Fire damage boarding up in North West London (NW1–NW26)
Fire damage is stressful even when everyone is safe. Once the fire brigade has finished and the immediate danger has passed, you’re often left with broken windows, compromised doors, missing panels, and a property that can’t be locked properly.
We provide fire damage boarding up in North West London, securing homes, flats, shops and managed buildings across NW1–NW26. Our job is straightforward: make the building safe and secure, reduce the chance of further damage from weather or intruders, and leave you with clear documentation you can use for insurers or managing agents.
Need urgent help after a fire? Call 020 4634 7794 or email us.
When fire damage boarding up is needed (and what it usually looks like)
Not every fire is a “whole building” event. In North West London we’re often called out after:
- Kitchen fires in flats and maisonettes (smoke damage plus heat-cracked glazing)
- Electrical fires in meter cupboards, risers, basements or communal areas
- Small commercial fires affecting a shopfront, rear door, or storeroom
- Bin fires or external fires near rear alleys that damage doors and ground-floor windows
- Fire brigade entry where a door is forced or a window is removed to ventilate
Common security problems after a fire include:
- shattered or heat-weakened glass that can fall out later
- frames that have warped, so windows/doors won’t close correctly
- damaged locks and cylinders
- missing panels after firefighting access
- exposed openings that invite opportunistic break-ins—especially on quiet streets at night
If the building will be unoccupied even for a short time, boarding up is usually the quickest way to restore a basic level of security and weather protection.
For urgent attendance, use our emergency boarding up service.
First steps after a fire: practical guidance (before we arrive)
Only do what’s safe. If you’re unsure, wait for the all-clear and follow instructions from the fire brigade.
- Get a reference number if the fire service or police attended (helpful for insurance).
- Take photos/video of damage if safe—especially external openings and forced entry points.
- Don’t try to shut swollen doors or force locks; it can make the damage worse.
- Keep access clear for contractors—communal hallways and driveways can get busy with multiple trades.
- Call your insurer early. We’re not loss adjusters, but we can provide the kind of paperwork insurers typically ask for (photos, description of works, and an itemised invoice).
More on documentation and what insurers usually need is on our insurance claims help page.
How we secure fire-damaged properties in North West London
Fire damage isn’t just “broken glass”. Heat, water, soot and forced entry can all affect how we can fix boards safely and cleanly. Our aim is to secure the opening with methods that don’t create unnecessary additional damage, while still being robust enough to deter tampering.
Step 1: On-site assessment and safe access
We’ll check:
- which openings are vulnerable (front/rear doors, windows, skylights, shopfront glazing)
- whether frames are stable enough for non-destructive fixings
- whether any areas are unsafe to work around (loose masonry, cracked lintels, overhead risks)
If a frame is too compromised to take fixings safely, we’ll explain the options before proceeding. Occasionally that means using a different fixing approach or recommending a more appropriate temporary solution.
Step 2: Choosing the right boarding method (plywood vs OSB)
We typically use:
- 18mm exterior-grade plywood for larger openings, street-facing windows, and high-risk locations
- 12mm OSB for smaller or lower-risk openings where appropriate
We’ll match the material to the situation—fire-damaged frames can be brittle, and the wrong fixing method can cause further splitting.
For broken glazing, see window boarding in North West London.
Step 3: Anti-tamper fixings and a tidy finish
Where the property may be unattended, we’ll usually use anti-tamper fixings to make boards far harder to remove from the outside—important in busy NW areas where a damaged building can attract attention.
We also aim to:
- remove immediate hazards (loose shards where accessible and safe)
- fit boards flush and securely to reduce rattling in wind
- maintain sensible access points if you need to enter later (agreed with you)
Step 4: Doors that won’t lock (or have been forced)
Fire brigade entry and heat distortion often leaves doors that don’t shut properly. Depending on the condition, we can:
- board a door opening as a short-term measure via door boarding
- install a temporary steel door where you need a more practical, medium-term solution (common for vacant or fire-damaged properties awaiting repair schedules)
If you’re managing a block or commercial unit and need a robust option for repeated access by trades, a temporary steel door is often the best route.
