Protecting your home from hurricanes can feel overwhelming, especially when comparing shutters, impact windows, fabric systems, and other storm-protection options. Our frequently asked questions cover the most common concerns homeowners have about hurricane protection, including product types, installation, maintenance, building requirements, and choosing the right solution for your property. Explore the answers below to learn how Storm Shielder helps homeowners throughout Tampa Bay prepare for severe weather with reliable, professionally installed hurricane-protection systems.
General Hurricane Protection
Do I really need hurricane shutters?
Hurricane shutters help protect your home from wind-driven debris, broken windows, water intrusion, and structural damage. Once a window breaks during a storm, internal pressure can increase significantly and lead to more severe damage throughout the home.
What is the best way to protect my home during a hurricane?
The most effective protection typically includes securing all windows, doors and any other openings to the interior of your home with either impact-rated products or code-approved hurricane shutters. A comprehensive protection plan may also include garage door reinforcement or replacement and proper roof-to-wall connections.
Are hurricane shutters required in Florida?
Newly constructed homes in Florida are required to meet specific wind-load and impact-resistance requirements. The exact requirements depend on the home's location, age and applicable building codes. Though there are specifically identified zones in Florida that require new homes to be hardened for hurricanes, in general, these zones are near the state’s coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf.
Hurricane Shutters vs. Impact Windows
Are hurricane shutters as effective as impact-rated windows?
Both products are designed to protect your home from hurricane-force winds and flying debris. However, there is no singularly “right” solution. For example, shutters are generally made of materials like aluminum or fabric that have been tested to withstand storms, but they must be deployed ahead of time. Windows, on the other hand, are always ready for a storm, but in fierce driving rain they may leak or need replacement if the outer pane of “sacrificial glass” is struck during a storm. The best options will depend on your budget, home's design and convenience preferences. Some homeowners even purchase additional hurricane protection to deploy in front of their impact-rated windows.
Is hurricane protection less expensive than impact windows?
In many cases, hurricane shutters and panels provide similar storm protection at a lower upfront investment than replacing all windows with impact-rated glass.
Can I have both impact windows and hurricane shutters?
Yes. Many homeowners choose impact windows for everyday protection and shutters for added security during major hurricanes. Further, some homeowners are concerned that it may be difficult to find available contractors to repair damage to their home after a storm, so they look to protect their window frames and outer windowpanes (also referred to as “sacrificial glass”)
Types of Hurricane Protection
What types of hurricane shutters or protection are available?
We categorize hurricane protection into three types: Deployable, Permanent and Impact-rated glass. Deployable protection involves anchors being installed on each side of or above and below the opening to be protected, and the protection itself is stored in a garage, shed or someplace inside the home. When a storm is approaching the homeowner will need to retrieve the protection and affix it to the anchors with wingnuts or sidewalk bolts that were provided at the time of installation. Deployable protection generally consists of corrugated panels made of aluminum, steel or clear, see-through polycarbonate. Deployable protection can also be panels of woven polyurethane screen (sometimes including synthetic fibers of aramid which is the generic word for Kevlar), or other fabric.
Permanent hurricane protection is affixed to the home or other building year-round, so for this reason it can generally be deployed quickly. Available permanent protection options are Accordion shutters, Bahama (or Bermuda) shutters, Colonial shutters, and Roll-down shutters which can have protectionary curtains made of either aluminum slats or woven polyurethane screen.
Impact Glass are windows and sliding glass (and other doors) that look and operate like regular windows. But, they have an additional double pane of glass with a laminate layer in the middle that has been tested to withstand hurricane winds and debris.
Each option offers different benefits regarding appearance, cost, convenience, and deployment time.
What are accordion shutters?
Accordion shutters are permanently mounted around a window or door and are installed with vertical aluminum stacks on each side of the opening. When needed, they can be deployed by reaching each side and pulling them together to be locked in the middle. They are one of the most popular choices because they provide strong protection and can be closed in seconds. Additionally, depending on which direction the windows or doors open, they can often be secured and locked from either inside or outside the home.