24 Hour Emergency Boarding Up Romford (RM) — Call for Immediate Help

If you need emergency boarding up in Romford, you’re probably dealing with a smashed window, a forced door, or a shopfront that can’t be left exposed. We help you make safe quickly, secure the property properly, and leave you with the documentation insurers typically ask for.

Need help now? Call 01708 973 306 for immediate assistance.
Prefer email for non-urgent enquiries? info@boarding-up-romford.co.uk

We cover Romford and the wider RM postcode area (RM1–RM50). We’ve been trading for 10+ years, we’re fully insured, and our technicians are DBS-checked.

Emergency boarding up in Romford — what we can secure tonight

Emergency call-outs usually fall into a few clear categories. If any of these sound like your situation, call and we’ll talk you through the safest next step.

  • Board up broken window after burglary, vandalism or accidental impact
  • Smashed window in a house, flat, stairwell, or communal area
  • Board up door after a forced entry or a failed lock
  • Shopfront boarded up following damage to glazing or frames
  • Out of hours make-safe when you can’t wait until morning
  • Temporary boarding for vulnerable or vacant properties

For planned work (non-urgent), you can also explore our full boarding up services and request a quote.

Call now — we’ll give you a realistic ETA

We don’t promise fixed arrival times, because conditions vary (traffic, access, and current emergencies). What we do promise is clear communication.

Need help now? Call 01708 973 306 and we’ll:

  • Confirm what’s happened and what needs securing
  • Advise what to do immediately (and what not to do)
  • Give you a realistic ETA based on your location in the RM area and our current workload

What happens when you call (3 simple steps)

1) We assess the risk on the phone

We’ll ask a few quick questions: what’s broken, whether the property is occupied, if there’s police or fire service involvement, and whether there are any hazards (loose glass, unstable frames, overhead damage).

If it’s safe, we may ask you to send a photo so we can arrive with the right materials.

2) We attend and make safe

On arrival, we prioritise safety and security:

  • Clearing immediate hazards where possible (e.g., dangerous loose glass only when safe to do so)
  • Securing the opening using the right boarding method
  • Checking fixing points, frames and surrounding surfaces to ensure the board can’t be easily removed from outside

3) We leave you secured — with documentation

You’ll receive practical, insurer-friendly paperwork and evidence (details below), so you’re not left trying to remember what happened at 2am.

Make-safe work + insurance documentation (what you get)

After an incident, the job isn’t only to cover the hole. It’s to secure property properly and help you move things forward with landlords, managing agents, or insurers.

We can provide:

  • Time-stamped photos of the damage and the completed boarding
  • An itemised invoice (clear description of materials and labour)
  • A short work statement noting what was secured and how
  • Notes on any limitations we encounter (e.g., if the frame is too damaged for non-destructive fixing)

We’re not loss adjusters or legal advisors, but this is the sort of documentation insurers typically ask for. For more guidance, see insurance claims support.

How we board up in an emergency (materials and methods)

The right method depends on the opening, the substrate, and how long the property will be unattended. Our goal is always a safe, secure fit without creating unnecessary additional damage.

Materials we commonly use

  • 18mm exterior-grade plywood for most window/door openings where robust security is needed
  • 12mm OSB can be suitable for smaller openings or lower-risk situations (we’ll advise)
  • Anti-tamper fixings where appropriate, to reduce the chance of removal from outside
  • Additional bracing or framing methods for larger spans (often needed for commercial glazing)

If the surrounding frame is severely damaged, we’ll explain the options before proceeding—sometimes the safest route is a more structural fixing method.

Windows, doors and shopfronts — what changes?

  • Windows: The main challenge is safe fixing without cracking remaining glass or damaging fragile frames. Learn more about window boarding in Romford.
  • Doors: If the door leaf or frame has failed, boarding alone may be a short-term measure. In some cases, a more robust solution is needed—see door boarding.
  • Shopfronts: Large panes and public-facing locations often need stronger boarding and careful fixing to deter repeat attacks. Read about shopfront boarding.

Common emergency scenarios we’re called to in the RM area

Every call is different, but these are typical reasons people request 24/7 boarding up:

  • Break-ins causing a smashed window or damaged rear door
  • Vandalism to street-facing glazing or communal entrances
  • Storm damage causing panels to loosen or skylights to fail
  • Accidental impact (stones, sports damage, vehicle clip) leaving exposed openings
  • Fire incidents where windows/doors are compromised and the building needs securing (note: remediation is outside our scope)

If your incident matches one of these, you may also find the situation guides helpful:

Romford emergency coverage (RM1–RM50)

We provide 24 hour boarding up Romford and across the wider RM area. This includes residential streets, flats above shops, retail units, offices, and vacant properties.

