Flood Damage Boarding in South East London

Flood damage boarding in South East London is often needed with very little warning – a burst pipe, river surge, blocked drain or heavy storm can leave doors and windows swollen, damaged or unable to lock. Our role is to secure your property quickly and safely so you can focus on drying out and dealing with insurers, knowing your home or business is protected.

Need urgent help now? Call 020 4538 1506 – we’re available 24/7 across SE postcodes.

When You Need Flood Damage Boarding Up

You may need specialist flood damage boarding in South East London if:

Doors and windows won’t close or lock
- Timber frames have swollen.
- Metal doors have been forced or twisted by water pressure.
- Locks are full of silt or debris and no longer work.
Glass has cracked or shattered during the flood
- Impact from floating debris.
- Sudden temperature changes from cold flood water.
- Frames shifting on saturated ground.
You have to leave the property but can’t secure it
- You’re moving into temporary accommodation.
- The property is unsafe to stay in due to electrics or structural concerns.
- You manage a block or commercial unit and need it made secure overnight.
The property is temporarily open to the elements
- Damaged doors or windows leave large gaps.
- You need a balance between ventilation (to dry out) and security.
- Lower-ground or basement windows are at risk of further water ingress or trespass.

Flood damage isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s “just” a few centimetres of water – but even that can cause:

Warped doors that won’t latch.
Window sills rotting or breaking away.
Softened plaster and cracked masonry around openings.

Whenever your doors or windows are compromised after water ingress, emergency window boarding and temporary secure door solutions help you:

Prevent break-ins and vandalism while you’re away.
Stop animals and unauthorised visitors entering.
Control where air flows, so you can dry out safely without leaving the building wide open.

If you’re dealing with multiple issues (burst pipes, roof leaks, broken glazing), we can also coordinate with our window boarding in South East London and door boarding up services to secure every vulnerable point.

How We Secure Your Property After Flood Damage

Our focus is non-destructive securing wherever possible, while making sure your building is safe and insurable. We’ve spent over 10 years helping homeowners, landlords, shop owners and property managers across South East London handle flood-related emergencies.

1. Initial Safety Check

Before we start any boarding:

We visually check for obvious structural issues around openings.
We stay clear of any visibly compromised walls or ceilings.
We ask about electricity and gas – if there’s any doubt, we’ll advise you to contact your utility provider or an emergency electrician before re-entering.

We are not structural engineers or electricians, but we will not work in an area we consider unsafe, and we’ll tell you clearly if we think additional professionals are needed.

2. Choosing the Right Level of Security and Ventilation

Flood situations are a bit different to burglary or vandalism:

Sometimes you want maximum security (for example, a vacant commercial unit).
Sometimes you need controlled ventilation to help dry the property.

We’ll discuss options such as:

Fully boarded doors and windows for strong security.
Partially vented boarding (small, secure apertures) where drying is a priority.
Temporary door solutions that allow you to open and close securely.

3. Materials We Use: Plywood and OSB Boarding

For most openings we use:

Quality plywood or OSB boarding (usually 11–18mm thick depending on risk and opening size).
Boards are cut to fit doorways, windows, sidelights and fanlights, including awkward shapes.
Fixings are chosen to suit the substrate (timber, brick, concrete).

For ground-floor or easily accessible areas, we typically use:

Anti-tamper fixings designed so they can’t be easily removed from outside.
Backing timbers (where appropriate) to spread the load and avoid damage.

This ensures the property is secure, looks professional and meets common expectations for emergency property securing in South East London.

4. Temporary Secure Doors and Access Points

After flooding, doors are often:

Swollen and jammed.
Knocked off alignment.
Too weak at the bottom where water has softened the timber.

Where a door cannot be locked, we can:

Board over the opening completely; or
Install a temporary secure door (steel unit or framed, boarded door) that:
- Locks securely from inside and outside.
- Allows you or contractors easy access.
- Can be adapted later if drying works change the opening size.

We frequently provide temporary doors on void properties and commercial units – this ties in with our vacant property boarding in South East London for medium-term security.

5. Non-Destructive Fixing Wherever Possible

We aim for non-destructive securing:

Using existing frames, reveals and structural points where we can.
Avoiding unnecessary drilling into good brickwork or stone.
Positioning fixings where later repair work (like new frames) will cover them.

Occasionally, after severe flood damage:

Frames may be too weak or rotten to take fixings.
Bricks or blocks may have spalled or become loose.

In these rare cases, we’ll:

Explain clearly why stronger, more invasive fixings are needed.
Only proceed with your agreement.
Position fixings to minimise visual impact and support later repairs.

6. Tidy, Safe Finish

Before leaving we:

Check that each boarded opening is secure and safe to touch.
Make edges as flush and neat as possible.
Remove any large, loose debris we’ve created while working.

If relevant, we can coordinate with storm damage boarding services where wind and water damage have combined, for example with roof leaks or smashed top-floor windows.

Why Choose Us for Flood Damage Boarding in South East London?

We’re a local, specialist boarding-up team covering all SE postcodes – from Thamesmead, Woolwich and Greenwich down through Lewisham, Catford, Sydenham, Dulwich and across to Southwark, Peckham and Camberwell.

