Someone on this board was complaining about boarding up windows a week back or so.  On TV I see all these people buying Home Depot out of plywood everytime a hurricane starts comming their way, which is about.......uhh, every year.  Don't you guys have solid storm shutters on your houses back there?

it'd make sense to, yet you never see them
another thing to use would be those metal garage door type things that businesses use to cover their store front at night. on a new house they could be housed in the frame of the house so that there was no bulk sticking out

Proactive question Reactive society

They are obscenely priced...

Contrary to popular belief right now, major hurricanes do not hit Florida all too often.  People would rather gamble and purchase plywood when needed.  Look at it this way, $200 versus $4000+.


Bigfeet

My uncle in Boca is riding it out, he has them for his house. The neighbor up the street has some installed a few weeks ago.

Quoted: They are obscenely priced... Contrary to popular belief right now, major hurricanes do not hit Florida all too often.  People would rather gamble and purchase plywood when needed.  Look at it this way, $200 versus $4000+. Bigfeet

Well, cost is only one thing, although I'm sure I could make some that cost WAY less than 4k.  If a major hurricane is headed my way I'm sure I'd have plenty to worry about without having to deal with boarding up windows.

Plywood and duct tape are much cheaper

Edit: the duct tape is to "shatter proof" your windows, not to hold up the plywood

Building a new 2 story in St. Lucie County. Metal put up yourselfer shutters come standard. Metal accordian type = $3500 option.

I just had shutters installed this year.  Only reason I didn't do it earlier was due to cost.
Here is what I was quoted couple months ago.

To give you an idea of the house it is single floor 4/2 and is about 2,300sq ft.   It has 10 windows with half being about 8  feet wide and 4 feet high and the other half are 5 feet wide and 4 feet high.  I also have one large bay window which is 15 feet wide and 18 feet high and a double french door.

The cheapest option was to installing steel panel shutters on all windows and doors and that would cost $3,800.  To install accordion type shutters would cost $7,000.  We compromised and had accordion type on the bay window (due to size) and steel panels on rest of the house.  The total cost was $5,000.   When I moved into this house I purchased 18 sheets of 3/4" plywood that were precut and drilled for my house along with 150 3" Tapcon screws and washers that cost me less than $300.      

My parents have 3,400 sq. ft.  5/3 two floor home and they have all accordion on the second floor and all steel panels on the first floor.  It was installed in 1994 and it cost them $7,000.

Since 1994 my parents had to use the shutter total of 3 times and in each case the hurricane did not come near their home.

It comes down to cost and odds.

 

Yobo, how effective is properly installed plywood like what you first used. Not as good as the more expensive storm shutters and better than nothing. But I'm curious how effective plywood could be. Also, what thickness is used? I would think the thicker the better.

BB,

Nothing scientific but from what I have learned from reading 3/4" plywood will hold up in most cat 1 hurricane and maybe even cat 2 if they are installed properly.  As you can expect, proper installiation is critical and condition of the plywood too.  Too many people use old water logged plywood that is too soft.  My boards were in excellent condition and was had 2x4s screwed in the center sections to prevent flexing.  

My current panels and accordions are rated for 140 mph wind and are installed to correct specs so it will (should) hold up to cat 4 hurricane.  My understanding is that most residental structures will not stand upto cat5 wind force so it doesn't make since to put up shutters for cat5 wind.