Local authority: Havering (and surrounding RM areas nearby)

RM postcode districts we commonly attend

RM1, RM2, RM3, RM4, RM5, RM6, RM7, RM8, RM9, RM10, RM11, RM12, RM13, RM14, RM15, RM16, RM17, RM18, RM19, RM20 (and wider RM coverage as needed).

Nearby areas we cover

If you’re not in central Romford, we’re still likely nearby. We regularly cover places such as:

  • Gidea Park, Harold Wood, Collier Row, Hornchurch
  • Rainham, Upminster, Dagenham, Chadwell Heath
  • Cranham, Elm Park, South Ockendon, Aveley
  • Purfleet, Tilbury, Grays, Chafford Hundred

You can also browse areas we cover or go straight to the local page most relevant to you, such as boarding up in Romford RM1 or boarding up in Gidea Park RM2.

Access and security considerations (Romford & RM properties)

Emergency boarding is often more about access than materials. In Romford and across the RM districts, we commonly deal with:

  • Flats above shops where rear access is limited and communal entrances must remain safe
  • Busy frontages where we need to secure quickly and reduce risk to the public
  • Rear alleys/side access where forced entry often occurs and lighting can be poor
  • Parking constraints in built-up areas—helpful if you can reserve space close to the damage (when possible)

If you’re on-site, we’ll tell you what would help before we arrive.

Temporary options for higher-risk properties

Boarding is ideal for immediate make-safe, but some sites need a stronger medium-term solution—especially if the property will be empty.

Depending on the risk, we may recommend:

  • Temporary steel doors for compromised doorways needing secure access control
  • Security screens for longer-term protection of accessible windows/doors (common for voids)

If you’re securing an empty building between tenancies, see vacant property boarding in Romford.

What you can do right now (before we arrive)

Only do the following if it’s safe and you’re not putting yourself at risk.

  • Keep people away from loose glass and unstable frames
  • If there has been a break-in, call the police first and keep your reference number
  • Take photos for your insurer (do not touch sharp debris without protection)
  • If weather is coming in, move valuables away from the opening if possible
  • Don’t attempt makeshift boarding that could fall or cause injury

Then call us: 01708 973 306.

FAQs — Emergency boarding up Romford

Do you provide out of hours boarding up in Romford?

Yes. We handle out of hours call-outs across Romford and the RM area. Call and we’ll advise the next step and provide a realistic ETA.

Who can board up my window tonight in Romford?

If you’ve got a smashed window or you need to board up broken window damage tonight, call us on 01708 973 306. We’ll ask a few questions and prioritise urgent cases.

Can you board up a door after a break-in?

Yes. We can board up door openings after forced entry. If the damage suggests boarding won’t be secure enough on its own, we’ll explain alternatives (including temporary steel door options) before starting.

What if the window frame is too damaged to fix boards safely?

If the frame won’t safely take fixings, we’ll talk you through the options. In some cases we can use alternative fixing points or a different method—but we won’t proceed with something unsafe or misleading.

Is emergency boarding up covered by insurance in Romford?

Often it can be, but policies vary. We’re not insurers, but we provide documentation that insurers typically request (photos, invoice, work statement). See insurance claims support for practical guidance.

How long does emergency boarding up take?

It depends on the size and number of openings, access, and whether there’s secondary damage to frames. Simple temporary boarding may be quicker; shopfronts and multiple openings take longer. We’ll explain what we expect when we arrive.

Can you board up a shopfront without shutting my business for days?

In many cases, yes—our goal is to secure the opening efficiently and reduce downtime. For retail incidents, see shopfront boarding in Romford.

I’m in the RM area (near Romford) — do you cover my postcode?

Most likely, yes. We cover RM1–RM50. If you tell us your postcode on the phone, we’ll confirm and advise an ETA. You can also check areas we cover.

Do you handle residential and commercial properties?

Yes—homes, flats, shops, offices, and managed sites. You may also want to read about residential boarding or commercial boarding.

Call now for emergency boarding up in Romford

If your property is exposed, don’t wait and hope it’ll be fine overnight. We’ll help you make safe, secure property, and document what’s been done.

Need help now? Call 01708 973 306 for immediate assistance.
Or email (non-urgent): info@boarding-up-romford.co.uk