Hurricane window protection can be critical for any Florida home. Hurricane season is an annual event. Every year, Floridians track news of storm events in the Atlantic, wondering if the next ‘tropical system’ the meteorologists announce will become a big storm and roll over Florida again or if it will fizzle out or swing away and into the open ocean.
When hurricanes hit our state, it’s important to be as prepared as possible. To help with that, we created a hurricane prep guide that lists important information about hurricanes, supplies to prepare ahead of time, and other advice that you can use to get ready.
One key measure to take when hurricane season hits is installing some type of hurricane window protection in your home.
What kinds of protection can you get for the windows around your home, and which ones are the best fit for you? Let’s compare a few different types of hurricane window protection:
Temporary Hurricane Window Protection
This category of protective items take the form of temporary or modular add-ons to a window opening that you can (somewhat) easily remove once the danger of the storm passes. Some forms of temporary hurricane window protection include:
- Boarding up windows. You can buy plywood or other types of panels and nail them to the area around your windows.
- Tarps/Fabric Covers. Similar to boarding up the window, but with a fabric or other flexible material rather than rigid plywood or metal.
- Removable Inserts. Another semi-permanent upgrade to a window similar to boarding them up, but with a permanent mounting to hold the board in place.
A general advantage of temporary hurricane protection is that it’s often easy to do on short notice. It also tends to be less costly than more permanent forms of hurricane window protection.
Temporary Window Protection: Boards
Boarding up windows is one of the most economical forms of temporary window protection. You can go to your local hardware store, buy some nails and some plywood, and viola! Your home’s windows are protected against direct hits from flying hurricane debris… right?
There are a few issues with this solution. While it is economical, it’s also labor-intensive. You’ll have to put up the boards and then remove them yourself. Consequently, you’ll be the one needing to measure your windows to ensure your boards are big enough to cover them. It also means you need to take time out of your day to put the boards on and take them off afterwards.
If you have high windows or a two-story or higher home, this can be difficult, time-consuming, and dangerous.
Another drawback is that nailing your walls can lead to other issues, like moisture intrusion. You’re putting holes into your exterior wall to protect your windows from storm debris. To protect your home after the storm, you’ll need to fill those holes back in.
If you’re on a tight budget or are on extremely short notice, this is a good option, but there are better options.
Temporary Window Protection: Window Inserts
Window inserts can be used to protect a window from direct impacts with flying debris. Mounting systems vary from one type of insert to the next. For example, some “inserts” use magnetic mounts, others are pressure-fit to the window frame, and some might slot into a mount at the top of the window and hang down.
They’re also available in a variety of materials depending on the insert manufacturer, so it can be difficult to generalize about their durability.
The performance of the insert can vary a lot depending on the mounting type and the material of the inserted panel.
Temporary Window Protection: Tarps and Fabric Covers
Lighter than even plywood boards, tarps and fabric ‘storm panels’ are basically clipped or stapled around the window to protect against flying debris and hold back rain.
The big advantage here is that fabric covers can roll up to minimize storage space. Also, they’re made of nonperishable, moisture-repellant materials that won’t degrade after exposure to heavy rain. So, they’re easier to keep on hand for future emergencies.
Unfortunately, the major disadvantages of plywood boards still apply here—and even worse. You’re still having to install the clips for these covers yourself every time a storm hits.
But the bigger issue is that they don’t repel direct impacts as effectively as the solid plywood boards. Objects that strike the fabric directly are more likely to penetrate or even crack the glass underneath. Not a great solution for homeowners in hurricane-prone areas like Florida.
Permanent Hurricane Window Protection
Permanent protection means that the solution is not meant to be removed. These forms of protection are ones you install well ahead of hurricane season. They aren’t removable like temporary forms of protection. Some types of permanent protection include:
- Hurricane Shutters. Shutters are installed over or around the window and can be deployed on a moment’s notice to cover the opening, protecting it from direct impacts by wind, rain, and flying debris. Typically made of aluminum or some other metal with a strong weight-to-durability ratio.
- Impact Glass Replacement. Some homeowners opt to change the sashes in their existing windows for ones that incorporate impact glass without replacing the frame.
- Hurricane Impact Windows. These are windows that are designed to withstand incredible hurricane-force wind pressure, flying debris, and other impacts without allowing moisture or storm debris into the home.
The biggest advantage of permanent protection is that you aren’t constantly installing and removing it in response to every hurricane warning and alert. So, you have permanent peace of mind that your home is protected.
Permanent Hurricane Window Protection: Shutters
Shutters are a popular option for many homeowners who want semi-permanent and obvious protection for their homes from hurricanes.
There are many different types of shutters, such as roll-down, colonial-style, accordion-style, and Bahama shutters.
Roll-down shutters install above the window opening and can be pulled down in the event of a storm. Colonial shutters mount around the window frame and swing shut when needed.
