How to secure an opening during house renovation

[six wheels]

Hi all,

If all goes according to plan, this summer we’ll be replacing the bay window on the front of our house with a larger squared-off bay.

I assume the old structure will need to be removed before the new one is built. Therefore, for some amount of time, we’ll have a large opening at the front of the house.

I’m concerned more about security than weather protection.

We have about 4m of frontage between the house.

How would you block up the opening to secure the house?


Cheers, Steve.

[six wheels]

Current bay:



To-be bay:

[John D.]

Fix some plywood across the internal opening. Where it's fixed will require making good after, but presumably there will be an element of that anyway.

I would expect whoever is carrying out the work for you to have a plan for this.

[six wheels]

Hi John,

Fair on both counts.

I went three months removing and reattaching a plywood cover.

Slightly surprised there’s nothing like a secure scaffold tent for such occasions.


Cheers, Steve.

[alscar]

Hopefully the builder will be able to set your mind at ease.
We once had to spend a weekend with only a plastic tarp covering part of the front of our house when the sole plate and the single skinned infill panels were all being replaced.
Set back from the road in a quite village but my wife was slightly fused shall we say although I think was the multitude of accro props under the roof line that really worried her !

[six wheels]

alscar said:

Hopefully the builder will be able to set your mind at ease.
We once had to spend a weekend with only a plastic tarp covering part of the front of our house when the sole plate and the single skinned infill panels were all being replaced.
Set back from the road in a quite village but my wife was slightly fused shall we say although I think was the multitude of accro props under the roof line that really worried her !

I hope so too!

We’re on a main road so need to be secure.


Now I’m having flashbacks of holes under the corners of our house when we had the rear extension done.

I’m not an engineer so it seems almost magic that the house stayed up!

[John D.]

six wheels said:

Hi John,

Fair on both counts.

I went three months removing and reattaching a plywood cover.

Slightly surprised there s nothing like a secure scaffold tent for such occasions.


Cheers, Steve.

It is definitely possible to build a temporary enclosure round the outside of the opening. Typically a ply hoarding. Could build it out of scaffolding as well. Would cost you more though, and I expect over kill for how long it will take to build the new bay window.

[OutInTheShed]

I happen to know a security firm which sometimes gets involved with similar.

A Heras type fence is the first thing.
Possibly sheeted over so it's not obvious when the building is insecure.
It might involve a certain amount of CCTV and electronic security, backed up with a response van containing large people.
A nightwatchman is a possibility.

Excellent site management can reduce the amount of time you are vulnerable.

You can also just bolt plywood over the window aperture, secured from the inside.

[Magooagain]

Temporary timber stud wall across the full width of the lounge inside then ply sheets fixed to the external facing face.
If you needed to you could then insulate and polythene sheet it over on the inside.

Then temporary daily ply board cover on the external brick covering hole each evening after the days work.

The builder should be prepared to do all this, if he isn’t then make sure you get him to do it.
Think insurance! You won’t be covered unless it’s secure.

[Nothingtoseehere]

I see no reason why the new bay window can't be 'built' before the original is taken out, and the job done in a day. It's a little more than replacing a window but not that much, surely?

Edit to add: you're assuming it can't be done in a day - ask your contractor.

[Lesgrandepotato]

Is it a thru lounge? If not just close the room off with a plywood shutter in the door frame. Or just screw the door shut.

[six wheels]

This input is very helpful, thank you.

I’d not considered the insurance point, only our own perceived security and hassle.

It’s not just a replacement window, it’s structural work so I’m guessing a couple of weeks between demolition of the old frontage and installation of the new windows.

Food for thought.

[TA14]

Magooagain said:

Temporary timber stud wall across the full width of the lounge inside then ply sheets fixed to the external facing face.
If you needed to you could then insulate and polythene sheet it over on the inside.

Then temporary daily ply board cover on the external brick covering hole each evening after the days work.

The builder should be prepared to do all this, if he isn t then make sure you get him to do it.
Think insurance! You won t be covered unless it s secure.

As a slight variation you could attach a 4" x 3" stud to the inner face of the wall to either side of the window and then attach ply (or galvaised sheeting if you're really worried) to the inside. That small amount of set back should allow the brick layers just enough room.

[six wheels]

TA14 said:

As a slight variation you could attach a 4" x 3" stud to the inner face of the wall to either side of the window and then attach ply (or galvaised sheeting if you're really worried) to the inside. That small amount of set back should allow the brick layers just enough room.

Both really clever ideas.

We have some specifics so this’ll be an interesting challenge for the builder.

[Magooagain]

Take advice from your home/mortgage insurance contact when you inform them about on going building work.