Hurricane shutters are a necessity if you live anywhere near a coastline. Your home needs protection from the elements, especially tropical storms. Hurricane force winds can devastate a house and blow in the windows, causing waves of water to rush in and destroy all of your possessions. Hurricane shutters also protect the windows form flying objects blown around by the high force winds.
Sure, you can store particle board by the slat in your garage and nail them up when the red warning flags go up. But that is time consuming and can rip the window frames. It usually takes several people. You have to climb ladders, haul up the pieces of wood and nail them to your windows. Then after the storm, you have to climb the ladder, rip out the nails, take down the particle board, if it is salvageable, and figure our where to store it in a waterproof area. Investing in hurricane shutters is in the long run a much better plan of action.
If you live within 30 miles of a coastline in from Florida to Maine or California to Washington State, or along the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida, hurricane shutters are highly recommended as a first line of defense against tropical and hurricane force winds. You never know when one will be headed your direction. It is better to be prepared.
Hurricane shutters can add retail value to your home. Purchasing them may even get you a discount in your home insurance policy payments. You need to verify that with your agent. When you have these shutters installed, it lets people know you care about your house, you want to protect it’s contents and you take the maintenance of your home seriously. There are several varieties:
Storm panel shutters come in steel or aluminum and close over the windows Some use tracks to slide the panels over the windows. Others just used bolts to secure the shutters over the windows. Panels, like wood do require storage. So even though they are the least expensive at $7-$10 dollars a square foot, they are a hassle to take on and off.
Accordion shutters permanently attach to the sides of the windows, but are often not very aesthetically pleasing. Still, they are very effective and cost between $16-$20 per square foot.
The colonial slatted variety are expensive, but also the most pleasing looking shutters. They are easy to put in place by one person and takes about 15-45 minutes to secure an entire house full of windows. They run between $18-$30 per square foot to purchase.
Roll down shutters store in a box directly above the window similar to a shade, just a heck of a lot stronger. They even come with an automatic, battery operated mechanism that lowers them at a push of a button. The most expensive of all, they run around $35- $50 per square foot. They are also the most vandal proof, which can be worth considering when you have to evacuate.
Finally there are Bahama-style shutters that are made of metal and are permanently attached to the top of the windows. When open they act as a sort of awning . They are held open by bars then are easy to close and bolt shut when the wind warnings come. They cost about the same as the colonial hurricane shutters but are not as strong.
Whichever style you choose, hurricane shutters area worthwhile investment. The home is the single most expensive investment most people will ever make. Hurricane shutters give you a peace of mind that in times of high winds and water, it is well protected.