Better Exterior Shutters » hurricane shutters

Accordion Shutters

admin — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:43:00 +0000

Accordion shutters are a type of shutter used for hurricane protection that are made of aluminum and come in a variety of different styles and colors to match the decor of your home. Designed for residential use, these shutters address the growing need for hurricane protection in areas that are susceptible to tropical storms. Because they are easy to use and strong against the force of hurricanes and windstorms, many residents of areas including Florida and Louisiana are installing accordion shutters in their home for added protection. Because experts and analysts predict an increase in the number of hurricanes that will hit the nation, proactive homeowners are investing in shutters and having them installed professionally. If you are in the process of installing accordion shutters, it is important to do your research and find the right shutters and a licensed general contractor to perform the installation.

When you are shopping the market for the right accordion shutters, you will notice there are several sophisticated options available. With the ability to provide homeowners with a sleek and stylish texture, these shutter applications have become a premier choice for not only protecting your home, but also adding style. When you are comparing shutters, it is important to find treatment systems that are customized to fit your window sizes. In order to make your home storm ready, it is important to have these shutters professionally installed.

Most home improvement contractors are trained and experienced in the installation of hurricane shutter systems. When you are comparing contractors, consider how long the contractor has been in business and if they are licensed in the state in which they operate. While most general contractors are licensed, it is important to avoid individuals who are performing contracting services on the side. While they may offer low prices, they are not required to pass state licensing tests to operate and they may not have adequate experience to install shutters properly.

If you are unsure where to begin your search for the right contractor, start asking neighbors or friends and family who installed their shutters. Word of mouth is the best source to find a quality contractor. By doing the right amount of research, you can find a trustworthy contractor with experience in the installation of hurricane shutters. Receive estimates and check around the neighborhood to make the most cost-effective investment. Once your accordion-style shutters are installed, you will notice how much they improve your existing design elements on the exterior of your home.

Roller Exterior Shutters

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:12:40 +0000

Roller shutters are one of the more popular choices for exterior shutters due to their ease of use and strong durability. Generally made out of a metal, such as aluminum, roller shutters are popularly used for hurricane shutters but have several other uses as well.

Roller shutters are one of the stronger and more durable exterior shutters choices, making them great for use as hurricane shutters. When the shutters are rolled down, they create a solid barrier over the window or door, making it very difficult for anything to pass through them. There are no cracks or separate parts for wind or debris to target and it would take an incredible amount of power to force an object right through the roller shutters.

The main drawback to roller shutters is the big, bulky box that is used to store the shutter when it’s not in use. This box fits right on top of the window or door and is more or less permanent, so you have this big box hanging around even when you don’t need the shutter. Due to this, roller shutters are often used only for protecting larger objects, such as sliding glass doors and bay windows. Using them to cover every window of your house would look pretty odd and wouldn’t do much for the overall decor of your home or condo.

Photo by sun dazed

Maintaining your roller shutters is really pretty simple. They are made out of alloys, so they won’t rust, and there aren’t a ton of things that can go wrong with them. Inspecting the shutters after use, to make sure they haven’t been too badly damaged by a storm, and a regular yearly inspection should be plenty. Check for any cracks in the metal or any places that might have become worn. If you have a motorized roller shutter, check that the motor works by unrolling and rolling the shutter once or twice a year. It can also help to oil the hinges when you check the motor. If the motor ever dies, chances are good that there is a hand-crank backup, so you could still get the shutter out if needed. A professional would most likely have to come out and inspect the motor to be able to fix it.

Cost for roller shutters varies with the size of the area you are trying to cover, but you can generally find an un-motorized version for around $100 that is large enough to cover a standard sliding glass door, and motorized versions of the same size will run you about $200 or so.

Hurricane Shutters

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:27:49 +0000

Hurricane shutters are a special type of exterior shutters that are used almost exclusively in coastal areas to protect the windows and doors of your home from tropical storm and hurricane force winds. While regular exterior shutters can do a fine job protecting most homes and windows, if you’re in an area that often gets hurricanes or tropical storms you’ll definitely want to look into some hurricane shutters. There are several different types and styles of hurricane shutters, but they all work in the same basic manner: a panel or covering of some sort extends or folds over the window or door, providing a much stronger barrier to wind, rain and flying debris than the window by itself would provide.

The easiest and most cost effective method of putting up hurricane shutters is to buy some plywood sheets or hurricane panels and hang them over your windows or doors, as you can see in the picture below. The advantages of doing this are the low cost, and the fact that it can be done rather quickly, which is handy if you get caught unaware by an oncoming storm. The disadvantages of it are pretty obvious: you have to manually put up and take down the covers for every storm, and they aren’t going to last very long, so you’ll be buying more panels probably at least every year. This method works well if you have a garden building in the backyard. You probably won’t be able to find fitted shutters to protect a shed or garden building, so just go with some plywood planks.

Photo by Bob B. Brown

Among the more permanent solutions for hurricane shutters are roller shutters, Bahama shutters, Colonial shutters and accordion shutters. Roller shutters generally provide some of the best protection for your home, but they also look kinda bad when you’re not using them. The shutter is stored in a big box that is installed above your door or windows, and then rolls down out of the box over the window when you need it. The box is pretty much permanent and doesn’t do much to add to the decor of your home.

Bahama and Colonial shutters are other hurricane shutter options that can actually look nice when they are not being used. Both of these shutters feature a panel that swings shut to cover the window when needed, and can act much like a normal shutter when not needed. Colonial shutters are attached to the side of the window and swing side-to-side, while Bahama shutters (pictured below) are attached above the window and swing down to cover it. Both of these shutters can also serve to block sunlight from coming into the window, as well as their primary function, making them useful in more than one way.

Photo by colemama

Lastly, accordion shutters are another hurricane shutters option. These shutters act much like vertical blinds and gather at one side of the window or door on a railing that extends above the window. When you need to use them, you simply pull them out and across the window and put them back when you don’t need them.