Hurricane Shutters

What is a Hurricane Shutter?

In this day and age of increasing weather changes, often unpredictable and severe, Hurricane Shutters are a suitable and economical solution to help home owners protect their houses from these very destructive weather conditions. Shutters protect doors and windows from sudden pressure changes as well as damage by wind-borne objects. Whilst hurricane proof glass is increasingly popular, shutters are still a cheaper alternative and are a great asset for homes.

Why do we need them?

As mentioned in the earlier paragraph, weather patterns make it almost necessary to take safety measures to protect your home. Insurance companies now recommend the use of Hurricane Shutters and there is a call now for hurricane rated shutters or resistant glass to be mandatory for all new homes built. In fact, for home owners to be issued a Certificate of Occupancy, new homes must have Hurricane proof windows.

What are the different types of shutters?

There are a range of different styles of shutters, made from a range of materials such as metal/steel, wood or plastic.

Colonial, Bahamas, Accordion, storm panel and roll down versions of Hurricane shutters are just some of the common exterior styles available to the discerning buyer.

Roll-down hurricane shutters can be electrically operated, with automatic systems to close the shutters on a time clock, or in response to weather or light sensors. You need only provide the labor and tools to install our Hurricane Shutters; we take care of the rest. The mechanical hurricane shutters are the most practical as they require very little time and effort to open.

•    Colonial hurricane shutters
Colonial shutters attach to the wall beside each window and fold together as protection. The great thing is that this style of two-louvered shutters are permanently fixed beside the windows and are easy to close leading up to a hurricane. Colonial shutters are also decorative and pleasing to the eye.

•    Bahama hurricane shutters
Bahama shutters attach directly above the windows. The one piece louvered shutters can be used to provide shade and in the event of a storm, can be lowered and secured to the wall.

•    Accordion hurricane shutters
This type of shutters are permanently fixed beside the windows and unfold accordion-style to protect windows during extreme weather or hurricane.

•    Roll-down hurricane shutters
These shutters attach above the window and are one of the most expensive shutter systems. They are permanently fixed above the windows and roll up and store in an enclosed box when they are not in use. These roll-down shutters can be lowered manually (with a handle) or automatically (by push button), and lock in place for storm protection.

•    Storm panel hurricane shutters
These are the most inexpensive of the shutters, but need storage if not in use. There are different styles of these, but basically these aluminium or steel shutters are attached to walls near the windows or doors on bolts and tracks. Storm panels are strong and often hard for one person on their own to handle.

•    Hurricane glass
This is an increasingly popular option as the glass won’t smash if debris from storms or hurricanes hits it. This is a better option if building a new home, but can be quite expensive if having to replace windows in an older house. Of course, an obvious benefit of having hurricane proof glass is that destructive weather shutters are no longer needed and can keep House Cleaning to a minimum.

•    Plywood
Some home owners, who can’t afford the variety of shutter systems available, opt for a variety of Plywood shutters where they basically bolt the wood across their windows when they hear that bad weather is on the way. This is not the recommended way to go, but if the home owner is going to use plywood, they must make sure it is secured properly and ahead of time.

How do you install them?

Whilst some home owners choose to install pre-assembled easy to install shutters, the general recommendation is that all shutters should be properly installed by a professional to ensure that they are safe and effective.

Conclusion

This day and age, Plantation Shutters are the great decorating style of shutters, but Hurricane Shutters are slowly catching up in the home decorating stakes. However the main purpose of course is for protection for your home and family. Well-kept shutters are also considered a great investment as they increase the value of your property.  This in turn makes it much easier for the home owner to sell in the future.