HOME PROTECTION: Hurricane shutters help minimize damage

The time to start thinking about protecting your home from hurricanes is long before a storm hits. Although we’ve officially been in “hurricane season” since June, the “peak” is considered to be from August through October, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. So if you haven’t considered installing hurricane shutters, now is the time to do so.

Kure Beach resident Bill Hall has already done his research. When he and his wife bought their oceanfront home in 2002, the previous owner had already installed metal storm panels. But Hall couldn’t imagine putting up and taking down the unwieldy hunks of metal every season, so he sought a more permanent solution.

Hall covered the north and east sides of his house (where locals told him the wind would be worse) with rollup shutters, which can be lowered and raised either with an electric remote control or, if the power is out, with a manual crank.

Shuttering the two sides of his house, he said, cost $40,000, “and I only paid $24,000 for my first home.”

Still, he said it was worth it when Ophelia hit in 2005. Unlike most hurricanes that torment our area, Ophelia hit once then came back for a second round. The Halls noticed water from horizontal blowing rain seeping in between their windows on the non-shuttered sides. “Just like someone standing there with a firehose,” Hall said.

He decided to outfit the other two sides of the house with less expensive but just as effective metal accordion shutters. From the road, passersby can’t really tell his home is any different from his neighbors who opt for plywood.

But, from what Hall says, the shutters make all the difference in the world.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, window and door coverings can mean the difference between a house that is damaged and one that is unlivable. It could also mean the difference between preserving personal belongings and watching them blow all over the neighborhood.

Before purchasing, do your research and tailor your decision to your own needs. Here are some frequently asked questions to get you started.

Will hurricane shutters really protect my home?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says they will. Keeping the “building envelope” intact (that means no window or door breakage) during a windstorm is “vital” to the structural integrity of a home. If that envelope is broken, sudden pressurization of the interior can cause major structural damage, such as roof loss, and will lead to significant interior damage.

In other words, you could blow your top.

Can’t I get away with some tape or plywood?

Plywood, sure. Tape? No way.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tape is a waste of effort, time and, well, tape. It provides little strength to the glass and no protection against flying debris. Plus, who wants to scrape that stuff off on a humid day?

But plywood is an acceptable alternative, according to NOAA, if it is installed properly. Any shutter is only as good as the quality of their installation.

Homeowners should use 5/8 or 3/4 inch exterior grade plywood and 3- or 4-inch heavy duty barrel bolts.

For a small or medium size window, only four barrel bolts are needed -- one for each side or two each on the left- and right-hand sides. Large windows need additional bolts. A good rule of thumb is to use one bolt every two feet or so.

A good fit is important for the window to be protected. It is helpful to mark the top of each plywood panel and which side should face out. Also write on the panel which window or door it is meant to cover.

Screw the barrel bolts to the panel, place the plywood up against the window, and mark where each barrel bolt slides up against the wall. Once the marks have been made, remove the panel and drill the bolt holes into the window recess (not the wall). Use a drill bit just large enough to accommodate the bolt. The fit will be tight enough that a gentle tap with a hammer is usually needed to fasten the bolt.

For panels covering very large areas, such as sliding glass doors, you can connect additional pieces of plywood with 2-by-4s or even a full-length piano hinge to make the panel easier to fold, handle and store.

Once your panels are done you may waterproof them with a coat of varnish or paint.

What types of shutters do I have to choose from?

Commercially made shutters come in several styles and are made of different materials.

You can see automatic rolldown shutters on many homes in Carolina and Wrightsville beaches. These are made of PVC or metal and roll up and down on tracks at either side of the window. They operate similar to mini-blinds. When not in use, they roll up into a box.

Accordion shutters operate much like rolldown shutters except they roll to either side of the window like Venetian blinds, instead of from top to bottom. The retaining boxes are on each side of the window.

Bahama shutters are probably the prettiest. They look much like old fashioned shutters except when they’re not being used, they prop open to provide shade. You might have seen wooden versions of these on the movie Cape Fear but some modern Bahama shutters are made of tougher materials such as aluminum.

A lower-cost alternative are storm panel shutters. These are made of steel or aluminum and are put in storage when not being used. Storm panel shutters are like metal versions of plywood except commercially made panels require a steel channel on the top and bottom of the window that is anchored before the shutters are installed.

Which are the best?

The International Building Code requires that shutters and laminated glazing be tested in accordance with the American Society for Testing and Materials standards.

Before purchasing shutters or hurricane glass, ask the distributor or manufacturer what the product’s rating is. Also, make sure the products are installed properly or any amount of testing won’t matter.

What about films and hurricane glass?

Hurricane glass is a special type of reinforced glass designed to protect against flying debris. Some glass is up to four times stronger than ½-inch plywood. It costs more than regular window glasss and most brands need specially trained contractors to install.

Should I put shutters over my doors and garage doors?

For complete protection, yes. According to FEMA, garage door loss was one of the main factors in houses destroyed by hurricane Andrew in 1992. If the door fails, wind can enter the house blowing out doors, windows, walls and the roof.

Because of the weight and unwieldiness of garage doors it might be best to hire someone to reinforce your door. Do-it-yourselfers will want to add girts across the back of the door and strengthen the glider wheel tracks. If your door is old or damaged, you might want to replace it with a stronger door and tracks. Even if you decide to buy a new one, reinforcing it is still a good idea and consider getting one without windows.

I’m thinking of building in a coastal area. Will I be required to buy shutters?

According to Barry Gupton with the N.C. Department of Insurance, building and residential codes require either protection from windborne debris or design as a partially enclosed building. The windborne debris region is within 1,500 feet of the ocean. Protection can be either plywood panels (for two-story buildings) or shutters.

In 2006, state insurance regulators tried to pass a law that would require storm shutters to be sold with every new home in New Hanover and Brunswick Counties. That law did not pass, however, partly because of the added cost to homes and partly because some home building organizations felt the requirement should not extend to inland communities.

Shutters and hurricane windows are expensive. Can I get some help offsetting the cost?

Although it seems insurance companies would want as many people to have hurricane shutters as possible, they give very little incentive.

“As far as I know, there are no discounts for homeowners’ insurance, as far as installing them,” said Kristin Milam, a spokesperson for the N.C. Department of Insurance.

Other agencies, such as Fannie Mae, a financial services company serving the home mortgage industry, might be able to help. Homeowners may qualify for unsecured consumer installment loans up to $20,000 for residential mitigation, including installation of hurricane shutters and other disaster-prevention measure. Call Fannie Mae at (800) 732-6643 for more information.

In the end though, the shutters could end up paying for themselves.

“Every $1 you put into wind damage (protection) will save you $5” in damages and replacement costs, Milam said.