Local, Trusted, Experienced

10+ years’ experience securing flood-damaged and water-affected properties.
Coverage across all South East London areas and SE1–SE28 postcodes.
Regular work for homeowners, housing providers, landlords, shops and facilities managers.

Insured and DBS-Checked

We carry public liability insurance for your peace of mind.
Our boarding technicians are DBS-checked, suitable for working in homes, schools, care settings and sensitive environments.

Focused on Safety and Non-Destructive Methods

Safety-first approach around electrics, gas and structures.
Non-destructive securing wherever possible, with clear explanations when stronger fixings are needed.
Use of anti-tamper fixings to deter removal and keep your insurer satisfied.

Insurer-Friendly Documentation

We understand that flood damage almost always leads to an insurance claim. As standard we can provide:

Time-stamped photos of our boarding work.
An itemised invoice describing labour, materials and locations boarded.
A short, plain-English work statement for your insurer or loss adjuster.

If your flood damage is linked to a break-in or another incident, we’ll remind you to keep any police reference number with your paperwork. You can learn more about this process on our insurance support page.

Flexible for Homes, Shops and Managed Properties

Whether you’re:

A homeowner needing emergency window boarding after a flood,
A shop owner with a damaged rear door after a burst pipe, or
A property manager dealing with multiple affected flats,

we tailor our approach and can combine this with residential boarding up or commercial boarding up services depending on the property type.

What Happens Next

We keep the process simple so you can get on with drying out and speaking to insurers.

1. Call Us or Send Details

For urgent safety or security issues, please call:
- Call 020 4538 1506 – 24/7 availability.
If it’s not time-critical, you can also contact our South East London team with photos and a brief description.

We’ll ask:

Address and type of property (house, flat, shop, etc.).
What’s happened (for example, “ground floor flooded from blocked drain, back door won’t shut”).
Any known safety issues (electrics, structural cracks, gas smell).

2. We Assess and Propose a Plan

Based on the information you give us, we’ll explain:

How we recommend securing the property (full boarding, partial, temporary door).
How we can support any insurance claim for boarding up.
Any preparations you should make before we arrive, if possible.

For more background on costs and what affects them, you can also review our boarding up prices in South East London page. We don’t quote fixed prices online, because every flood situation and opening is different, but we always explain costs clearly before starting work.

3. We Attend, Secure and Document

On site we will:

Carry out a quick safety check.
Secure your vulnerable doors and windows using plywood or OSB boarding and anti-tamper fixings.
Provide temporary secure doors if needed for safe access.
Take photos and document work for your insurer.

If the flooding was caused by a storm that also damaged the roof or skylight, we can coordinate with our roof & skylight boarding services to protect upper floors or loft spaces.

4. Hand-Over and Next Steps

Before we leave, we’ll:

Walk you through what’s been done.
Explain how to operate any temporary doors.
Clarify how to remove or adapt the boarding when permanent repairs are ready.
Email your invoice and, if requested, photos and a brief statement for your insurance claim.

You can then:

Arrange drying and dehumidification.
Book permanent repairs with builders, glaziers or door manufacturers.
Direct your insurer or loss adjuster to our paperwork if they need details.

Flood Damage Boarding FAQs

What do I do first if my home has flooded and doors won’t shut?

First, focus on safety – avoid standing water if electrics may be live, and contact your utility providers if in doubt. Once you’re safe and the water has begun to recede or been pumped out, call us to secure swollen or damaged doors and windows. We can make the property safe while you contact your insurer and arrange drying works.

Can you board up while the property is still wet?

Yes. Our emergency boarding up near me service is designed for exactly this. We work in wet conditions regularly. We will avoid unsafe areas (for example, where ceilings look like they may collapse) but can usually secure doors and windows even while the building is drying.

How does boarding up affect drying the property?

Boarding up doesn’t have to mean sealing the building airtight. We can create vented or partially open solutions that keep the property secure while still allowing airflow. We’ll discuss this with you on site so you get the right balance between security and ventilation.

Is flood damage boarding covered by insurance?

Many policies do cover emergency securing after an insured event, but every policy is different. We’re not insurers or legal advisers, but we do provide insurance-ready paperwork – including photos, an itemised invoice and a short work statement – to support your claim. For more information, see our insurance support for boarding up in South East London.

How long do the boards need to stay on?

That depends on:

How quickly your property dries.
When permanent repairs or replacements can be carried out.
Your insurer’s timetable and contractor appointments.

Some boards are in place for a few days; others stay several weeks on vacant or badly affected properties. We can advise how easy it will be to adapt or remove the boarding when repairs begin.

Can you help if the flood damage was caused by a storm?

Yes. We regularly handle combined storm and flood damage, including broken windows, damaged doors and roof leaks. You can read more about this on our storm damage boarding page, and we can handle both wind and water-related securing in a single visit where possible.

Need help now securing a flood-damaged property?
Call 020 4538 1506 for 24/7 assistance, or Email us with details and photos for a fast, no-obligation quote.

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