Emergency Board-Up & Site Securing

What is emergency board-up, and when does a property need it?

Emergency board-up is the temporary closing of broken windows, doors and wall openings with exterior-grade plywood and fasteners after a fire, storm, vehicle impact or break-in. It keeps out rain, wind, animals and intruders, protects what survived, and shows your insurer you took reasonable steps to prevent further damage.

Why do insurers expect you to secure the property right away?

Most homeowners and commercial policies ask you to limit further loss once damage happens. The Illinois Department of Insurance tells policyholders to make all necessary temporary repairs, such as boarding up windows and patching holes in walls or roofs, as soon as possible, even before the company representative has visited. It also reminds owners that it is their responsibility to mitigate against further damage.

The Insurance Information Institute gives the same order of operations in its guide to filing a homeowners claim: photograph or video the damage first, then take reasonable steps to protect the property, and save every receipt. Policies vary, so check yours or ask your agent how emergency work is handled. Our insurance claim assistance page explains the rest of the claim process.

The perils that most often break openings are also the most expensive ones. Wind and hail plus fire and lightning made up almost two-thirds of homeowners loss dollars in the latest national data.

What needs to be secured after a fire, storm or break-in?

The opening tells you the job, but the cause changes the priorities.

After a fire

Fighting a fire often leaves broken windows and ventilation holes cut in the roof. Once the fire department releases the scene, those openings let in weather and expose the contents to theft. The U.S. Fire Administration's After the Fire guide advises owners not to enter until the fire department says it is safe, to tell local police the home will be vacant, and notes you may need to board up windows and doors so no one can get in. Board-up is usually the first step of residential fire damage restoration, ahead of smoke and soot cleanup and water cleanup after firefighting.

After a storm

Wind-driven debris and hail break glass and patio doors; a fallen limb can open a wall. Openings in the roof are covered separately with roof tarping and structural stabilization.

After a break-in or vehicle impact

Here security comes first: a door that no longer latches or a storefront with missing glass invites a second entry the same night.

Board-up protects the evidence as well as the building

An insurance adjuster needs to see the damage as it was. Photos taken before boarding, plus a secured scene that nobody has picked through, make the claim easier to document. Avoid throwing out damaged items until the adjuster has seen them.

When does a site need temporary fencing?

Plywood closes openings. Fencing controls the whole site. It is worth considering when there is a debris pile, broken glass or a partly collapsed structure that a neighbor, child or passer-by could walk into, or when a commercial building will sit empty for weeks while the claim is settled.

Property owners can be responsible for injuries on their premises, so a perimeter is a reasonable precaution while the building is unsafe. Fencing panels also give crews a defined work area and keep dumpsters and equipment out of driveways and sidewalks. For businesses, our commercial fire damage restoration team plans fencing around deliveries, parking and fire lanes.

Fencing for vacant and commercial properties

Freestanding fence panels on weighted bases go up without digging, which matters when underground utilities have not been located. Panels are typically clamped together so a single section cannot be lifted out.

How does a professional board-up work, step by step?

Methods vary by building, but the industry-standard sequence looks like this:

1. Safety release. Confirm the fire department or utility has cleared the structure and that gas and electrical hazards are controlled.
2. Document first. Photograph every opening and the surrounding damage before anything is covered.
3. Clear loose glass and debris. Remove shards that could fall later or cut the next person who opens the panel.
4. Measure and cut. Cut exterior-grade plywood or OSB to overlap the opening so fasteners reach solid framing, not trim.
5. Fasten and seal. Screw panels into framing, then seal edges against wind-driven rain where weather is expected.
6. Keep one controlled entry. Fit a lockable access door so adjusters and crews can enter without removing panels.
7. Re-check. Inspect panels after storms and before rebuild starts, then remove them as windows and doors are replaced.

Inside or outside mounting?

Exterior mounting keeps rain off the frame and is harder to pry off. Interior mounting can protect historic trim or upper-floor windows that cannot be reached safely from a ladder. Either way, the panel should be screwed into framing rather than nailed into trim.

Board-up in DuPage and Will County homes and businesses

From our Lisle headquarters we see two peaks: summer thunderstorms that break glass and doors, and winter fires and vacant-house freezes. In winter, a boarded home that has lost heat can freeze its pipes, so board-up is often paired with draining or heating the plumbing.

Many neighborhoods in Naperville, Downers Grove and Bolingbrook include homes built before 1978. Under the emergency provision of the EPA lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, work immediately necessary to protect a property is exempt from some lead-safe requirements, but not from cleaning, cleaning verification and recordkeeping. Once the emergency portion is done, the remaining work falls under the full rule.

We secure properties across the area, including Naperville, Downers Grove and Bolingbrook, as part of our wider fire damage services. Our storm board-up and roof tarping guide covers storm safety, and owners can read what to do after a business fire.

Need an opening closed tonight? We are available 24/7. Contact us online or call (630) 241-1111.