Step 5: Rooflights and overhead openings
Some fires involve roof spaces, skylights, or top-floor windows—especially where heat and smoke venting is required. If there’s an overhead opening, we can look at roof boarding to help reduce water ingress while the building is made good.
We’ll be honest about limitations: boarding is temporary security and weather protection, not a full repair or re-roof.
Residential, commercial and vacant properties: what changes after a fire?
Fire damage calls are rarely “one size fits all”. In North West London we see very different requirements depending on the building type.
Homes and flats
From Victorian conversions around Belsize Park and South Hampstead to mansion blocks nearer St John’s Wood, fire damage can affect communal entrances, rear access, and street-facing sash windows.
We’ll secure:
- bay or sash windows with cracked panes
- rear kitchen windows and patio doors
- communal doors where locks and closers are damaged
If you’re a landlord or managing agent, we can provide clear work records to help you keep tenants informed.
Shops, restaurants and offices
Commercial fire damage often affects:
- shopfront glazing and doors
- rear service doors off access roads
- side windows near extraction units
We provide shopfront boarding with appropriately sized boards and fixings, focusing on deterring further damage and keeping the unit secure until glazing contractors and insurers complete their steps.
Vacant or void buildings
If the building is likely to be empty during drying-out, electrical testing, and reinstatement works, you may need more than standard plywood.
We can discuss longer-term security options suitable for voids via vacant property boarding.
A realistic local example (micro case study)
A facilities manager called us after a small evening fire in a ground-floor commercial unit close to Camden Town station. The fire brigade had forced entry and the heat cracked the front glazing; the unit couldn’t be secured overnight and the street remained busy well into the evening.
We attended to:
- board the damaged shopfront securely using exterior-grade sheets
- reinforce vulnerable points with anti-tamper fixings
- provide time-stamped photos and an itemised invoice to support the insurer process
The priority was simple: secure the frontage quickly, reduce the chance of opportunistic entry, and leave the client with documentation they could forward to their loss adjuster the next morning.
What you get from us after fire damage boarding
We try to make the “admin” part easier when you’ve already got enough to deal with. Typically you’ll receive:
- a clear description of the works completed
- time-stamped photos (before and after, where possible)
- an itemised invoice suitable for insurers/agents
- practical notes if we spot issues that may affect repairs (e.g., unstable frames or unsafe edges)
We’re not fire restoration contractors, and we don’t handle smoke/odour remediation. We secure the property so the next stages can happen safely.
FAQs: fire damage boarding up in North West London
Do you offer emergency fire damage boarding up out of hours?
Yes—fires don’t stick to office hours. If the property can’t be secured and you need help tonight, use our emergency boarding up service or call 020 4634 7794.
Is boarding up after a fire covered by insurance?
Often it can be, but policies vary. We’re not loss adjusters and can’t guarantee cover. What we can do is provide the documentation insurers typically request—photos, scope of works, and an invoice. See insurance claims support.
Can you secure a property if the door frame is badly burned or swollen?
Usually, yes, but the method may change. If the frame can’t take standard fixings safely, we’ll explain options on site. In some cases a temporary steel door is more secure and practical than repeated re-boarding.
Do you replace the glass or repair the door afterwards?
Boarding up is a temporary security measure. We don’t carry out glazing replacement or full carpentry reinstatement as part of boarding. However, we can secure the property so your chosen repair contractors can work safely.
We’re near a busy area (e.g., Camden High Street). Can you make the boards harder to remove?
Yes. In high-footfall areas—near stations, main roads, or shopping parades—we’ll usually recommend anti-tamper fixings and thicker boards where appropriate to reduce the risk of removal.
Next steps: secure the property, then plan repairs
After a fire, securing the building is often the first practical step that helps everything else fall into place—insurance, contractors, drying-out and reinstatement.
- If windows are broken or heat-damaged: see window boarding in North West London
- If doors have been forced or won’t lock: see door boarding
- If a commercial frontage is exposed: see shopfront boarding
- If skylights/roof openings are compromised: see roof boarding
Need help now? Call 020 4634 7794 for immediate assistance.
