A Guide to Florida Hurricane Shutter Manufacturers
Maintaining your home’s beauty and function involves many different tasks. In the state of Florida, homeowners have different risks to prepare for such as hurricanes. This means that homeowners are focused on minimizing wind and rain damage during tropical storms and hurricanes. Areas such as windows and sliding glass doors can be easily damaged during a violent storm, and they require temporary or permanent protection. Temporary solutions like plywood offer minimum protection during a hurricane, but they may not be enough for particularly violent storms. Hurricane shutters are a stronger and more permanent solution than plywood and will help protect your home and family. Researching what manufacturer to buy hurricane shutters from can be difficult, so here is a guide for hurricane shutter manufacturers.
Home Evaluation
Before researching hurricane shutter manufacturers, it’s important to note the protection needs of your home. For instance, keeping a record of how many windows are in your home, gives you an idea of how many shutters you will need to order. Also, it helps to notate any sliding glass doors, or potentially vulnerable areas in your home, in case they require storm panels. Every home is constructed differently and may have unique features to protect.
Types of Hurricane Shutters
Once you have an idea of how many hurricane shutters you may need, the next research topic are hurricane shutter types. A variety of hurricane shutter companies may offer similar style shutters, but it is important to note that some style of hurricane shutters may not go with your home’s aesthetic. Hurricane shutter manufacturers that offer the combination of style and protection for their products are usually a safe bet for homeowners. Here are some of the common types of hurricane shutters that homeowners can purchase from manufacturers.
- Storm Panels – They are affixed to walls around doors on bolts or tracks
- Accordion – Housed beside windows and unfold over the window for protection
- Colonial – Two-piece louvered shutter that attaches beside windows and folds together for protection
- Bahama – Installed directly above the windows and propped open for shade and can be lowered for storm protection
- Roll Down – Attached above the windows, they roll up in an enclosed box or roll down for storm protection
Each of these types of hurricane shutters can protect your home from hurricane force winds and impacts. Some style of hurricane shutters offer better practicality for your home, and stylistic features to accentuate your home. Researching what type of hurricane shutters you may want for your home will help guide what manufacturer to choose from.
Materials and Construction of Hurricane Shutters
Hurricane shutters are constructed in a variety of ways and styles. Depending on your HOA or municipality, there may be restrictions on the type of shutters you can have installed, or what material they are constructed with. This is important to note as you don’t want to end up with fines from purchasing incorrect hurricane shutters. Here are some of the more commonly constructed hurricane shutters that manufacturers make.
- Aluminum – Lighter than other metals and resists corrosion
- Steel – Heavy in weight and offers maximum strength
- Lexan – Translucent durable plastic that allows light in
- Fabric – Made with geo-synthetic PVC coated fabric or Kevlar
When shopping for hurricane shutters, performing research is crucial so you know what company or manufacture to pick. Considering factors like the types of shutters available, or what materials they were made out of will help you decide what type of hurricane shutter is best suited for your home. At Category 5 Manufacturing, we offer the highest-quality hurricane shutters in a variety of styles and colors. As a top hurricane shutter company in South Florida, we offer excellent customer service and advice, so that you’ll have the best hurricane shutters for your home. For a hurricane shutter quote, contact us today at 561-777-2491.