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Posts Tagged ‘Hurricane Shutters’

Aluminum Hurricane Shutters

Aluminum Hurricane Shutters

Hurricane Shutters
When it comes to Hurricane Shutters you need to know that they will indeed stand up to, well, a hurricane. Your Hurricane Shutters will be that first line of defense that keeps your windows, and the inside of your home, intact. To make sure that Hurricane Shutters will indeed stand up to their name the State of Florida requires independent testing and review by a Florida licensed professional engineer. Once they have verified that the shutters will indeed withstand a hurricane the product is approved.

What is the HVHZ?
While hurricanes strike all over the country, those with the highest winds hit Florida in the Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. These make up the High Velocity Hurricane Zone also known as HVHZ. Some hurricane shutters are strong enough to be approved for use within the HVHZ while others are not as durable and can only be used for hurricane protection outside the HVHZ.

I know that I need Hurricane Shutters. Now what?
When you are ready to add hurricane shutters to your home or business a good first step is to check with your insurance company. They will be able to give you any requirements for you location. When you are talking with a retailer of hurricane shutters here is some information that you will want to check.

FL# – This is the application number. It will start with “FL” and then the application numbers. When there are revisions there will be an “.R” afterwards with the revision number. Revisions can be a change in the design of the hurricane shutters or even a change in the way they are installed. It is important to note the revisions as while one might have passed another might not have.

Application Status – Just because there is an application does not mean the the shutters were approved. The Application Status will let you know whether these exterior shutters have been approved or not.

Limits of Use – This is the part to which you will need to pay special attention. This section will tell you if the shutters have been approved in the HVHZ or only approved in the rest of Florida but NOT the HVHZ. It will also give you the design pressure and let you know if they are impact resistant. You can sometimes also find size restrictions here.

Description – Here you can also find size restrictions for the hurricane shutters.

Installation Instructions – On the application report there will be a link to a PDF that gives the approved installation instructions. This is a very important section to read through. Even if your exterior shutters are approved for hurricane protection they will only perform properly if you install them as shown in the instructions.

When you are looking at a retailer for hurricane shutters make sure that they can provide you with all of this information, for the safety of your home and family.

You can follow this link for more information on our HVHZ approved Hurricane Shutters.

Bahama shutters

Bahama shutters

What exactly are Bahama Shutters?
Simply put, Bahama Shutters, also referred to as Bermuda Shutters, are shutters that are mounted at the top and propped out like an awning over a window. While mainly an exterior style of shutter they are some times used inside to give a more tropical feel to a room.  Bahama Shutter Hardware consist of hinges at the top and an arm to prop the shutter open.

Hinges for Bahama Shutters
There are 2 main types of hinges for Bahama Shutters, both of which are mounted at the top. There are continuous hinges (figure 1) running the width of the shutter and single knuckle hinges (figure 2) similar to a door hinge. The continuous hinges are stronger and more often used where the shutters will be fully functioning. The extruded continuous hinges we offer are the same ones supplied with Aluminum Hurricane Shutters. The single knuckle hinges can also be used on functioning exterior Bahama Shutters but are best situated where the shutters are propped open permanently like an awning.

Extruded Hinges for Bahamas Shutters

figure 1 - Extruded Hinges for Bahamas Shutters

Knuckle Hinges for Bahama Shutters

figure 2 - Knuckle Hinges for Bahama Shutters

Arms for Bahama Shutters
There are also 2 types of arms that are used to prop Bahama Shutters open. You have adjustable arms (figure 3) and stationary arms (figure 4). The adjustable arms are telescoping so that you can adjust the angle at which you prop open your Bahama Shutters. This is very helpful in getting your exterior shutters positioned just right so that you have a view to the outside while blocking the sun and afternoon showers. The stationary arms are used usually to prop open Bahama Shutters like an awning. These come in a few different lengths and are less expensive than the adjustable arms.

Keep in mind that depending on how wide your Bahama Shutters are you may need more than 2 arms per shutter.

Adjustable Arms on Bahama Shutters

figure 3 - Adjustable Arms on Bahama Shutters

Stationary Arms on Bahama Shutters

figure 4 - Stationary Arms on Bahama Shutters

What do I need if I am using them on Hurricane Shutters?
If you are using your Bahama Shutters for hurricane protection then I would strongly recommend our continuous hinges. They are not only much stronger than a knuckle hinges but are fastened more securely to your home to insure the best protection. As far as the arms go, since both are removed during a hurricane there is no real benefit one way or the other.

If you are not sure which type of hardware for Bahama shutters is best for you please ask us. Give us a call, send us an email or start an online chat. We are happy to help

Click here to order your Bahama Shutters Hardware.

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