Accident Damage Boarding Up in Harrow (HA) – Secure Your Property After an Impact
Accident damage is one of those situations that turns normal life upside down in seconds. A vehicle clips a front wall, a reversing van takes out a shopfront, or a stray impact cracks a large pane and leaves you with an exposed opening. If you’re dealing with this in Harrow or anywhere across the HA postcodes, our job is simple: secure the property quickly, make it safe, and help you document what’s happened for insurance and repairs.
We provide accident damage boarding up in Harrow for homes, shops, offices and vacant buildings—covering everything from a single shattered window to a badly damaged doorway that won’t lock.
Need urgent help after an impact? Call 020 4634 5472 for immediate assistance.
Or email photos if you can: info@boarding-up-harrow.co.uk
When accident damage typically happens in Harrow
In Harrow and the surrounding HA area, accident damage usually falls into a few common patterns:
- Vehicle impacts on residential streets (a car mounts the kerb and hits a bay window, garden wall or porch).
- Delivery incidents near shops and parades—particularly around busy routes and service areas where vans reverse close to glazing.
- Public-facing buildings where a collision or falling object breaks a ground-floor window or door panel.
- Construction and renovation accidents (dropped materials, knocked scaffolding poles, broken panes during building works).
Whether it’s on a quieter residential road in Headstone or a busy commercial stretch near Station Road in Harrow, the immediate risks are usually the same: access is compromised, glass and debris create hazards, and wind/rain can cause further damage.
If the opening can’t be secured properly, it can also invalidate parts of an insurance claim—so it’s worth dealing with fast and in a documented, professional way.
For urgent attendance out of hours, use our emergency boarding up service.
What to do straight away (before we arrive)
If you’ve just had an impact incident, these steps help protect everyone and keep your claim smoother later:
- Make the area safe (keep people away from broken glass and unstable frames).
- Call emergency services if there’s structural danger, a gas/electric issue, or anyone is injured.
- Take photos/video if it’s safe—wide shots and close-ups of damage, including any vehicle position, number plates (where appropriate), and debris.
- Don’t move evidence unnecessarily if police/insurers may need to see it as-is.
- Keep any reference numbers (police incident number, building control contact, insurer claim number).
We’re not loss adjusters or legal advisors—but we can provide the clear paperwork and site photos insurers typically ask for.
How we secure a property after accident damage (our practical process)
Accident damage is rarely “neat”. Frames can be twisted, masonry can crack, and doors may no longer align. We approach it methodically:
1) Quick assessment and safe access
On arrival we’ll assess:
- Which openings are compromised (windows, doors, shopfront glazing, side access)
- Whether the surrounding frame looks stable enough to fix into
- Any immediate hazards (loose glass, sharp edges, hanging panels)
If an opening is too unstable to work on safely without additional support, we’ll tell you plainly and discuss options before we proceed.
2) Boarding method chosen for the opening (not a one-size-fits-all)
We’ll select the right material and fixing approach depending on exposure and risk:
- 18mm exterior-grade plywood is commonly used for ground-floor windows/doors and larger openings where strength matters.
- 12mm OSB can be suitable for smaller or lower-risk openings, or as a short-term measure where appropriate.
- Anti-tamper fixings are used where there’s a real risk of attempted removal from outside—important if the property will be unattended.
- For longer periods or repeated break-ins after an incident, we may recommend steel security options rather than timber.
If you want to understand the basics, our guide on what boarding up is and when it’s used is a helpful overview.
3) Weatherproofing and securing edges
After an impact, gaps aren’t always square. We take care to:
- Cover the full vulnerable area, not just the visible crack
- Secure boards so they sit flush and don’t rattle in wind
- Reduce water ingress where possible (without making promises we can’t guarantee on heavily damaged structures)
4) Documentation for insurance and property management
You’ll typically receive:
- Time-stamped photos of the secured openings
- A clear work summary of what we did and what materials were used
- An itemised invoice suitable for insurers or facilities management sign-off
The right service for the damage (and why)
Accident damage varies from “one broken pane” to “the whole frontage is compromised”. These are the most common solutions we provide in Harrow and across HA0–HA9:
Window boarding after accidental impact
If a window has shattered, cracked through, or the frame is loose, we can board it securely to prevent access and weather ingress.
See: window boarding in Harrow
Door boarding and forced-open entrances
Sometimes the impact damages a door leaf, lock area, or frame so it won’t close properly. We can board the opening and advise on next steps if the structure is too distorted for a simple close-and-lock.
