Blog

Outfitting your home with hurricane protection such as hurricane shutters or hurricane screens will give you peace of mind.  It’s like having an extra layer of insurance.  Here’s why.

When our hurricane blew through town there were thousands of severely damaged homes from condominiums, small houses to multi-million dollar homes.  As far as the eye could see businesses such as hotels, convenience stores, restaurants and office supply stores were missing glass doors, windows, garage doors and signage.    When a catastrophic hurricane devastates your community it does not discriminate.  From the poorest communities to million dollar gated communities and everyone in between, everyone on some level will be affected adversely in the aftermath.  It won’t matter how much money you have if demand outweighs the recovery supplies.  There were thousands of homes and businesses that required windows of all different sizes, glass grades, including picture windows, sliding glass doors and front door windows.  The demand was so high that the majority of home owners and businesses had to wait several months before the glass companies could get the glass ordered, let alone, have the new glass installed.  That meant people had to pay premium rates to get their order expedited or risk having their homes and businesses exposed to possible robbery and left unprotected from weather elements.  It took months for most homes to be refitted with glass and sliding glass doors.  Local and regional glass companies were overwhelmed and inundated with calls for help and rush orders.  In addition to getting in glass stock, glass companies had to hire additional workers because the demand was so high.

Purchasing hurricane screens is indeed an investment.  However, the amount you’ll spend on hurricane screens will pay off immensely in lost furniture, broken windows and sliding glass doors and possible medical bills.  During a hurricane if the windows and doors blow open, this will often create a wind tunnel effect similar to a tornado, creating a mess of flying small furniture and any other household objects that aren’t anchored down will be thrown around.  With broken glass, splintered wood and sharp metal everywhere you and your loved ones will be at risk of a severe injuries should any family member slip and fall in glass, creating lacerations or severe medical emergencies.  Protective window and sliding glass door coverings offer peace of mind when a tropical storm or a hurricane is on its way.  When the high pitched screams of a major hurricane and the windows start buckling, you’ll be glad you have hurricane protection.

Hurricane screens or shutters have countless benefits, here are just a few:

1.      Properly installed hurricane screens or shutters help to protect windows and sliding glass doors from breaking due to flying debris, which helps to protect you, your family members and pets from being injured during and after the hurricane.  Obviously no one would want to be injured, and you certainly won’t want to leave your home unattended to seek out medical attention that might not even be available. 

2.      Hurricane screens or shutters pay off over time.  Imagine having to replace all or most of the glass in your home after a hurricane.  This would cost thousands of dollars.  Hurricane screens or shutters are purchased once and will last for decades, if you invest in a high quality coverings it will be a once in a lifetime purchase and will add value to your home in case of resale.  Potential home buyers will know they are buying in hurricane country.  Quality hurricane shutters and screens can range from $3000 USD and higher depending on the size of the home.  So this value added needs to be considered when assessing your property’s value for resale.

3.      Having hurricane protection may lower your insurance.  Be sure to tell your insurance agent that you have hurricane screens or coverings for your home.  This should lower your insurance premiums in some cases.

4.      Left in place, hurricane screens or shutters are an extra layer of security from would be looters and home invaders in case of civil unrest.  Exposed openings or access points will leave you and your family susceptible to break-ins and your situational awareness will always be on high alert.   

5.      Another benefit of hurricane screens is one less cleaning task.  You would spends hours cleaning if any or all of your windows or glass sliding doors break.  Cleaning up glass is time consuming (we spent the first 4 hours after our hurricane cleaning up 1 glass cabinet). 

6.      If you lose some or all of your roofing, the screens will also offer some shade when your home is exposed to full sun during the day.

What to look for in hurricane screen protection:

Are they a reputable business in town and how long have they been in business?  Perform a google, yelp and reviews search to get an idea of who is selling hurricane protection in your community.  Shop around before deciding which type of hurricane screen protection is right for you and your community.

If you live under an HOA, check with the Home Owner’s Association first.  Your HOA may have a safety standards and “look” they will allow.  For instance, many HOA will not allow plywood because it appears unsightly.  In a beach side community, many homeowners are have rental or second vacation homes so they may leave during hurricane season, erecting their hurricane screens and leaving them in place for several months.  Most Home Owner’s Associations have strict standards regarding the look of their communities.

Do your neighbors have hurricane screens or shutters?  If so, ask your neighbors for references.  Are they satisfied with the quality of their hurricane screens or shutters?  What are the pros and cons in your neighbor’s opinion?

Do your research on the company to ensure they have good testimonials, ask for references, photos and look companies up in social media.   Ask the company for failure rates, or quality guarantees.  With a major Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricane threat, a hurricane protection company cannot guarantee that no damage will occur.  They may offer a replacement of screens or materials in some cases.  Some companies even have proof of protection videos with youtube review videos.

Hurricane coverings or screens can get dirty, so may need to be cleaned, dried and folded and stored indoors in a bag for longevity. 

Quality materials:  inspect material, stitching, grommets and corners for excellent workmanship.  Are they Hurricane rated?   

Advantages:  1 person job in under twenty minutes in most average sized homes

Recently we assisted an elderly neighbor in boarding up her home with plywood in preparation for a hurricane.  She simply would not have been able to get her large plywood up by herself.

Wood breaks down over time, it is heavy, bulky and cannot be managed efficiently or quickly unless with two able bodied people.  This makes plywood inconvenient as hurricane protection.  You might have to ask a neighbor or friend for help.   If you do not already have wood in storage, you may find yourself alongside hundreds of other people doing hurricane prep at Lowes or Home Depot.  There will be long line-ups, traffic and lots of prepping the wood before installing.  You’ll need to anchor and erect it properly.  In the long run you will spend more on wood replacing it every few years.  If you live and plan on staying in “hurricane country” it is best to invest reliable and permanent hurricane protection that will make your life easier not harder. 

A real pain in the glass:  Five years later we are still finding broken glass shards in our yard from our hurricane.  Every time we are out gardening and raking, the sun shines revealing a few new pieces each week.  I thought a neighbor was joking when they said we’d be finding glass for years, he wasn’t kidding.