Barricade Windows in Project Zomboid (Build 42.19): Tools, Materials, Durability
Build 42.19 · Window and door barricades — wood planks, steel sheet, and steel rods
Quick answer
Equip a hammer-style tool (Claw Hammer, Ball-peen Hammer, Stone Hammer, or Smithing Hammer) and a Plank, keep at least 2 loose Nails in inventory, right-click a window or door, and choose the plank barricade action. You can stack up to 4 planks per side (inside and outside are separate). Metal options use an equipped Welding Torch plus one Steel Sheet, or a torch plus 3 Steel Rods. In Build 42.19, a Welder Mask is not required for either metal path.
Common mistakes
“Any hammer-like weapon” is wrong—Club Hammer and Sledgehammer do not open the boarding menu. “~800 HP for four planks / ~1000 HP for metal” is wrong by a large margin. “Steel rods skip the mask but sheets still need one” is outdated for Build 42.19.
Numbers at a glance
| Fact | Value (Build 42.19) |
|---|---|
| Nails per wood board | 2 loose nails (closed Box of Nails does not count until opened) |
| Max planks per side | 4 (inside and outside each allow 4 → up to 8 total) |
| Base durability (one side) | 1000 per plank (max 4000 wood) · 5000 steel sheet · 3000 steel rods |
| Metal costs | 1 Steel Sheet + torch fuel · or 3 Steel Rods + torch fuel |
| Welder Mask | Not required for sheet or rod barricades |
| Woodwork skill | No level gate; higher skill shortens the action |
Tools and materials
Wooden plank barricade
- Tool: any equipped hammer-style tool that opens the board menu. Working examples: Claw Hammer, Ball-peen Hammer, Stone Hammer, Smithing Hammer (and forged variants that still board).
- Not valid for boarding: Club Hammer and Sledgehammer will not open the plank barricade action.
- Materials: 1 equipped Plank + 2 loose Nails per board. Nails in bags still count; a closed Box of Nails does not—open the box first (100 nails per box).
- No skill gate: you can board at Carpentry 0. Higher Carpentry mainly shortens the timed action.
Metal barricades
- Steel Sheet path: equip Welding Torch + 1 Steel Sheet. Replaces a free side with a solid metal barricade (cannot stack more planks on that side once metal is applied).
- Steel Rod path: equip Welding Torch + have 3× Steel Rod. Creates a bar-style barricade on that side.
- Welder Mask: Build 42.19 only needs the torch and material—not a Welder Mask. Older guides that demand a mask for sheets are outdated until the game changes again.
- Torch fuel is consumed when the metal action completes.
Getting planks and nails
Planks
- Loot construction sites, warehouses, sheds.
- Saw 1 Log into 3 Planks with a saw.
- Disassemble wooden furniture for planks and occasional nails.
Nails
- Hardware stores, crates, sheds, junk drawers.
- Open a Box of Nails before boarding.
- Removing wood barricades returns the plank; nails are not recovered.
Step-by-step: board a window
- Clear nearby zombies first. Hammering and welding both make noise (base sound radius is large; traits and mods can change it).
- Equip a hammer-style tool and a Plank. Keep at least 2 Nails in inventory.
- Stand next to the window or door on the side you want to fortify.
- Right-click the object and choose the plank barricade option.
- Wait out the progress bar. Repeat up to 4 times on the same side.
- Optional: walk outside (or inside) and board the opposite side for another 4 planks—up to 8 planks total on one opening.
Doors
The same actions work on barricade-able doors. If the door is open, the action closes it before boarding. Keep at least one planned exit (unlocked door, sheet rope, or staged unbarricade tools).
Removing barricades
- Wood: equip a tool that can pry boards off. Working examples: Claw Hammer, Crowbar, Tire Iron, Firefighter Axe (and forged crowbar/hammer variants that still unboard).
