Yes, friends, it’s hurricane season again. Time to stock up on canned goods, map out your evacuation route, and figure out how to protect your home if the big one hits. As a longtime Florida resident, I can tell you one thing – you do NOT want to brave the crowds for water, batteries, and worst of all – plywood – when there’s a storm system threatening your area.
It’s easy enough to buy some extra bottled water and batteries, but how about protecting your home? There are a variety of different hurricane shutter options available, and what’s best for you depends a lot on your budget, and who’s going to be putting them up and taking them down. Here’s a breakdown of the different types of shutter available on the market today:
- Made from: Aluminum
- Ease of operation: Very easy and convenient, motorization available
- Maximum opening: 16′ W x 10′ H
- Can be operated from inside the structure: Yes
- Meets latest building codes: Yes
- Pros: Can be operated from inside or outside of building
- Cons: Expensive
- Price range: $16 to $40 per square foot
- Made from: Aluminum
- Ease of operation: Easy to open and close from outside
- Maximum opening: 72″ W x 192″ H
- Close & secure from inside building: Colonial, no. Most Bahama shutters, also no, but some can be made with special inside closure.
- Meets current building codes: Yes
- Pros: Strong and attractive – enhances beauty of your home
- Cons: Can only be opened and closed from the outside (unless specially made Bahama shutters)
- Price range: $12 – $28 per sq. ft. of shutter
- Made from: Aluminum
- Ease of operation: Easy operation inside or outside
- Maximum opening: Unlimited W x 12′ H
- Close & secure from inside building: Yes
- Meets latest building codes: Yes
- Pros: Easy operation and strong
- Cons: Maximum visual impact on architectural look of property (a nice way of saying they’re ugly, but very strong!)
- Price range: $12 – $18 per sq. ft. of shutter
- Made from: Steel, aluminum or clear polycarbonate
- Ease of operation: Time consuming to put up and remove. Panels can get lost.
- Maximum opening: Unlimited W x 12′ H
- Close & secure from inside building: No
- Meets latest building codes: Yes
- Pros: Strong and inexpensive
- Cons: Time consuming to put up and take down
- Price range: $5 – $10 per sq. ft. of shutter
- Made from: Lightweight geo synthetic fabric with properties similar to Kevlar
- Ease of operation: Simple to install, no heavy lifting
- Maximum opening: Unlimited W x 13’ H
- Close & secure from inside building: No
- Meets latest building codes: Yes
- Pros: Economical, allows light and visibility, folds easily for storage in included bag
- Cons: Protects structure, but windows can break if struck with wind-borne missile
- Price range: $6 – $20 per sq. ft. of shutter
Clearly, all of these are a better option than plywood! Hurricane shutters won’t rot, warp or get lost, and all are much easier to install (not to mention, you get to avoid that potential fist fight at Home Depot). And most importantly, they do a MUCH better job of protecting and securing your home and valuables. True, some shutters are prettier than others – show us yours!