Broken window: what do you do right now?
From clearing shards to insurance photos: six steps to get safely from open hole to new pane.
Step 1: safety. Put on gloves and sturdy shoes before touching anything, and keep children and pets away. Pick up only the large shards; sweep or vacuum small splinters later. Leave a cracked pane that is still in the frame where it is — taking it out is a job for the professional, especially with large panes and glass in doors.
Step 2: photos. Photograph the damage before you clean up or board up. Glass breakage is often covered by buildings or glass insurance and those photos are your evidence. After a break-in: police first, then clean up.
Step 3: close the opening. Board it up temporarily with a panel, cardboard or sturdy film and tape. That keeps weather, cold and uninvited guests out until the glazier arrives. If that fails or the pane is large: an emergency repair (€ 150-450) includes a professional board-up, often the same day.
Steps 4-6: submit a request, pick a response and plan the repair. Single glazing can often be replaced right away; double glazing is ordered to measure and follows after a few working days. What it should cost is in the price index upfront.