visit
- Making the area safe. Loose or hanging glass is a hazard for staff and passers-by, so we deal with it before boarding. Debris and broken glass that need making safe are part of what we price.
- Before photographs. We take time-stamped photographs of the damage before we start.
- Boarding the openings. The van carries boarding stock and fixings. We cut the sheets to fit, then fix them to cover each agreed opening.
- After photographs. Once the boarding is up, we photograph the finished work.
- Talking through what’s next. We’ll confirm what’s been secured and what is still to be done.
If you need to keep part of the frontage usable, such as a door for staff or deliveries, tell us on the call. We’ll talk about what’s practical for your frontage before we agree the work.
What you receive
- the agreed openings boarded and secured
- an itemised invoice
- time-stamped before and after photographs
- a written statement of the work done
Most commercial policies need some record of emergency measures, so these documents are useful for your claim. Your insurer decides what’s covered. We’re not loss adjusters, and we can’t advise on your policy terms. Our guide to insurance claim paperwork explains what each document is for. If the damage came from a break-in, report it to the police, keep the crime reference number and contact your insurer.
Boarding is a make-safe that keeps your premises secure. New glass, doors and frames are fitted by the relevant trades afterwards, and the boards come down when they’re ready.
What affects the quote
We agree the quote on the phone before any work begins. We don’t publish prices, because frontages vary so much. The main factors are:
- the number and size of openings: one cracked pane and a full-width frontage are very different jobs
- height and access: fascia-level glazing, upper floors and anything needing ladders
- materials and board thickness: chosen to suit the size of each opening
- fixing method: including whether security or anti-tamper fixings are needed
- a damaged door or frame: if it has to be secured before boarding
- glass and debris: how much needs making safe first
There’s more detail on our pricing page.
Help us quote accurately
When you call, it helps to have:
- the full postcode of the premises
- the type of business and what’s damaged (display window, door, side panel, upper window)
- rough sizes, or a count of the panes affected
- anything affecting access, such as a narrow pavement, shutters or a high fascia
- a few photographs, only if you can take them safely from a distance, without touching or standing under broken glass
We cover Barnet and nearby areas such as Whetstone, Totteridge and Cockfosters, subject to confirming your address on the call. If you have broken glass or a forced door right now, our 24-hour emergency boarding up page explains what to do first.
Talk to us about your shopfront
Tell us the postcode, which openings are damaged and roughly how big they are. Send safe photographs if you have them. We’ll discuss access, materials and fixings, then give you a free, clear quote before any work starts.