Shopfront boarding for commercial glazing
For shops, cafés, takeaways and other premises, a single cracked pane can become a safety and security issue very quickly—especially if you’re near footfall areas.
We board larger glazed areas with the fixing pattern needed to resist removal and minimise risk to the public.
See: shopfront boarding in Harrow
Roof and skylight boarding after falling debris
Accidents don’t always happen at ground level. Tiles, branches, or dropped materials can punch through a skylight or flat rooflight.
If the property will be empty: securing beyond timber
If the building will be vacant while repairs are organised (common after a major impact), talk to us about stronger, longer-term protection via vacant property boarding and security and, where relevant, temporary fencing.
Residential vs commercial accident damage: what changes?
Homes, flats and maisonettes
For residential properties, the key priorities are usually:
- Making the home secure for the night
- Protecting children/pets from hazards
- Helping you document damage for your insurer/landlord
If you’re a homeowner, tenant, or landlord, our residential boarding up page explains how we tailor approach and fixings for domestic settings.
Shops, offices and managed buildings
Commercial sites often need:
- A faster “make safe” approach to protect staff and the public
- Stronger boarding for wide openings
- Documentation suitable for facilities management and insurance
If you manage premises in Harrow, see commercial boarding up for how we support ongoing security and handover requirements.
Common accident damage scenarios we see (and how we handle them)
Accident calls are often messy, and it helps to know what’s normal.
- Cracked glazing that’s still standing: We treat it as vulnerable—cracks can fail suddenly with temperature changes or vibration, so boarding is often the safest option until glazing is replaced.
- Frames pulled out of square: We’ll use fixing methods that don’t rely on a damaged lock line or unstable frame.
- Partial wall or surround damage: If there’s a concern about loose brickwork or unstable lintels, we’ll flag it clearly. In some cases you may need a builder/structural professional before permanent repairs—our role is to secure the opening as safely as possible.
- Multiple openings: After a bigger impact, we can secure windows, doors, and side access points in one visit, then provide photos and a single invoice where practical.
Micro case study: reversing accident near Harrow town centre
A delivery van reversing into a service area off Station Road clipped a commercial frontage, cracking a large pane and loosening the lower frame. The business needed the opening secured before closing for the night, without leaving sharp edges accessible from the pavement.
We attended, removed loose fragments where safe to do so, and installed exterior-grade plywood with an anti-tamper fixing pattern suitable for a wide opening. We then supplied time-stamped photos and an itemised invoice so the tenant could pass documentation to the landlord and insurer while glazing replacement was arranged.
Will insurance cover boarding up after accident damage?
Often, boarding up is treated as an emergency “make safe” measure, but policies differ. Practical steps that usually help:
- Notify your insurer as early as possible and keep your claim number
- Keep receipts/invoices and photos of the damage and the temporary security
- Don’t throw away damaged parts until you’re sure they’re not needed for inspection
We can support you with documentation; details on what we provide are on our insurance claims guidance page.
FAQs – accident damage boarding up in Harrow
How quickly can you attend after an impact?
We don’t promise fixed arrival times—traffic, access and ongoing emergencies vary—but we prioritise urgent accident damage calls, especially where an opening is exposed or the premises can’t be secured. If you need out-of-hours help, use our emergency boarding up service.
Can you board up a shopfront without shutting the whole unit for days?
Yes—boarding is typically a temporary security measure while glazing is ordered and fitted. For shopfronts, we focus on strong fixings and safe coverage so you can manage risk while repairs are arranged. See shopfront boarding in Harrow.
What if the door frame is too damaged to board normally?
If the surrounding structure won’t safely take fixings, we’ll explain that before proceeding and discuss alternatives. In some cases a temporary steel door or a different fixing method is more suitable than standard boarding—especially if the property will be unattended.
Do you cover my area and postcode?
Yes—our coverage is across Harrow and the HA postcode area (HA0–HA9). If you’re unsure, check areas we cover or call and we’ll confirm.
I’m in Harrow and the glass is everywhere—do you clear it up?
We’ll make the area safe as part of the boarding-up work where practical (for example, removing loose shards that present immediate risk around the opening). Full clean-up and restoration isn’t our core scope, but we’ll always leave the property secure and explain what’s been done.
Next steps: secure the property, then plan repairs
After an accident, the priority is to stop the situation getting worse—unauthorised entry, weather damage, or injury from broken glass. Once the property is boarded and safe, you can organise glazing, joinery, brickwork or structural repairs with far less stress.
Need help now? Call 020 4634 5472 for immediate assistance.
Prefer email? Send details to info@boarding-up-harrow.co.uk.
