DIY How to Board Up Your Window
Take these steps to board up your glass windows and doors while waiting for your local Austin glass repair company to arrive!
Need emergency glass repair in the Austin Texas area? Give us a shout, we provide 24 hour emergency glass repair service!
Whether you are preparing for a major storm or performing a quick fix while waiting for your local glass company to come perform repairs on your broken window, you can take these steps to DIY board up your glass windows and protect your home or business.
1. Purchase sheets of 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch plywood. Using thinner sheets will not stand up to storm debris or strong winds.
2. From the exterior of the window or door, measure the width and height from the inside of the trim
3. Add 4 to 8 inches so your plywood sheets will overlap the window or door opening by several inches on each side.
4. Use a saw (circular) to cut your plywood panels to the total measurements (remember to include the extra inches for overlap)
5. If your window or door is bigger than a 4×8 sheet of plywood, install your sheets butted up against each other and use 2×4 boards over the seams to connect the pieces of plywood together.
6. If your windows and doors are different sizes be sure to mark each piece you cut so you do’t mix them up! Also mark the top and bottom so you install them correctly.
7. Draw a line around the panels 2 inches from the edge, and mark along these lines to indicate where to drill your holes. Holes are typically drilled every 12 inches along these lines.
8. When drilling the holes, use a drill bit that is slightly larger than the screws you’ll be using. A common size to use for the average residential window is 1/4” lag screws that are 2.5 inches long. Use larger screws around windows that are larger than 3×4 feet in size.
9 Get some help to hold the plywood in place so you can mark through each hole with a sharp pencil, then take down the plywood so you can drill your pilot holes.
10. Have your helper lift the plywood into place, and line up the holes in the plywood with the pilot holes on the exterior of the window or door trim.
11. Use a washer on each screw so your screw doesn’t bore into the plywood. This will hold the plywood firmly and tightly without fear of the screws going through.
If your area experiences hurricane or stormy season or if your commercial building has broken windows once in a while, it is a good idea to keep these panels you made! You can reuse them each time they are necessary. For panels that you reuse on a regular basis you might consider using wood sealer or exterior paint to seal the wood so it holds up to the elements. Label each panel so you don’t mix them up!
Ace Discount Glass & Door in Austin Texas provides 24 hour emergency service to the Austin area, including Pflugerville, Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander and other local areas. Call us and we will board up your windows and perform repairs right away! Residential, commercial and auto glass are all serviced by our 24hr professional technicians.
Call or text now! 512-345-3105
24 hr Emergency Glass Repair in Austin, TX
Any door, any window, any glass, any time. We’ll beat any local glass repair price! Commercial, residential and auto glass same day service!
