What Are Emergency Board Up Services?
‘Board up’ is a term used to refer to the temporary sealing of unwanted openings in a structure or property such as those in private homes, commercial properties, office buildings and the like. Emergency board up services involve more than the installation of plywood boards on a building’s exterior to cover broken windows and smashed doors. Simply nailing a piece of plywood across an opening, even if special screws are used, does not constitute effective emergency board up services because this will not seal unwanted openings. It will only cover the openings – and probably not for very long.
When looking for professional emergency board up services, try to select a licensed professional company that provides emergency board up services. Some companies, for example, are only willing to board up windows or doors where the glass has been broken, and that is because these companies are really glaziers or glass repair companies. They will probably nail some plywood across your window and wait for you to hire them to install your new windows.
The best emergency board up services are often provided by damage restoration companies who are equipped to properly secure your home, office or commercial property building. Rather than using plywood panels, these companies will provide enclosures made of impact resistant material, specifically designed to withstand both vandalism and the natural elements. Since damage restoration companies are knowledgeable about a whole range of restoration services, they will also be able to assess specific types of structural damage. The fact is that emergency board up services are not limited to securing and sealing doors and windows. Especially after fires and floods, structural damage may include holes and openings in hard-to-reach places, and emergency board up services will have to deal with boarding up openings in fences, roofs, sidings and other parts of a structure that are difficult to cover with a simple plywood panel. Companies that offer professional emergency board up services will know what to look for, and may even discover openings and breaches you didn’t know existed. When selecting a board up company, try to look for a company with a large number of employees. You won’t be the only one in town in need emergency board up services in the wake of a natural disaster. You would do well to hire the services of a well-equipped company with sufficient personnel to handle a crisis effectively.
Situations Calling for Emergency Board Up Services
Anytime that it is necessary to rapidly secure a building qualifies as a situation that needs emergency board up services. Most of the time, these situations occur in response to damage caused by violent weather like storms and floods or by unexpected disasters such as fires, explosions and break-ins.
Sometimes, however, emergency board up services may be needed after an everyday accident. When a child breaks a bedroom window practicing his baseball pitching technique at 10 pm, you will need emergency board up services to seal that window until you can order the new windowpane and while you wait for it to arrive. Trees that fall on glass doors at inconvenient times are another reason why you may need to speedily board up an opening until it can be permanently repaired.
Another situation where emergency board up services are needed is during pre-season preparation for expected natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes. Since most property owners will be rushing to secure their homes, offices and stores at such times, people who live in areas prone to these types of natural disasters (hurricane zones, for example) would do well to select and interview companies providing professional emergency board up services ahead of time. Entering into an agreement with the selected company stipulating that it will provide its services automatically in the event they are needed is an excellent alternative to madly trying to procure emergency board up services when everyone else is doing the same. Below is a list of specific situations that require emergency board up services:
· Fire Damage:Fires causes serious structural damage to family homes, commercial properties, factories and other structures, leaving the interiors open to further damage (theft, rain or wind etc).Buildings that have been condemned by fire departments need to be boarded up to prevent unsafe entry.
Flood Damage: Removing water from flooded buildings does not mean that they are safe from further damage. All damaged doors, windows or other openings must be sealed to prevent additional weather damage as well as break-ins.
· Hurricanes and Storms: Violent weather can smash roofs, break windows and blow away doors in no time. Whenever possible, it is vitally important to protect your property by using qualified emergency board up services well before a hurricane strikes. One of the most important openings in your house that will need to be boarded up is your garage door(s). Garage doors are often the biggest opening in a home. Because they are usually made of less sturdy material, they are typically the first to break in a hurricane or storm. Emergency board up services prior to a storm or hurricane must focus on garage doors first. If interiors are exposed to rains and winds during a storm or hurricane, the amount of damage they suffer is much greater. Once the storm is over, boarding up the property will of course protect it from further damage caused by intruders - including bugs, rodents, and snakes!
· Explosions: Accidental explosions are terrifying. After you make sure that everyone is safe, it is imperative to call in a company that provides emergency board up services to secure the structure by sealing all openings against intruders. In addition to broken windows that may eventually lead to water damage from rain, properties damaged by explosions are often structurally unsafe, and preventing people from entering them will protect them against injury – and protect the owner(s) against possible litigation.
· Automobile Accidents: Freak accidents where a driver loses control and smashes his / her vehicle into the side of a building are more frequent than you may think. Authorities (Fire Department or Police Department) usually assess the extent of the damage caused by such accidents. They will determine whether the building is safe to enter. Should this happen to your property, you will need emergency board up services to protect yourself and your property until it is repaired.
· Vandalism, Crime and Break-ins: Typically, thieves do not choose to break into stores and homes during office hours. Broken windows and doors caused by criminals and burglars will need emergency board up services until glass replacement companies are able to repair the damage.
Securing damaged property should be an immediate concern of property owners, after ensuring the safety of family members. Emergency board-up services help property owners restore security to their homes, offices or commercial properties until the damage can be properly repaired. They protect property from suffering further weather damage and they protect personal belongings and merchandise against burglars. Emergency board-up services are more than a necessary expense. They can actually save owners considerable amounts of money.
Reacting quickly to contain damage will help property owners who have had to move out to get back into their homes faster. Most board up companies are on call for twenty-four hours, and can speedily (usually in under one hour) send qualified board up professionals and suitable hardware (impact resistant materials) and equipment to quickly secure properties in need of emergency board up services. Timely short-term repairs to damaged property significantly minimize both the size and the extent of structural damage and material loss.
A Word about Insurance
There are three ways to handle insurance claims for emergency board up services. One way is to pay the board up company directly and present the work order receipt to your homeowners’ insurance agent to be submitted for payment. Another method is to have your board up company bill you for its services rather than paying them straight away. Submit the bill for approval by your insurance company. Emergency board ups are reimbursable. Lastly, some board up companies will bill your insurance company directly. This is more likely to be the case when a damage restoration company is undertaking board up services as part of a complete damage restoration project.
Effective emergency board up services can make the difference between irreparable property damage and limited damages than can be restored. They protect you against irreplaceable material losses, keeping your assets and personal belongings secure, and they constitute an invaluable safety measure by keeping people out of unsafe buildings.
