How to Build and Install Hurricane Shutters | Home Improvement

By andor kovacs80
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How to Build and Install Hurricane Shutters

Hurricane shutters are attached to a house for protection against cyclones. They are usually made from either steel or aluminum; some of them are fixed to a small motor so as to make it automatic and for more effective protection. The different types of hurricane shutters in use are:

1. Panel shutters: usually formed by heat and looks corrugated in shape, it is fixed directly to the structure through screws.
2. Accordion shutter: made of vertical blades which join together horizontally
3. Rolling shutters.
4.
Wholesale and retail level shutters are also available to suit every need and for protecting every home. Building a hurricane shutter is of prime importance, more so in places like Miami and Dade County where hurricanes are common place. The information required to build a hurricane shutter is listed below: -

The constructional needs and the amount of materials may show a slight variation from house to house; this article is written with a typical residential window in mind. The first thing you would need is CDX grade exterior plywood. Measure the size of your window and mark it on the plywood. Cut at least 6 inches wider and 6 inches taller to provide over hanging support to the window. Next, the shutter needs to be installed on the frame of the house. For this installation you would require a electric drill, a head bit, and some screws. Locate the studs of the frame carefully and drill screws right through the center of it, it should be done below, above, to the left and to the right of the frame so as to provide maximum stability to the shutter. In the absence of a drill you can as well use a hammer to drive nails through the plywood. When the building is made of concrete using an electric drill make holes of equal size all around the perimeter, then drill holes in the plywood which exactly match the holes in concrete. Then just fasten it using bolts and washers. Ensure that the holes are 2 to 3 inches away from the edge to prevent breaking or chipping of concrete.

You can also install hurricane panels instead of shutters as these provide for better protection from hurricane season, especially in high rise buildings where the force of the cyclone is multiplied due to the height of the buildings. To start installing panels first mark the levels on either side of the window, then measure the hurricane panels and then the window, then a bit of calculation is required for finding the perfect spot to drill, on this spot the storm panel hardware is mounted. Drill using a threaded head part and then apply zinc inert. Next put in the hardware, this will lock in with the concrete. The final step involves screwing of the sidewalk bolts so as to anchor the paneling.

If you are not good at handling tools then do not hesitate to call an installation expert as safety is important in south Florida

About the Author

andor kovacs is the author of this article on hurricane shutters. Find out more information about this article at hurricane panels here.

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