Installing Improvised Window Shutters The Daily Caller.Anyone who has ever lived in a hurricane prone area is familiar with the process of boarding up your windows to protect against the effects of natures fury.More importantly, anyone with firsthand experience of this process knows the absolute worst time to start thinking about it is when everyone else is doing the same, and plywood is suddenly worth its weight in gold.If you dont already have, or cant afford purpose designed storm shutters, properly applied sheets of plywood are your next best option to protect your windows and your homes interior from serious damage.In addition to covering your windows and protecting them from flying debris, they can also increase your homes security should you be forced to evacuate and leave it uninhabited for a period of time.Like all things related to disaster preparedness, the sooner you start to address the process of boarding up your home, the better prepared youre going to be.In this case, however, the advantages of early action are pretty compelling.Haves And Have Nots.One obvious advantage of planning now is simple availability of materials.When a storm is already on its way and everyone is frantically trying to prepare, the normal supply system is quickly overloaded.You may not be quick enough to buy the materials you need, you may not get enough material to do the job properly and, quite possibly, you may end up paying far more than the standard price.Taking the time to start buying plywood now offers many advantages you can spread your purchases out to make them more affordable and convenient, take advantage of any lumberyard sales, and ensure that, if you dont already own a pickup truck or similar vehicle, you can borrow one to transport your materials.Obviously, it also ensures that you can actually get the materials you need.Buying ahead also means that you can work ahead.One of the many effects of major storms and other potential disasters is their effect on electrical power.And since the operative word in power tool is power, cutting plywood to fit your windows properly is a task best done well in advance of a disaster.Hurricane Shutters.For over thirty years, American Door has been manufacturing, installing and servicing rolling door products.We offer a wide variety of door types and slat.First of all, you should understand that preparing for a hurricane is different than keeping looters out of your house.The winds and flying debris associated with hurricanes are tremendously powerful and destructive, so you need to prepare accordingly.Installing Exterior Shutters On Brick' title='Installing Exterior Shutters On Brick' />The best solution is to install actual hurricane shutters that are approved by the building code in your area.Plywood shutters will always be second best to purpose designed ones, but they are better than nothing.To make plywood hurricane shutters, first make sure that you buy exterior grade plywood that is at least 58 thick.Then, take a close look at the windows of your home and determine the best way to install the shutters.If youre lucky, the windows will be set in from the surface of the exterior wall at least 2.If so, you can cut your shutters to fit inside the window recess.This keeps the high winds from getting under the edges of the plywood and tearing it off the house.To cut your plywood to fit, measure both the top and bottom and both sides of the window recess and check the corners with a carpenters square.Most windows are not perfectly square, so adjust accordingly to replicate its actual shape.Transfer that shape to your plywood and cut it out with a table saw or jigsaw.With the panel cut to size, the next step is to install barrel bolts the latch hardware that operates like the bolt of a rifle about every 1.The ends of the bolts should be flush with the edges and the protruding end of the bolt facing outboard.Place the panel in the window, mark the spots where the barrel bolts touch the window recess, and then drill holes into the recess to allow the bolts to extend into them.If the wall around your window is brick, concrete, or stucco, youll need a masonry bit to do this and a fair amount of time.Thats another reason to start now.If you dont have recessed windows, youll have to mount your plywood shutters flush to the surface of the outer wall.Youll also have to anchor them very securely into the framework of the wall to keep them from being torn off by the wind.To do this, its best to cut the panels at least 8 larger than the size of the window so youll have 4 overlap on all four sides.Drill a series of holes 2 from every edge about 1.Then, center the shutter over the window and mark through the holes onto the wall.With those marks as guides, drill holes into the wall to receive lag bolts.For windows 34 or smaller installed on a wood frame house, use 14 lag bolts and plastic coated permanent anchors.The lag bolts must penetrate the siding and frame surrounding the window at least 1 34.For larger windows, use 38 lag bolts that penetrate the wall and surrounding frame at least 2 12.To finish your panel, drill four small holes in the center of the panel to equalize air pressure and, if necessary, attach handles to it to make it easier to maneuver.Youll also want to waterproof it with exterior paint or weatherproof sealant.Finally, do a basic sketch of your house and number every window that receives a shutter.Then, as you complete each panel, number them to match to prevent confusion when installing them.Security Shutters.If you dont live in a hurricane prone area, shutters may still be a viable and desirable addition to your home security.During normal circumstances, the standard level of physical security of your home should be adequate to prevent intrusion.However, if a disaster or emergency situation arises, normal may cease to exist and you may choose to harden your home to eliminate possible avenues of forcible entry.For example, if you have a typical, well prepared home, your doors are all high quality and properly reinforced.Your ground level windows are also secured by means of an appropriate alarm system that detects glass breakage or open windows.If a window is breached, the alarm gives you the time to react and get to safety and summons the cavalry.In a disaster scenario, the cavalry wont be coming, so youll need to fend for yourself.And the better prepared your resources are within your home, the more attractive they may become to scavengers, looters, and other miscreants outside your home.The process of securing your windows against this type of threat can be very similar to the process described above for the threat of a hurricane. Good Girl Gone Bad Uk Edition Marvel . The difference is that youll be less concerned about wind and water and more concerned about bad guys with tools and weapons.With that in mind, shutters secured by barrel bolts alone are not a good idea.If someone wants in, they can easily remove the shutters without even needing tools.For security purposes, flush mounted shutters are a better choice.They should be made as described above and still anchored securely into the framework around your windows, but they should also have the benefit of tamper resistant screw heads.Rather than conventional hex head lag bolts, use 3 deck screws with Torx, square drive, or some other specialty screw head.That will make it more challenging for the average thug with a screwdriver to remove the screws to get inside.You should also use a flat washer with every screw to spread the force of the screw head over a larger area of the plywood.That will make it more difficult to pry the plywood away from the house over the screw heads.Kiss My Axe. When I was a kid in Chicago, our neighborhood had a rash of garage burglaries.Since our lots had unattached garages located far from the houses, thieves would target the side doors of the garages with a fire axe.A couple of chops would usually go unheard, yet be enough to break the door panel to reach through and open the lock.Once inside, it was an easy process of gathering tools, loading them in a waiting car, and driving away.I clearly remember spending a long summer day with my Dad sheathing our garage door with Masonite.Glued and screwed over a wood door, Masonite provides a hard outer shell that literally causes axes and similar tools to bounce off.If youre the overachieving type, you might consider adding a layer of Masonite to your plywood security panels.As described earlier, once your security shutters are complete, number them for easy reference and coordination with the correct windows.
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