Accident Damage Boarding Up in Crawley (RH10 & RH11)

Accidents don’t check the clock. A delivery van misjudges a turn, a football shatters a patio door, scaffold clips a shopfront, or a rooflight gives way in high winds—suddenly you’re left with a broken opening and a property that’s no longer secure. If you’re in Crawley or the RH10 and RH11 postcode districts and dealing with accident damage right now, we can help you make safe, secure the property, and document what happened for insurance.

We’re Boarding Up Crawley—local, fully insured, and trading for over 10 years. Our DBS-checked technicians handle emergency boarding up, shopfronts, windows, doors, and roof openings across RH10 and RH11. We prioritise urgent calls and aim to attend as quickly as possible. For immediate help, call 01293 699 986.

Need urgent assistance? Call 01293 699 986 or visit emergency boarding up.

When Accident Damage Requires Boarding Up

Accident damage ranges from minor cracked panes to major structural impact. We’re typically called after:

• Vehicle impact: cars, vans, or HGVs striking walls, doors, or shopfronts
• Construction mishaps: scaffold strikes, tool drops, glazing cracks during works
• Domestic accidents: ladder slips into a window, furniture through a patio door
• Retail incidents: trolleys, pallets, or stock cages hitting glass or frames
• Weather-related accidents: wind-blown objects damaging rooflights or skylights

Boarding up is appropriate when the opening is broken, weakened, or can’t be locked. Even if the crack looks small, glass under stress can fail without warning. If there’s any doubt about stability or security, temporary boarding is the safest next step until permanent repairs can be arranged.

Important notes:

• If there is suspected structural damage (bulging walls, cracked lintels), we’ll make safe the immediate area and advise if a structural engineer or builder should attend before full boarding.
• We do not undertake loss adjusting or building control decisions. We secure the property and provide documentation typically accepted by insurers.

What We Do First: Make Safe, Then Secure

On arrival, we run through a clear and methodical process:

1. Safety assessment
   • Identify glass hazards, loose frames, overhead risks, and trip points.
   • Establish a safe working area; use barriers or tape if required.
2. Evidence and documentation
   • With your permission, we take time-stamped photos before, during, and after works.
   • We note the opening size, damage type, and any relevant details for insurers.
3. Clear loose and dangerous material
   • Carefully remove loose shards and unstable sections.
   • Sweep and bag visible fragments in the immediate work area.
4. Measure and specify the boarding
   • Measure the opening, assess frame condition, and select materials:
     • 18mm exterior-grade plywood for doors, shopfronts, and larger or high-risk openings
     • 12mm OSB for smaller windows or internal partitions where appropriate
   • Choose fixings:
     • Anti-tamper coach screws/bolts into sound frames
     • Through-bolting or timber bracing when frames are compromised
5. Fit boards and seal as needed
   • Boards are cut to size; edges aligned to avoid finger catches.
   • Use anti-tamper fixings to prevent removal from the outside—important for unattended properties.
   • Apply weatherproofing or temporary seals where water ingress is a risk (especially on rooflights).
6. Handover
   • Walk you through what’s been secured.
   • Provide an itemised invoice and work statement; email copies available.
   • Share photos for your records or insurer.

If a frame is too damaged for non-destructive methods, we’ll explain options before proceeding. Where an opening is needed for access, we can install a temporary steel door rather than solid boards.

For specifics on methods, see window boarding in Crawley, door boarding, shopfront boarding, and roof boarding.

Materials & Methods: Why We Choose What We Choose

• 18mm exterior-grade plywood: Strong, durable, and resistant to prying. Our go-to for doors, shopfronts, and larger spans.
• 12mm OSB: Suitable for smaller internal windows or where weight must be reduced without compromising safety.
• Anti-tamper fixings: Prevent external removal. Essential when the property will be unattended.
• Internal bracing/timber cleats: Used when surrounding frames are cracked or too weak for standard fixings.
• Temporary steel doors: Ideal when you need secure access after a forced-entry or impact—locks supplied with keys.

Roof and skylight considerations:

• We prioritise weatherproofing: over-boarding with suitable spacers to avoid further damage.
• If roof access is unsafe in current conditions, we’ll secure the interior opening and schedule a safe return once conditions allow.

Common Accident Scenarios in RH10 & RH11

We work across residential homes, shops, industrial units, and offices in Crawley. Typical call-outs include:

• Shopfront struck by a reversing van in RH10—laminated glass shattered, frame intact: we clear glass, fit 18mm plywood with anti-tamper fixings, and leave visibility slots on request for internal checks.
• Patio door smashed in a RH11 maisonette during DIY: we remove the remaining pane, board externally for weather, and advise on glazing replacement timings.
• Warehouse roller door hit by forklift in Manor Royal (RH10): opening secured with a combination of boarding and a temporary steel door for controlled access until the shutter engineer attends.
• Rooflight cracked by wind-blown debris: internal catchment and external board where safe; temporary sealing to reduce water ingress.

