If you want to protect your home from hurricanes then you have several options to choose from. What we will be referring to as far as protection is concerned for your home is the windows and doors. The reason I will be focusing on these is because they are the most vulnerable and they are the main entry points of your home when it comes to flying debris, burglars and high winds caused by hurricanes and tropical storms. In their quest to protect homes, window manufacturers have come up with several options for homeowners to choose for protecting their doors and windows. The most common options are storm panels, hurricane shutters and impact resistant windows.
Each of these options are very effective in protecting your home, some better than others as they all have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let us go ahead and look into them in more detail.
Storm Panels
This is definitely a no frills option, as it offers the most basic of hurricane protection. These are pretty much installed on top of each other in a staggered pattern, with each panel building more strength onto the next. This is probably your lease expensive option but require a little more work than the other as you have to store them and install and remove them every time you need them. But if you are one of the many homeowners who still use plywood to protect your home every hurricane season, then you will find that storm panels are a much better option than plywood, as they are lighter and much easier to install and store and they definitely offer better protection against debris as they are not breakable.
Now let us talk about shutters
Shutters are a step up from the storm panels as you basically install them on a frame that surrounds your windows and doors, so you only have to install them once, unlike panels that you have to put up and take down each time you need them and then when you no longer need them. So shutters are ready to go all year long and you no longer have to try and figure out which panel goes where and to which window or door. Shutters offer similar protection to that of panels, but the protection can vary dependent on the model that you purchase. And last but not least they give your home a better curb appeal when compared to storm panels.
Impact Resistant Windows
These should be your first choice if you can afford them; a lot of homeowners refers to them as the next big thing in storm protection. These are great because once installed, then it is hands off from there on out. They basically function as traditional windows, but without the limitations and unlike shutters or panels you won’t have any restrictions when it comes to vision and at letting light into your home. Once installed, you are ready for all tropical storm seasons, as once they are installed, they are good to go for years to come.
Another benefit is that they do not take away from the curb appeal of your home and each year they are becoming stronger and stronger, as well as looking better and better, so you get better safety and protection for your family and home without the headaches that may come along with the other storm protection options that are available on the market today.
As far as which option to choose you will need to decide what is right for your family and what fits in your budget, if money is not an issue then impact resistant windows are definitely the way to go, without question. Visit this site for more information and more tips.
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