Every year hurricanes (Figure 1) do millions of dollars of damage to homes. A lot of the damage done could have been prevented if the homeowner had invested in a few hurricane protection products.
Figure 1 - Hurricane
Hurricanes find the weakest points in the construction of a home. These weak points are common to all homes; garage doors, windows, entry doors and the roof. In order to protect your home from the winds of a hurricane it is necessary to augment the standard construction methods with reinforcement of some kind.
Windows & Doors:
Windows and doors can be protected from hurricane force winds in four different manners:
- Hurricane Shutters:
- Hurricane Panels:
- Protective Fabric:
- Window Film:
Hurricane shutters, as shown in Figure 2, are designed to protect your windows from windblown objects that can easily penetrate glass and entry doors. Hurricane shutters, made of aluminum, steel or fiberglass are permanently mounted to the areas beside or above the window or door. On news of a hurricane approaching the shutters are manually or electrically closed. Hurricane shutters can be easily retrofitted to an existing home.
Figure 2 - Hurricane Shutters
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Hurricane panels, as shown in Figure 3, are designed to be placed over windows and doors on the approach of a hurricane. Many homeowners will use sheets of plywood as hurricane panels and while these provide some level of protection they are not as robust as hurricane panels that are made of steel, aluminum or polycarbonate. However, the key to using hurricane panels is the installation. If the panels are not properly fastened to the home, they become easy objects to be ripped off the walls by hurricane winds.
Figure 3 - Hurricane Panel
One problem associated with manually installed hurricane panels is that one entry door usually remains unprotected, unless the homeowner is leaving the home during the hurricane.
Protective fabrics, as shown in Figure 4, are installed in the same manner as hurricane panels. In the event of an oncoming hurricane the protective fabrics are placed over the exterior of windows and doors. The fabrics are very strong and provide a level of protection against windblown objects.
Figure 4 - Hurricane Fabric
The level of protection provided is relative to proper installation. All too often the homeowner is panicking to get the protection in place moments before the hurricane arrives and the installation is not done in a proper manner. This applies to hurricane panels as well as protective fabric.
Their biggest advantages of protective fabric over hurricane panels are the weight and size for storage.
Window film, as shown in Figure 5, is placed over the inside of the window and become a permanent installation. Window films do not prevent windblown objects from breaking the glass; however, the window film hold the glass in position, wind, rain and the windblown object will not enter the home.
Figure 5 - Hurricane Window Film
Window film also provides a level of security protection.
Window films can be used on any glass, including exterior sliding doors and glass panels in doors. Window films do not protect the door or window itself, only the glass portion.
Garage Doors:
Garage doors are one of the weakest hurricane access points in a home. The basic construction of a garage door allows high winds to enter at the sides, top and bottom. Hurricane panels could be used to protect the garage doors, but this would be a difficult installation at best.
Garage door braces, as shown in Figure 6, have been designed to protect a garage door from the high winds associated with a hurricane. They are not a permanent installation as they prevent the garage door from opening. The mounting hardware for the garage door brace is permanently installed and on the onset of a hurricane the braces lock into the mounting hardware.
Figure 6 - Hurricane Garage Door Brace
Garage door braces can only be used if there is a regular entry door from the garage as the garage door braces must be installed on the inside of the garage door.
Roofs:
While the best protection for the entire roof is to have the roof rafters properly secured to the top plates of the walls, this does not prevent damage to shingles or other finish roofing materials.
Hurricane roof adhesive, as shown in Figure 7, can be retrofitted to most homes. It is not the same product that is used to provide attic insulation. Hurricane roof adhesive seals the roof sheathing to the rafters or trusses with the intent of greatly increasing the uplift strength of the entire roof structure. In the event that portions of the finish roofing material are removed due to the high hurricane winds, rain is usually held back by the layer of foam.
Figure 7 - Hurricane Roof Adhesive
Flying debris is creates much of the damage done by a hurricane. Always ensure that any lawn furniture, ornaments, playground equipment and garden tools are well secured if a hurricane is imminent.
Always inform your home insurance company of any and all hurricane damage preventative actions that you have taken as many insurance companies offer reduced premiums for preventative hurricane protection.
Additional information: Hurricane and Flood Preparation Tips for Protecting your Home from Disaster