- Important: Ball-peen Hammer can board but cannot pry planks off—bring a Claw Hammer or Crowbar for teardown.
- Metal sheet or rods: equip a Welding Torch. Sheet returns one Steel Sheet; rod barricades return three Steel Rods. Torch fuel is used.
- Each removed wood plank can be reused; the two nails spent on it are gone.
Wood vs steel sheet vs steel rods
| Aspect | Planks | Steel Sheet | Steel Rods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per side | 1–4 planks, 2 nails each | 1 Steel Sheet + torch fuel | 3 Steel Rods + torch fuel |
| Tools (Build 42.19) | Equipped hammer-style tool + plank; nails in inventory | Equipped Welding Torch + Steel Sheet | Equipped Welding Torch + 3 Steel Rods |
| Base durability | 1000 per plank (max 4 → 4000 base on one side before condition/strength mods) | 5000 base | 3000 base |
| Stacking | Up to 4 per side; both sides allowed | One metal install per side; no plank stack on that metal | One bar install per side |
| Visibility / shooting | More planks block view more heavily | Solid cover; blocks line of sight | Gaps remain—better for watching outside; treat combat use as situational, not guaranteed free shots |
| Early-game fit | Default choice: common materials | Late fort when sheets and fuel are stocked | When you want partial visibility on a held position |
Read durability correctly
Those numbers are base values for each barricade type (1000 per plank, 5000 for steel sheet, 3000 for steel rods). Final toughness still depends on material condition and strength modifiers. Do not convert them into “seconds until a horde breaks in”—that depends on zombie density, traits, multiplayer settings, and which side is attacked.
Safehouse habits that actually help
Ground floor first
Board street-facing and high-traffic ground windows before upper floors. Zombies path to reachable openings; upstairs glass is lower priority until you live there.
Double-side critical openings
For bedrooms or the only ground window facing a road, 4 inside + 4 outside is a real second skin—not a gimmick. Budget 8 planks and 16 nails per fully doubled window.
Always keep an exit
Leave one door usable, or stage a sheet-rope escape. Fully boarding every opening without an exit plan turns a fort into a trap during fire or a breach.
Noise discipline
Clear a perimeter before a long boarding session. Barricades delay zombies; they do not silence cooking, generators, or fighting inside.
Furniture is optional delay
Pushing a sofa or shelf behind a boarded window may slow a break-in after planks fail. It is not a second barricade and is not nailed to the frame—treat it as soft pathing help, not a fixed HP layer.
Second floor living
Sleep upstairs when you can. Barricades buy time on the ground floor while you decide whether to fight, reinforce, or leave by rope.
No barricade is zombie-proof
Boards and steel only buy time. Large groups, sprinters, multiplayer loot/respawn settings, and poor noise control still overwhelm a house. Plan escape routes and do not treat “double boarded + furniture” as permanent safety.
Build 41 vs Build 42 notes
- Core flow is the same: right-click → barricade / unbarricade with the right tools in hand.
- In Build 42 English names, metal bars show as Steel Rod, and metal sheets show as Steel Sheet.
- Build 42.19 does not require a Welder Mask for sheet or rod barricades—only Welding Torch + material.
- Older “infinite nails if nails stay in the bag” stories are not something to rely on; keep loose nails available and assume they are consumed.
Field checklist
| Goal | Bring | Spend per full side |
|---|---|---|
| Quick safehouse board (wood) | Claw Hammer or other hammer-style tool, planks, loose nails | 4 planks + 8 nails (one side max) |
| Maximum wood on one window | Same + access to both sides | 8 planks + 16 nails (4+4) |
| Solid metal face | Welding Torch with fuel, 1 Steel Sheet | 1 sheet + torch use |
| Bar-style face | Welding Torch with fuel, 3 Steel Rods | 3 rods + torch use |
| Tear wood back down | Claw Hammer, Crowbar, Tire Iron, or Firefighter Axe | Recover planks only |
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