How to Barricade Windows in Project Zomboid

Finding good shelter during a zombie apocalypse is easy enough, but keeping it safe from all the undead shambling about outside is a different story. In Project Zomboid, players can manage their safehouses in a multitude of ways, and that includes building makeshift barricades to keep zombies at bay.

You can build a variety base defenses with what resources you can cobble up, and one of the most basic forms of protection you can make is the classic boarded window setup. It’s a simple and effective way of keeping you and your co-op partners safe, and if you aren’t sure how to do it, here’s what you need to do.

Project Zomboid: 10 Best Mods For Build 42, Ranked

Enhance your Project Zomboid Build 42 experience with must-have mods for deeper survival and customization.

How to Barricade Windows in Project Zomboid

The Barricade action option in Project Zomboid

In order to board up your windows, you need to have a wooden plank, a hammer, and four nails in your inventory. Once you’ve collected the materials, right-click on the window you want to barricade. Your character will automatically start hammering the plank onto the sides of the window. Each window can be barricaded up to four times.

You can find nails and hammers where you’d expect to see some in real life — tool boxes, garages, tool sheds, closets, and other similar places where people might stash hardware. As for planks, you’ll find them most often in construction sites. You can also break down wooden furniture like shelves and chairs if you really need planks without going out for a raid. If you’re playing Project Zomboid as an admin, you can use the “/additem” command and spawn items that way.

Zombies will have a much harder time breaking through a barricaded window compared to one with a simple glass pane and frame. The more boards are attached, the more time it will take for them to break in. If you want to remove planks from a window, right-click on the boards and select the Remove option. You must have a claw hammer or a crowbar for this to work.

Unfortunately, you cannot place large pieces of furniture like bookshelves or refrigerators in front of windows to block access. You, zombies, and other players will simply phase through such large obstacles, making them useless for base defense. Still, picking up furniture in Project Zomboid is something you should know how to do if you’re planning on redecorating.