Hurricane Safety Zone - Safety Shutters

Safety Shutters

Okay, so if you don't live in a hurricane zone, safety shutters probably aren't at the top of your list of things to buy to protect your home. Then again, if you don't live in a hurricane zone, you probably wouldn't be visiting our site!

Home Safety Shutters

Hurricane season is every year from June 1-November 30, and forecasters are predicting more active hurricane seasons. In 2005 alone, the U.S. has experienced two majorly destructive hurricanes--Katrina and Rita. Although safety shutters cannot do much to protect your home from any flooding that might accompany a hurricane, they can protect it from damaging hurricane-force winds.

Some people install their safety shutters at the beginning of hurricane season and leave them up all season because it can be a cumbersome job, not to mention the inconvenience of putting them up and taking them down just before and after each hurricane. But leaving them up makes your house look like it does at night on the inside. You miss out on a lot of beautiful days that way--unless you get out a lot. Of course, if you travel a lot, maybe it's a good idea to leave them up throughout hurricane season. And it's an excellent idea for snowbirds to keep their safety shutters up, because hurricane season is usually when they're gone. (For most of it anyway.)

To remedy the lack of daylight, you can get clear safety shutters, but most people opt for the cheaper aluminum ones. They might not look as nice, but at least you feel like they're somewhat sturdier than clear shutters. They're a tad more cumbersome to put up than other ones, but they offer good protection. Besides, if you're going to spend a little more on hurricane shutters, why not opt for automatic ones that roll down with the flip of a switch? (These, by the way, are ideal for elderly people.)

Whether you evacuate or not during a hurricane, take the time to put your shutters up. It can save you thousands of dollars in damage.