Hurricane Shutters

When the winds from a hurricane enter a broken out window, they rush into your home and then, eventually, of course, hit a wall. As there’s no going backwards for these winds, they are looking for some other route of escape. The more wind that rushes in, the more the pressure inside your home builds.

In addition to the wind rushing straight into your home, you have wind rushing over the top of it. This wind, of course, is doing it’s best to suck the roof right off the top of the house. The wind rushing into the broken windows is also looking for a way out, remember, and since it can’t go backwards, it tries to go up. Therefore, in effect, you get wind pushing your roof skyward from underneath, while more wind is sucking it in the same direction from above. While two heads may be better than one, two types of winds working on the same objective are nothing but trouble for a homeowner in a hurricane.

And, of course, there is also the issue of water from all the rain that enters the house. Even if you have left the area, you surely don’t want to come back to all the mess that a hurricane can leave in its wake. Investigating all the different options you have with hurricane shutters should be your first step in preventing such a disaster.
 
Below is a quick look at the most popular types of hurricane shutters and other types of window protection. Each section can be clicked on for more information.

Accordion Shutters

Accordion shutters typically come in one or two pieces. As their name indicates, they unfold accordion-like from either one or both sides of the window. Accordion shutters, like every other kind of shutters, have both their positive points and their drawbacks.

Bahama Shutters

Bahama shutters are one-piece shutters that typically are affixed at the top of the window and then is propped open from the bottom. Typically these types of shutters are found in tropical areas where the sunlight is strong and a more or less consisten shading device is desired.

Colonial Shutters

Colonial shutters are perhaps what we think of most when we think of “shutters.” Colonial shutters sit affixed to either side of a window and fold together as a double door would to cover the window. Of course some houses may have “fake” colonial shutters that don’t actually fold over the window, but what we need to consider are actual, working shutters.

Plywood Hurricane Protection

Although putting plywood over windows and doors in expectation of a hurricane does not meet hurricane codes in most areas, we all see it done again and again every hurricane season. If you have not installed shutters of some type and plywood is your last resort, you need to make sure it is installed correctly.

Rolling Shutters

Rolling shutters are shutters that are affixed at the top of your windows and roll down when you want to make your home storm ready. Rolling shutters are one of the most popular forms of shutters used for hurricane proofing. There are a number of reasons for this. One is that they are easy to use once installed. They can be installed on an existing home or built in during construction. They can be “hidden” from view in most cases until they are rolled down. And some models come in a motorized version.

Storm Panels

Storm panels are corrugated steel or aluminum panels that go onto a track system or onto bolts around your windows and doors. Generally, each panel in the system overlaps with the one beside it. Of all the “permanent” storm shutter options, storm panels are the least expensive. Although “permanent,” storm panels are normally put away in storage when not in use. The “permanent” aspect of them refers to the tracks or bolts which they are attached to when making a house storm-ready.

Storm Windows

When we talk about storm windows, of course we don’t mean just regular storm windows, but rather, storm windows with hurricane window glass that is built to withstand hurricane winds. The glass in these specialty storm windows is said to withstand not only hurricane winds, but flying debris as well.