You love your home by the beach! It’s calming, comfortable, and the perfect home for you and your family. The last thing you want is for the hurricane shutters to reduce your home to timbers.

These days, it seems like hurricanes get stronger and stronger each year. Research shows that 3 out of 4 of the costliest hurricanes made landfall in the United States in the last 2 years!

You may have noticed that your neighbors put up sliding shutters on their windows as a storm approaches. Do they help? Is it worth the cost of buying hurricane shutters for your home?

What Are Hurricane Shutters?

The technical definition of storm shutters is anything used to cover and protect windows on a building from damage due to high winds and/or flying debris. So, putting plywood up on your windows is a form of storm shutter.

If you want to buy hurricane shutters meant to go up over your windows for storm protection, those are most often made with plastic or metal. These engineered storm shutters are easy enough to install by yourself, but you can also hire a professional company to install them for you.

We put together a great guide to explain what storm shutters are, how they work, and who needs them. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know!

Different Kinds of Shutters on the Market

There are a few different variations of storm shutter available to the consumer right now. Each kind of shutter has pros and cons, so choose the best storm shutter for your budget and house situation.

1. Plywood

Yes, plywood is a cheap and quick way to board up your windows in case of a major storm. Not only will they not break the bank, but in most cases, one person can put them up alone. But, as we discussed earlier, it is not the most efficient way to protect your home.

If you have any windows larger than a standard sheet of plywood, or a projecting window like a bay window, the plywood will not cover the entire window.

It is hard to Secure Plywood

Also, it is an exterior wall and many of these boards come dislodged when wind gusts sheer across them. Any areas not secured could end up damaged or destroyed during the storm.

On top of all that, you’ll need a place to store all those boards when not in use, unless you intend to buy new ones for every potential storm.

2. Fabric Panels

If you want something that won’t make the interior of your home pitch black, you should check out the high tech fabric panels available now! These panels won’t break the bank and allow some light to filter through into your home while protecting the windows.

The main problem with these hurricane shutters is that the fabric can get scratched by any flying debris, damaging the panel and its ability to protect the window underneath. Also, some customers report that these shutters fog up and further obscure the incoming light.

3. Colonial Shutters

This style of shutter comes in 2 pieces and looks like a louvered shutter that attaches to the wall next to each window. When needed, the shutters fold together to protect the window from damage.

This is a very attractive form of storm shutter and they’re permanent, so there’s no need to store them elsewhere after the storm.

Keep in mind that these hurricane shutters are a more high-end option and you may need to add extra bracing to secure the windows from high-speed winds.

4. Accordion Shutters

These hurricane shutters install next to your windows and/or doors in either one-piece or two pieces (one on each side) and made of polycarbonate or metal. When you need them, the shutters pull out and lock into place.

But, these are not meant to look good, so if appearance is important to you, this may not be the best option.

5. Roll Down Shutters

If you like high tech gadgets, these are the shutters for you! Install the shutters above your window or door and the shutters will roll down at the push of a button! Roll down shutters are so secure that you can also use them as protection from burglary!

They aren’t cheap though and you will also need a battery back-up so you can raise and lower the shutters if the power goes out. It’s always better to be safe and informed instead of not preparing and regretting it later.

Do You Need to Protect Your Home From a Hurricane Shutters Threat?

So, who needs to have some kind of storm shutter and who can afford not to buy them? The answer is, pretty much everyone should own storm protection for their windows.

If you own a home, you may want to have storm shutters, no matter the location of your home. Those who own homes in coastal or plains regions of the country should make sure they have some kind of storm shutters because they’re at frequent risk of hurricane shutters.

Even if you don’t live in an area at risk of hurricane shutters in a normal year, you should at least familiarize yourself with these tips for preparing your home in case of a rogue hurricane.

You Can’t Calm the Storm, but You Can Calm Yourself Until the Storm Passes

No matter which hurricane shutters you choose, make sure you and your family are out of harm’s way. Hurricanes are no joke and people die in almost every storm!

With that said, once you settle in to ride out the storm, the best thing you can do is to keep calm. If tragedy should strike, you’ll need a cool head so you can make rational decisions.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article and that you learned a thing or two about how storm shutters protect your home in the event of a hurricane shutters. If you need more information about home improvement and much more, check out the rest of our posts today!