If you’re unsure whether boarding is required, call us. We’ll ask a few questions about the damage, access, and safety to guide your next step. For urgent help, visit emergency boarding up.

Step-by-Step: What To Do Right Now After Accident Damage

1. Keep people away from the damage
   • Glass can fail suddenly. Keep children, pets, and the public clear.
2. If a vehicle was involved
   • Note the time, take photos, and if appropriate, obtain driver details. If there’s significant damage or third-party involvement, consider calling the police (and keep your reference number).
3. Photograph the scene (only if safe)
   • Capture wide shots and close-ups of damage before we arrive.
4. Call your insurer
   • Report the incident. Many policies cover emergency boarding. Ask if they require a claim reference before works.
5. Call us to secure the property
   • We’ll prioritise urgent calls, advise on immediate safety, and provide a realistic ETA.
6. Protect valuables
   • If safe, move items away from damaged openings to prevent further loss or weather damage.
7. Keep receipts and documents
   • We’ll provide an itemised invoice, time-stamped photos, and a work statement—useful for insurance claims.

Need help now? Call 01293 699 986.

When a Temporary Steel Door or Security Screens Are Better

• Forced doors or heavy impact: When a door can’t be secured with standard boarding, a temporary steel door offers lockable access and robust protection.
• Ongoing works: If trades need to enter while the permanent repair is arranged, a steel door allows controlled access.
• Vacant or vulnerable premises: For medium-term security, steel screens or doors reduce repeat incidents.

Ask about door boarding in Crawley and temporary steel doors via door boarding to keep access while staying secure.

What You’ll Receive From Us

• Time-stamped before/after photos on request
• Itemised invoice and clear work description
• Advice on next steps for glazing or door replacement
• Honest guidance if a specialist trade (glazier, roofer, structural engineer) is required

We’re fully insured and our technicians are DBS-checked. We’ve been securing properties across Crawley for over a decade.

Costs and Insurance for Accident Damage

We don’t publish fixed prices because every incident is different—size of opening, materials, access, and time of day all affect cost. We’ll explain cost factors on the phone and provide a clear, itemised invoice after completion. Many customers reclaim costs through their insurer.

• For a full overview, see our pricing page
• Insurance guidance and documentation: insurance claims

We’re not loss adjusters, but we provide the paperwork insurers typically require.

How We Prioritise and Attend in Crawley

We attend calls across RH10 and RH11, including residential streets, retail fronts, and industrial areas. We don’t promise fixed arrival times—traffic, workload, and the complexity of current jobs vary—but we treat accident damage as urgent and aim to attend as quickly as possible. When you call, we’ll give you a realistic ETA and keep you updated.

If your situation is unsafe or involves suspected criminal damage, call the police first. Once the scene is safe, we’ll secure the property.

Relevant Services for Accident Damage

• Windows impacted or cracked: window boarding in Crawley
• Damaged doors or forced entries: door boarding
• Retail glazing and commercial frontage: shopfront boarding
• Rooflights and overhead glazing: roof boarding
• Site safety perimeters (where appropriate): temporary fencing

If the cause was vandalism or severe weather rather than a pure accident, you may also find our situation pages helpful: vandalism repair and storm damage.

FAQs: Accident Damage in RH10 & RH11

How quickly can you attend an accident-damaged window or door in Crawley?

We prioritise urgent calls across RH10 and RH11 and aim to attend as quickly as possible. On the phone we’ll provide a realistic ETA based on current workload and location.

Can you board up my shopfront tonight if a vehicle has hit it?

Yes. We provide out of hours emergency boarding up. Call us and we’ll secure the opening, make safe, and document everything for your insurer.

My patio door is smashed but the frame looks okay—do I need boarding?

If the glass is compromised, yes. Even intact-looking panes can collapse. We’ll remove loose shards and install temporary boarding until a new unit is fitted.

There’s a hole in our warehouse shutter in Manor Royal—can you still secure it?

Often, yes. We can over-board the opening and, if access is needed, install a temporary steel door solution until the shutter engineer attends.

Do you provide documentation for insurance after an accident?

We provide time-stamped photos (on request), an itemised invoice, and a brief work statement. Keep your incident details and any police reference number if one was issued.

The damage is on a rooflight—what if weather or access is unsafe?

We’ll secure the internal opening first and schedule safe external works when conditions allow. Safety comes first; we won’t risk unsafe roof access.

Will boarding up damage my frames?

We use non-destructive methods where possible. If frames are too weak or broken, we’ll explain options such as internal bracing or through-bolting before we proceed.

Can you help if this happened at a rented property in RH11?

Yes. We work with tenants, landlords, and agents. We can liaise with your appointed contact and provide documentation for tenancy or insurance needs.

Next Steps

• Need to make safe now? Call 01293 699 986 for urgent accident damage boarding up in Crawley (RH10 & RH11).
• Prefer email? info@boarding-up-crawley.co.uk

If it’s an emergency, phone is fastest. We can also arrange a call-back if you’re tied up on site.