Hurricane Shutters

With words like "Katrina" and "levees" now fixtures of our national discourse, the need for hurricane preparation has never been as discussed as it is today. Hurricane shutters are a significant part of what individual homeowners can do to protect themselves from storm damage. Here's a brief list of hurricane shutter types and the advantages each style has to offer.

Accordion Hurricane Shutters
Accordion hurricane shutters feature a track and wheel gliding system that allows you to slide them out of the way when not in use. The panels are made of interlocking blades that provide storm protection and even theft protection if closed with a lock and key.

The downside of accordion hurricane shutters is that they're not even remotely decorative. However, they're cheaper than any of the alternatives except for storm panels.

Bahama Hurricane Shutters
Bahama hurricane shutters are one-piece shutters with fixed louvers. Though permanent, Bahama shutters can be slid out and upwards using a top hinge and fixed or telescopic arms attached to the panel bottom. Bahama hurricane shutters can be made storm-ready very easily, but when not in use they may block the window more than you would like.

Storm Panel Hurricane Shutters
Storm panel hurricane shutters offer some great advantages and notable disadvantages. First the good news. Storm panels are the cheapest of all hurricane shutter styles. They can be removed when hurricane season is over to give you full use of your windows. They're also very strong and resistant.

The down side? Storm panels take longer than all other hurricane shutters to set up. Plus positioning storm panels is not a one-person job, and in an emergency you're going to want an assistant.

Roll-Down Hurricane Shutters
Roll-down hurricane shutters (the more optimistic among us call them roll-up hurricane shutters) offer the best combination of function and decorative style. They're also the most expensive hurricane shutters, but then cost is the only downside to roll-downs.

Roll-down shutters are permanent, but they're easily stored in an unobtrusive housing that sits atop the window. Manual or automatic closing systems are available. Roll-downs are the fastest of all hurricane shutters to set up, and they're also great for privacy, noise reduction, and theft deterrence.

Hurricane Glass
A low-maintenance option that some people choose over hurricane shutters is hurricane glass. Hurricane glass eliminates the need for hurricane shutters while still allowing you to get all the benefits of an unshuttered window. Hurricane glass requires an installer and will cost you more than the alternatives, but when hurricane season comes around, your windows will already be prepared.