Bahama shutters cover the whole window opening and can “swing” like an awning window. Accordion shutters are large, wavy-looking shutters that slide along tracks similar to a sliding glass door to cover the window when needed.
The pros of shutters are that they’re often extremely durable, since they’re made of metal more often than not. This allows for extreme impact resistance.
However, there are a few drawbacks to having metal shutters.
First is the issue of aesthetics. Installing shutters will impact the appearance of your home’s window openings. Accordion, colonial, and Bahama shutters are especially bad for this, as they’re constantly visible. If the shutter doesn’t match your home’s aesthetic, it will hurt your curb appeal.
Second, not all window designs work well with all kinds of shutters. For example, some homes have multiple large picture windows that have floor-to-ceiling glass and no gaps to the sides for accordion, colonial, or Bahama shutters to secure to.
Third, there’s the issue of longevity. Shutters are supposed to be a permanent (or at least semi-permanent) form of protection. However, metal shutters are susceptible to corrosion, especially in areas near the ocean with salty sea breezes. This can make the shutters rust prematurely, making them look even less appealing and potentially even impeding their ability to deploy when you need them.
As noted by Linetec, an architectural finishing company that offers anodized metal products: “Coast areas are especially aggressive outdoor environments for aluminum, and the closer you are to the ocean, the greater the concentration of salt in the air.”
Permanent Hurricane Window Protection: Impact Glass Upgrades
To save on money while getting ‘permanent’ hurricane protection, some homeowners opt to remove the window sashes in their current windows and replace them with new sashes that have impact glass. Others choose to only replace the glass in the sash.
These are cost-saving measures that, unfortunately, don’t really hold up.
The problem with simply replacing the glass in a window is that impact resistance is a system. This means that every part of the window need to be designed to withstand wind pressure and impacts if it’s going to protect against hurricane damage.
For example, say that you replace the window sashes with new ones that have impact glass—double-paned and with protective laminate and everything. But, the window frame isn’t impact resistant. If a heavy object strikes the sash, the frame could still deform, letting in wind, rain, and pests.
Upgrading the glass alone is one of those things that gets touted as a great cost-saving measure, but is really a waste of time and money since it doesn’t meet the goal of providing adequate protection against hurricanes.
Permanent Hurricane Window Protection: Impact Window Installation
An impact window installation is a permanent way to protect your home from hurricane-force winds, rain, and flying debris without ever having to lift a finger to enable your protection.
Impact windows use multiple panes of impact-resistant glass to repel debris and wind pressure. Interlayers of laminate between the glass panes flex with impacts when the outermost layer of glass breaks, preserving the seal of your home even when something does cause the glass to shatter.
Every part of the window is engineered to better withstand hurricane conditions.
The biggest advantage of impact window installation is that it’s completely permanent. You don’t have to go out and pull shutters closed, board up the window, or go get special supplies. Any kind of window opening can have an impact window installed.
The second advantage is curb appeal. You don’t have to worry about unsightly shutters, drill/nail holes, or other obvious outward signs of hurricane prep. Your windows are always there and looking as beautiful as always.
This is the true “fire and forget” solution to hurricane window protection.
The Window Protection Comparison Table
Let’s make it easy to assess the different methods of protecting your home’s windows from hurricane damage by putting it into a table:
| Protection Type | Cost | Convenience Factor | Timeliness to Implement | Longevity | Aesthetics |
| Board | Low | Low | Quick | Low (1 or 2 storms) | Poor (actively makes window look worse) |
| Insert | Varies (low to moderate) | Moderate | Quick | Moderate | Varies (Poor to negligible impact) |
| Fabric | Low | Low | Quick | Moderate to low | Poor |
| Shutter | High | Moderate | Lead times vary (moderate to long) | Moderate (depending on site conditions) | Varies (Poor to moderate impact) |
| Glass Replacement | Moderate | High | Moderate | One strong impact | Negligible impact |
| Impact Window | High | High | Varies (moderate to long) | Lifetime (20+ years) | Excellent |
If your goal is to spend as little on hurricane protection as possible, regardless of the actual efficacy of the protection offered, the convenience of use, and aesthetics, then boarding up your windows is a good choice to help you weather a storm on short notice.
If your goal is to have lasting peace of mind that you don’t have to constantly worry about putting up every time you get a hurricane warning, then installing impact windows is the clear choice. It may be a higher initial investment than temporary forms of hurricane protection, but it will pay off in the long run!
Impact windows are flat out better than shutters for curb appeal and convenience for a similar price point. In addition to being better-looking, impact windows can incorporate energy efficiency features such as low-e glass, argon gas fills, and more to help you save money for decades to come on your energy bills!
Get the Best Hurricane Window Protection for Your Home!
Want effective hurricane window protection so that you don’t have to do anything to enjoy maximum safety? Reach out to Karoly Windows & Doors and request a quote for impact window installation to get started!
