Commercial Boarding Up in Enfield (EN) for Shops, Offices & Industrial Units

When something goes wrong at a business premises, it rarely happens at a convenient time. A smashed shopfront on Hertford Road, a forced rear door behind an office near Enfield Town, or storm-damaged glazing on an industrial unit by the A10 can leave you exposed to theft, weather damage, and downtime.

We provide commercial boarding up in Enfield and across the EN postcode area—helping shop owners, landlords, managing agents and facilities teams secure buildings quickly and properly, with clear documentation for insurers and stakeholders.

Need urgent help? Call 020 4634 5688 or email info@boarding-up-enfield.co.uk. For out-of-hours jobs, see emergency boarding up.

The types of commercial sites we secure (and what makes them different)

Commercial properties tend to have larger openings, public-facing glazing, and multiple access points. In Enfield that often means a mix of:

High-street and parade units around Enfield Town, Southbury and Ponders End (shopfront glazing, aluminium frames, roller shutters)
Restaurants, takeaways and cafés (late-night footfall, front glazing plus rear delivery doors)
Offices and managed blocks (communal entrances, internal glass panels, access control systems)
Industrial units and warehouses around the A10 corridor, Brimsdown and Enfield Highway (large doors, side windows, rooflights)
Schools, community buildings and places of worship (safeguarding concerns, sensitive access arrangements)

Commercial boarding up is as much about keeping your business compliant and operational as it is about security. We focus on safe access, clean fixings, and a finish that reduces risk until the permanent repair is completed.

Typical scenarios we handle for businesses in Enfield

Every job is different, but these are the most common reasons commercial clients call us:

Shopfront glass smashed or cracked

Busy routes and late trading can mean higher risk of impact damage or vandalism. We can secure the opening and, where possible, avoid unnecessary damage to frames. Shopfront work is usually best handled via shopfront boarding due to panel size, sightlines and footfall.

Break-ins and forced entry (front or rear)

Rear access doors, service alleys and car parks are common weak points. After a break-in we’ll secure doors and any adjacent glazing, and can advise whether a temporary steel door is the safer medium-term option when the original door leaf/frame has been compromised. See door boarding in Enfield and burglary repairs and boarding.

Vandalism, repeated attempts, or targeted premises

If your premises has been targeted more than once—particularly vacant units awaiting a new tenant—boarding up needs to be robust, anti-tamper and designed to stay in place. We can discuss longer-term measures such as steel security screens (where appropriate) rather than repeated timber boarding. For incident-led callouts, see vandalism repair and boarding.

Storm damage to glazing, cladding or rooflights

High winds can dislodge panels, damage skylights and create overhead hazards—especially on industrial units and older flat-roofed buildings. We can secure damaged roof openings and make them weather-resistant while you arrange roofing contractors. See roof boarding and storm damage boarding.

Fire damage (post-fire securing)

After the fire service has finished, buildings are often left with broken windows, damaged doors or missing panels for ventilation and access. Our role is to secure the property—we don’t provide smoke or odour remediation, but we can board up promptly and provide the documentation insurers usually ask for. See fire damage boarding.

Flooding and water damage

Water can swell timber doors, warp frames and make openings insecure even if glass isn’t broken. Where safe, we can secure vulnerable points while you dry out and plan repairs. See flood damage boarding.

Accidental impact (vehicle strike, deliveries, site damage)

A low-speed collision can take out a shopfront or boundary access point in seconds. We’ll help make the area safe and secure. If there’s any doubt about structural stability, we’ll flag it—boarding up isn’t a substitute for structural assessment. See accident damage boarding.

How we board up commercial properties (methods that fit the risk)

Commercial jobs often require more than “a sheet over a hole”. The best method depends on opening size, frame condition, public access, and how long the premises will be unattended.

Window boarding for commercial glazing

For broken side windows, internal glazed panels and smaller frontages, we typically use:

18mm exterior-grade plywood for strength and weather resistance (common for ground-floor, public-facing openings)
12mm OSB for smaller, lower-risk openings where appropriate

Fixing approach depends on the substrate:

Non-destructive methods where feasible (using existing frames/reveals and internal battens)
Anti-tamper fixings when the location is high-risk or the building will be left unattended
Clean edges and safe finishes to reduce snagging and trip risk near footpaths

More detail: window boarding in Enfield.

Door boarding and temporary steel doors

A damaged commercial door is a major risk because it’s your primary access point. Where a door leaf is split, locks are ripped out, or frames are loose, simply boarding over can be impractical—especially if you still need controlled access for staff or contractors.

Options may include:

Boarding up the doorway to deny access entirely (useful for vacant units)
Temporary steel doors for medium-term security with a managed entry point (often used for voids, fire-damaged sites, or repeated break-in locations)

More detail: door boarding in Enfield.

