Which are the best hurricane shutters for your house? Well, the answer can be relative as there are many factors to consider while deciding upon the right hurricane protection. However, it could be said that those shutters that are easy to install and use by yourself and fit your budget comfortably are often the best ones for your need. Hurricanes can be extremely unpredictable and when they strike they can catch you unawares leaving very little time for you to use your hurricane protection properly. The ease of operating the shutters is therefore one of the most important consideration while choosing one.
As said above it all depends on your individual requirements and capabilities. Different shutters offer different features and benefits. For someone stronger and younger, a plywood or metallic roll-down shutter could be a good option while for an elderly person a lighter and convenient automated accordion shutter might be a better choice for obvious reasons. Steel panel shutters offer great protection but can be quite hard to install as they are quite heavy. Aluminum panel shutters are lighter but don’t offer as good a protection as the steel ones. Whichever kind of shutters you use, it is important that you get them installed properly from a reliable service.
The simplest answer to this is, as early as you can. You cannot wait until the hurricane to begin your installation. You will not get enough room to do that then. If you are building a house in a hurricane prone region, then the best time to install the shutters is at the time of construction. But if you already have a house and don’t have protective shutters to it, then get them installed from a skilled and qualified service as early as possible. It is also a good thing to practice opening and closing them quickly until you get a hang of it.
You should be as picky about the company that will install the hurricane shutters on your windows as the shutters themselves. The reason is that, installing a hurricane shutter is a skilled and responsible job and can be performed well only by a qualified, experienced and reliable service. Trying to do it yourself or asking some unqualified person to do it for you can be extremely risky if not done properly. Don’t ever underestimate the power of the storm. It can uproot strongest of trees and blow them miles away. Only well-installed shutters will be able to withstand the challenge of the hurricane.
If low budget is your problem then you should go for the most affordable alternatives. Of course, usually you get what you pay for. So being inexpensive may not offer you the best of hurricane protection out there. However, some protection is better than no protection at all. There are affordable options that can offer good protection to you house against hurricanes without digging a hole in your wallet such as the plywood covers. If you use plywood with enough thickness and if you get it installed well by a professional service provider, it will give you excellent protection against hurricanes.