How to Install Hurricane Shutters

Anyone who lives in a hurricane zone knows the sense of urgency that arises when a hurricane is heading for landfall. Plywood installed on windows provides some measure of comfort, but it's only a temporary solution that must be installed and taken down with each storm. Plus, plywood is often in short supply in those waning hours before the hurricane. 

Hurricane shutters are a far better, long-term solution that substantially increase your margin of safety. Hurricane shutters close up your house faster than sheeting it with plywood—providing impact- and pressure-damage protection for your windows and the entire home.

Types of Hurricane Shutters

Along with plywood, the most popular types of hurricane shutters are accordion-style, colonial, Bahama, storm panels, and roll-down.

Accordion Shutters

Metal or polycarbonate accordion shutters fold up along the sides of the window frame when not in use. When needed, the shutters pull across the window and lock into place with pins. Accordion shutters can gather entirely on one side and pull across or they can be split up, with the two sides meeting in the middle.

Accordion hurricane shutters are simple to open and close. But some homeowners steer away from them because they narrow the view through the window.

Colonial Shutters

Louvered door–style colonial hurricane shutters evoke visions of New Orleans or Key West. Whether that's your intention or not, it's undisputed that colonial shutters do rate high on the aesthetic scale.

It's easy and quick to close colonial shutters when a hurricane is on its way, but securing them with the central locking rod can add to the preparation time. When they aren't being used, colonial-style hurricane shutters remain open and secured against the side of the house.

Bahama Shutters

Bahama shutters are hinged like doors. But unlike colonial-style shutters, the hinge is at the top. When not in use, the bottom of this single panel tilts outward and upward, permitting breezes and providing shade.

Bahama shutters are great for windows that are in need of shade; they significantly reduce heat gain in the house. Yet they can obstruct the view through the window.

Storm Panels

Metal or polycarbonate storm panels attach to the outside of the house with bolts or by sliding them into tracks pre-attached to the home's siding. Think of storm panels as a far more evolved version of plywood protection.

Storm panels go up faster than plywood on pre-installed bolts or metal channels. They're lighter than plywood; they're thinner, so they store more compactly; and they're even less expensive than plywood.

Storm panels are solely about protecting your home and have no aesthetic positives. Once the storm has passed, the storm panels come down and are stored away in the garage or an outbuilding.

Roll-Down Shutters

With roll-down shutters, a flexible shutter (called a curtain) made of polycarbonate plastic or aluminum rolls out of an upper box and covers the window. Rails on each side of the window guide the curtain and help to stiffen it and hold it in place.

Roll-down shutters can be rolled up and down either with internal electric motors or manually with hand cranks.

Roll-down shutters deploy fairly quickly, even by hand. They fully cover the window and are code-approved in most municipalities (though check to make sure). The downside is the sizeable shutter housing unit located above the window.

How to Choose Hurricane Shutters

Consider strength, appearance, and ease of operation when shopping for hurricane shutters.

Strength 

Polycarbonate and aluminum roll-down shutters, accordion shutters, and storm panels are highly rated materials for withstanding hurricane and tropical storm damage. Though it can be difficult to source and install when it's needed, plywood presents a formidable challenge to most gale-force winds.

Appearance

Removable hurricane shutters generally return your house to its original appearance, post-storm. Plywood leaves screw holes that must be filled in. Storm panels leave either protruding bolts or tracks.

Of the hurricane shutters that remain on the house, two are the most obtrusive: accordion shutters and roll-down shutters. Colonial and Bahama shutters can enhance your home's appearance.

Ease and Speed of Operation

Much is happening in those final hours before the storm makes landfall; putting up hurricane shutters is only one of your tasks. So, they need to go up quickly and safely.

Easiest to put into operation are accordion, colonial, Bahama, and roll-down shutters. Plywood and storm panels take more time to put into place.

When to Install Hurricane Shutters

For areas near the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico, hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30. Install your hurricane shutters months in advance of hurricane season. 

Assume a comfortable installation rate of one window per day for masonry homes and two windows per day for wood-framed structures. Multiply by the number of windows on your home to arrive at the total installation time, allowing for rest days.

Codes and Permits

Hurricane shutters must meet International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) standards. Depending on where you live, local building codes may have additional standards for High-Velocity Hurricane Zones (HVHZ) or Non-High Velocity Hurricane Zones (Non-HVHZ).

Safety Considerations

Hurricane shutters must provide egress: a safe means of escape from the inside to the outside. When purchasing hurricane shutters, make sure that they have egress locks accessible from the inside.