All people who live in hurricane areas can testify that storm shutters can significantly reduce the damage caused by all that debris flying around at huge speeds, therefore gaining the force of impact of a missile.  Windows, especially big ones, are very exposed during hurricanes and storms, because they can easily break, thus being a real menace to people inside the respective house.

When windows break, another phenomenon happens: wind gets inside the rooms, it accumulated pressure, then it has to get out, thus putting a lot of pressure on the doors and on the roof itself. This is a simple explanation of how roofs can be taken by the wind during powerful storms. If you want, you could say that your roof was torn from the house because you didn’t think to install storm shutters at your windows.

Storm Shutters Types

Bahama hurricane shutters: they are fixed permanently to the windows and they prop open. When preparing for the storm, the home owner only needs to lower the shutters and secure them to the wall. They have the great advantage of being easily made storm-ready, but they block light to enter your rooms even when they are open. Some people may like that, some others may not.

Roll-down storm shutters: as the name says, these shutters are rolling in a case placed above the window, when not in use. These shutters have two possibilities of getting lowered, either with a manual crank or automatically, by pushing a button which operates a small motor. They are very convenient because they are permanently attached to the windows, thus not needing storage space when not in use. They offer very good protection to both storms and burglars, but they are more expensive than other types of storm shutters, therefore not all people can afford them.

Colonial hurricane shutters: made of two separate parts, they attach on the house wall, on both sides of the windows. They fold together for storm protection. They are easy to use and very decorative. Some models require a center storm rod to lock them in place, therefore increasing the storm preparation time.

Storm panel shutters: these are the simplest and the cheapest storm protection means for windows and doors. Made of steel or aluminum, these panels attach to the walls on bolts or on tracks, thus covering the windows and doors. They offer solid protection, but you need to allocate some storage space for them when not in use. Another drawback is that a single person cannot handle them, so hanging them requires two people and longer storm preparation time.

Homeowners who can’t buy storm shutters, but are exposed to hurricanes use plywood hurricane shutters, despite the fact that these systems are not meeting most building regulations. Plywood shutters need a very long installation time, so one has to be prepared to work a lot when a storm is announced. However, they are many times cheaper than regular storm shutters and there are people who live on tight budgets.

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