Board Up Your UPVC Window DIY in 7 Easy Steps

Broken windows usually invite trouble to any household. Neither can they keep out vandals nor can they save you from harsh weather conditions. If you do not fix such problems immediately, the repair cost will often significantly increase and make a dent in your pocket. DIY is the on-going trend everywhere. People no more shell out money to small jobs that they can tackle themselves.

But boarding up UPVC windows is not that easy if you do not know the right tricks. Let us explore them in seven easy steps.

Collect the right tools for the job

Make sure that you have the following items in your property manager's tool box. Each of the items mentioned here is available at your neighbourhood home improvement store.

• Leather gloves
• A pair of safety glasses
• Heavy trash bags
• Masking tape
• Packing tape
• Staple gun and tape measure
• Plywood sheets, with half-inch thickness
• Needle point screws, power drill and circular saw

If you are making use of a ladder then you also need a working partner to be on the safer side. This buddy system provides certain benefits.

• It keeps you safe
• Manoeuvring plywood sheets becomes easier
• The ladder can be held in place much easier with an extra pair of hands on your side

Make sure you are protected

There is always a considerable level of risk involved in working with shattered glass, power tools and damaged wood. Put on your protective gear before getting to work.

Carefully check the broken glass pieces

As you keep working, you may leave cracked panes. But first, you should check them to ensure their stability. Use your gloved hands to press gently against the damaged glass. Make sure it won't just come off the frame while you are working on it.

Tape up or take out

You have to use that wide masking tape you bought to secure the cracks on both sides. Not every pane will be in a condition to be taped. You have to remove such panes with utmost care and caution. You can start boarding up after the broken panes have been disposed of.

Window and frame measurement

While measuring the window you should consider the outer edges of the frame to get its correct width.

Weather shield

You have to ensure that bad weather does not find its way through your board-up. In order to play safe, do not cover the taped panes with heavy plastic trash bags. Use clear packaging tape inside out to secure the trash bags to the frame.

Carefully measure, cut and drill

Be very careful while measuring the plywood sheet and cut it to the right size using a circular saw. Referring to your frame measurement readings, drill pilot holes in the plywood. Make sure that the holes align with the middle of the window frame.

Mount and secure before calling it a day

This is the final stage of your DIY project. Place the plywood over the covered window. Better ask your buddy to give you a hand. Use those pilot holes you created to secure the board up using the needle point screws and a power drill.

Licensed glaziers providing emergency board up windows services have something important to share with you. They say that this strategy is more time-saving as compared to the approach that involves the nailing of wood in place. You can take down the boarding up much easier this way too.

However, if you are not confident about handling this DIY task, you should better hire professionals. This task is beyond the scope of routine building maintenance and involves considerable risk.