Shopfront boarding (large panels, high footfall)

Shopfronts require careful sizing, stable anchoring, and consideration for pedestrians and neighbouring units. We’ll discuss the safest way to secure the frontage—especially where the opening is wide, there are multiple panes, or the frame has shifted.

More detail: shopfront boarding in Enfield.

Roof and skylight boarding (overhead hazards)

Industrial and commercial roofs often involve:

Fragile rooflights
Hard-to-access elevations
Weather exposure that can quickly escalate damage

We’ll prioritise safety and sensible weatherproofing. If access is unsafe (for example, unstable roof surfaces or insufficient safe working space), we’ll tell you and discuss alternatives rather than take risks.

More detail: roof boarding in Enfield.

What to expect when you call us (commercial jobs)

When you contact us, we’ll ask a few practical questions to size the job correctly:

What’s been damaged? (shopfront, window, door, rooflight)
Is the site safe and accessible? (shattered glass, police/fire attendance, alarms)
Approximate opening size (a quick photo helps if you can safely take one)
Are you staying open? (some businesses need a secure entrance; others need full closure)
Who is authorising the work? (owner, facilities manager, managing agent, landlord)

On attendance, we typically:

Make safe any immediate hazards where possible (without overstepping into specialist remediation)
Measure, cut and fit boards to suit the opening
Use fixings appropriate to risk and substrate
Take time-stamped photos and provide an itemised invoice/work statement for your records or insurer

If the surrounding frame is too damaged for a non-destructive method, we’ll explain the options before proceeding. We’re here to secure the site, not create extra problems for your later repairs.

Working with facilities managers, landlords and managing agents

Commercial properties often have multiple decision-makers. We’re used to coordinating with:

Facilities management teams and duty managers
Letting agents and property managers
Landlords and asset managers
Site security or alarm companies

If you need documentation for an insurance claim, we can help with the usual essentials—photos, description of damage, and what was installed. We’re not loss adjusters or legal advisers, but our paperwork is designed to support your claim process. More guidance is on our insurance claims help page.

Commercial sites across Enfield: local considerations that affect boarding up

Enfield’s mix of busy shopping areas, suburban parades and industrial pockets changes how we approach each job.

High footfall locations (near stations and shopping streets) often need more robust, tamper-resistant boarding and a tidy finish to reduce risk to the public.
Industrial estates and unit clusters can have multiple vulnerable points—side windows, roller doors, rooflights—so we’ll help you prioritise what must be secured first.
Vacant commercial units between tenants typically benefit from longer-term security planning rather than repeat emergency callouts.

If you’re looking for a local team familiar with your area, see our areas we cover and these nearby pages:

Micro case study: securing a damaged shopfront near Enfield Town

A small retail unit a short walk from Enfield Town station reported a cracked and partially shattered front pane after an overnight incident. The premises sat on a busy parade, and the priority was preventing access and keeping the frontage safe for pedestrians until the glazier could attend.

We attended, assessed the frame condition, then installed exterior-grade ply cut to cover the full opening with anti-tamper fixings suited to the existing structure. We provided time-stamped photos and a clear work statement so the tenant could forward everything to their insurer and the property manager the same morning.

FAQs about commercial boarding up in Enfield

How quickly can you attend a commercial boarding job?

We prioritise urgent commercial callouts, especially when the building is open to the street or cannot be secured. We don’t quote guaranteed arrival times because traffic and job complexity vary, but if you need urgent help please use our emergency boarding up page and call 020 4634 5688.

Can you board up without drilling into frames?

Sometimes. Where frame condition and opening type allow, we can use non-destructive techniques (for example, internal battens and reveal fixings). If the frame is already split, loose, or too weak, stronger fixings may be necessary. We’ll talk you through it before we start.

Do you work with shop managers and facilities teams out of hours?

Yes. Commercial sites often require coordination for keys, alarms and access. If you can share site contact details and any access instructions when you call, it speeds things up—particularly for locations near busy routes like the A10 or town-centre parades.

Is boarding up covered by business insurance?

It often is when it’s necessary to secure the property after an insured event (break-in, vandalism, storm damage, etc.), but policies vary. We can provide the documentation insurers typically request. See insurance claims support.

Can you secure a vacant unit between tenants?

Yes—this is a common request for landlords and managing agents. Depending on how long the unit will be empty and the risk level, we may recommend more robust measures than basic timber boarding. See vacant property boarding up.

Next steps for commercial premises

If your business premises has been damaged, try to:

Keep people away from broken glass and unstable areas
Take photos if it’s safe to do so
Keep any police or incident reference number
Contact your insurer early (they may ask how the building was secured)

Then speak to us so we can recommend the right method—shopfront, doors, windows or roof.

Ready to get started? Call 020 4634 5688 or email us for a free, no-obligation quote.

Request a Call-Back Today