What Are the Most Common Types of Storm Shutters?

12/29/2020 (Permalink)

Protect Your Windows From High Winds

When there’s a storm on the horizon, it’s important to protect your home’s windows from being damaged by high winds and flying debris. There are many ways to safeguard your windows if Aurora, IL, is in a storm’s path.

Temporary Options

Some storm protection methods are temporary; you only put them up for storms. These methods cost less than permanent options, but they require more time and effort to install when a storm is approaching:

Plywood: The most inexpensive method of protection is cutting plywood panels to fit your windows. To be effective, they must be thick enough and installed correctly.
Fabric Screen: These are sheets of strong, storm-rated material that attach to the outside of your windows using clips or grommets. They’re lightweight and easier to install than plywood.
Storm Panels: These panels are made from aluminum, steel, or polycarbonate and bolt over the outside of your windows. They are typically lighter and easier to install than plywood.

Permanent Options
Some types of storm shutters are permanently affixed to the outside of your windows. They are more costly than temporary methods but once installed can be put into place much more quickly:

Bahama: These decorative shutters are permanently attached to the top of a window, like large awnings. They can be quickly bolted closed when high winds are predicted.
Accordion: These window coverings are hinged, like an accordion, and are typically made of aluminum, steel or polycarbonate. They fold up into a box that’s permanently attached to one side of a window, and you pull them across the window and lock them into place.
Colonial: These hinged shutters attach to both sides of a window and can be latched together across the window.
Roll-Down: These coverings are mounted above a window. They roll into place along tracks that are mounted on both sides of the window.

Protecting your home’s windows from high winds involves an investment of time and money. However, when you consider the possibility of extensive storm damage restoration or even the loss of your home, storm shutters are worth the cost.