When glass breaks unexpectedly — whether from a break-in in Bedminster, storm damage in Bradley Stoke, or an accident in your Clifton home — your first concern is security. At Pane Relief, we've been handling emergency glazing across Bristol for over 25 years, and we understand that a broken window isn't just an inconvenience. It's a vulnerability.
Our Two-Stage Emergency Process
Every emergency callout follows the same proven process. Stage one is making your property secure. Our glaziers carry boarding materials, heavy-duty polycarbonate sheeting, and temporary fixings on every van. Within minutes of arriving, we'll have the opening covered and your property protected from the elements and intruders.
Stage two is permanent replacement. We'll measure up during the boarding visit — whether it's a bay window in a Henleaze period property or an oversized pane in a modern Stoke Gifford build — and order your made-to-measure replacement unit. Standard double-glazed units take 5–7 working days to make, and toughened or laminated units 10–14 working days; we then return to fit it.
Security Glass Options After a Break-In
If your property has been broken into, it's worth considering an upgrade when we replace the glass. We offer two main security options:
Toughened glass is up to five times stronger than standard float glass. It's heat-treated to withstand greater impact, and if it does break, it shatters into small, relatively harmless pieces rather than dangerous shards. It's ideal for ground-floor windows and doors across areas like Fishponds, Kingswood, and Bishopston where opportunistic break-ins are more common.
Laminated glass has a plastic interlayer bonded between two glass sheets. Even when struck hard enough to crack, the glass stays held together by the interlayer — an intruder can't simply push through. This is the option we most often recommend for doors and accessible windows, particularly for homes in quieter areas like Keynsham, Portishead, and Thornbury where properties may be unoccupied during the day.
Insurance Claims Made Simple
Dealing with insurance after a break-in or storm damage is stressful enough without paperwork headaches. We make it straightforward. Our team provides itemised invoices that list every component and labour charge clearly, before-and-after photographs of the damage and repair, and a detailed written report describing the damage, cause, and work carried out.
We work regularly with all major home insurers and many commercial policies. If your excess is lower than our repair cost, we're happy to invoice your insurer directly so you're not out of pocket while waiting for reimbursement.
Commercial Emergency Glazing
Broken shopfront glass in Bristol City Centre, a smashed office window in Redland, or damaged glass panels at a Yate retail park — commercial premises can't afford to stay exposed. We provide priority commercial callouts with temporary boarding that meets insurance and health & safety requirements, followed by like-for-like or upgraded replacement glass fitted at a time that minimises disruption to your business.
Whether it's a single cracked pane or a full shopfront, we carry public liability insurance and provide all the documentation your business needs.