Burglary Repairs in North West London (NW) – Securing Your Property After a Break-in
A burglary is unsettling, even when nobody is hurt. Once the police have attended (or you’ve made the property safe enough to wait for them), the next worry is usually practical: a smashed window, a splintered door, a bent frame, and a home or business that can’t be left unsecured.
We provide burglary repairs in North West London focused on the urgent part insurers and landlords care about most: making the property secure again. That usually means boarding up broken glazing, reinforcing weak points, or fitting a temporary steel door when a doorway has been forced beyond a simple patch.
Need help now? Call 020 4634 7794 for immediate assistance.
Or email photos if it’s easier: info@boarding-up-north-west-london.co.uk
When burglary repairs are needed (common break-in damage we see across NW)
Break-ins around NW1–NW11 and wider North West London often leave similar patterns of damage. Even where entry is “quiet”, the exit is frequently not.
You may need post-burglary boarding and securing when you have:
- Smashed or cracked windows (often ground-floor side windows, rear extensions, or basement lightwells)
- Forced front or back doors (splintered timber, broken night latches, snapped euro cylinders, damaged multi-point locks)
- Damaged frames where screws no longer bite and a board can’t be fixed cleanly without planning
- Breach to a shopfront (broken toughened glass, bent aluminium sections, compromised shutters)
- Secondary vulnerabilities such as a kicked-in panel, broken fanlight, or damaged communal door in a block
If the opening is exposed, your insurer may expect “reasonable steps” to prevent further loss. We’re not loss adjusters, but we can provide the documentation insurers typically request (photos and an itemised invoice) to support your claim.
If you’re in immediate need of urgent securing, go straight to our emergency boarding up page or call: 020 4634 7794.
First steps after a burglary (before we arrive)
If it’s safe, these steps will help protect you and speed up the process:
- Call the police and obtain your crime reference number (or CAD number).
- Avoid touching points of entry (door handles, broken frames, glass edges) in case forensic work is required.
- Take photos of damage and any tools left behind—only if safe and you’re not interfering with police.
- Keep valuables and documents together (passport, vehicle keys, tenancy paperwork).
- Call your insurer early if you can—some policies have preferred suppliers or specific claim steps.
If glass is everywhere, keep people and pets away from the area. We can board up and make safe, but we can’t guarantee full removal of micro-shards from carpets or soft furnishings.
How we secure a property after a break-in (what burglary repairs usually involve)
Our focus is getting you back to a secure, closable building—whether that’s a flat in NW3, a family house in NW7, or a shop unit near a busy parade.
1) Initial assessment (what can be secured without causing extra damage)
On arrival, we assess:
- The size and shape of the opening
- Condition of frames, reveals, and brickwork
- Whether the area needs non-destructive fixing (especially on period joinery or listed-style façades)
- Whether it’s a short-term board (same day) or a medium-term security solution for a void property
If the frame is too damaged for non-destructive methods, we’ll explain the options before proceeding.
2) Boarding up broken windows (fast, strong, and insurer-friendly)
For burglary-related glazing damage, we commonly use:
- 18mm exterior-grade plywood for robust security on larger window openings
- 12mm OSB for smaller or less exposed openings where appropriate
- Anti-tamper fixings where the board could be accessed from the street or a shared accessway
We’ll fit boards so they’re secure and stable, not just “tacked on”. The goal is to prevent access and reduce weather ingress until glazing repairs can be arranged.
Service link: window boarding in North West London
3) Securing damaged doors (from boarding to temporary steel doors)
If the door itself is compromised, boarding a doorway can work short term—but it’s not always practical for a home you need to enter and exit, or for a business that needs controlled access.
Depending on the damage, we can:
- Board up a door opening to stop access immediately
- Fit a temporary steel door when the timber door and frame have been forced beyond a quick secure fix, or when the building is vacant/awaiting full replacement
Temporary steel doors are a strong option for medium-term security because they provide a lockable, re-usable door set rather than a sealed board.
Service link: door boarding in North West London
4) Shopfront and commercial glazing security
For retail premises, speed and presentation matter—especially where the unit faces the pavement and you can’t leave an opening overnight.
We can secure:
- Shattered shopfront glazing
- Side access doors and rear fire exits that have been forced
- Internal screens/partitions if the property has been breached and you need to secure stock areas
Where appropriate, we use larger-format boarding and fixings suitable for commercial frames and repeated attempts.
Service link: shopfront boarding in North West London
5) Roof access and skylights (less common, but higher risk)
Some burglaries involve access from flat roofs, rear additions, or poorly secured skylights—especially where scaffolding is present nearby.
If there’s a rooflight or skylight breach, we can secure it to prevent both access and rainwater damage.
Service link: roof boarding in North West London
What you can expect from us (so you can plan your next steps)
People usually call us at a stressful moment. We keep the process simple and transparent.
You can expect:
- Clear guidance on the phone about what’s possible and what to prepare
- The right materials for the opening (not one-size-fits-all)
- Time-stamped photos of the secured area if you’re not on site (useful for landlords/facilities teams)
- An itemised invoice and work statement suitable for most insurance claims
- Practical advice on what a glazier, locksmith, or door contractor may need next
We’re insured, and our technicians are DBS-checked. We cover the NW postcode area and understand the access challenges that come with mansion blocks, basement flats, and busy high streets.
Burglary repairs for homes, flats, and businesses
Residential properties (houses, flats, maisonettes)
In North West London we often see:
- Victorian/Edwardian sash windows that need careful boarding to avoid further damage
- Timber front doors with broken locks after forced entry
- Communal entrances in conversions where security affects multiple residents
If you’re a homeowner, tenant, or landlord, see: residential boarding up
Commercial premises (shops, offices, hospitality)
After a break-in, businesses typically need:
- Stronger boards with anti-tamper fixings (street-facing risk)
- Documentation for insurers and property managers
- Help coordinating access with alarm installers or shutters contractors
Vacant or void properties
If the property is empty between tenancies—or awaiting probate, sale, or refurbishment—burglary risk can increase, especially after the first incident.
In these cases we may recommend more robust, medium-term options rather than repeated plywood boarding.
A realistic burglary call-out scenario (North West London)
A landlord managing a conversion near a busy North West London high street reports a rear ground-floor window smashed during an overnight break-in. The tenant is shaken and the police have attended, but the window opening backs onto a shared access path and can’t be left exposed.
We attend, assess the frame (still sound), then install 18mm exterior plywood with anti-tamper fixings so it can’t be removed externally. We provide photos and an itemised invoice for the landlord’s insurer and a brief note describing the method used and the approximate opening size for the glazier who will follow.
This is typical of burglary repairs: secure first, document clearly, then allow permanent replacement to happen without rushing unsafe work.
Insurance notes (what helps your burglary claim)
We can’t advise on policy coverage, but these steps usually help:
- Keep your crime reference number
- Save photos before and after the property is secured
- Keep receipts for emergency expenses
- Ask your insurer whether they require temporary security immediately (many do)
More guidance: insurance claims support
FAQs – burglary repairs & boarding up in North West London
How quickly can you secure my property after a burglary?
We prioritise urgent calls, including evenings and weekends, via our emergency boarding up service. We don’t promise fixed arrival times because traffic, access, and job complexity vary—but if you tell us what’s happened and whether the opening is street-facing, we’ll advise the best next step.
Is boarding up covered by insurance after a burglary?
Often it is, but cover depends on your policy and circumstances. We’ll provide the documentation insurers typically ask for (photos, work description, and invoice). For practical claim tips, see insurance claims support.
Can you board up without damaging the window frame?
Where possible, yes—especially on timber frames and period properties. If the frame is already split or too weak to take fixings safely, we’ll explain your options before doing anything that could worsen the damage.
Do you replace the glass or install new doors?
Our role is temporary security and making safe. We can secure openings and fit temporary solutions like a steel door, but permanent glazing/door replacement is usually handled by a glazier or joiner. If you need a doorway secured urgently, start with door boarding in North West London.
I’m a landlord/facilities manager—can you send photos and paperwork for my records?
Yes. If you can’t attend site, we can send time-stamped photos and an itemised invoice, which is often helpful for insurers and property management records.
Next steps: get your property secure
If you’ve had a break-in, you don’t need a long conversation—you need the building secured properly so you can breathe again.
Need help now? Call 020 4634 7794 for immediate assistance.
Prefer email? Send details and photos to info@boarding-up-north-west-london.co.uk
