Boarding up your windows is quite common, but many are starting to seek alternatives for plywood. This is understandable considering boarding up your windows isn’t the most convenient process. Not to mention it doesn’t look that great.
Below we’ll explain why you should be looking into alternatives for plywood, and 5 great examples of products that will make your life a little easier this hurricane season.
Why Should You Be Looking At Alternatives For Plywood?
The first thing you want to consider is storm preparation. You’ll more than likely need two people to effectively board up the windows, and it could be time-consuming. If you don’t have a lot of time to get ready for the hurricane, you could be caught in a bad position.
Some other considerations would be,
- Visual appearance
- Storage for the boards when they aren’t in use
- Zero visibility or natural light
If you’re a homeowner visual appearance may not matter all that much. But for a business, this could potentially cost you, customers. It just doesn’t look very professional or inviting to have plywood on all of your windows and even doors. People may even assume your business is closed, especially with a storm nearing.
On top of that, once your boards are up you have zero visibility outside. With natural light unable to enter, you’ll have to rely solely on flashlights and other battery-powered devices. So if you’re going the plywood route, either consider an alternative for plywood, or stock up on batteries before the storm!
Once the storm is actually over you’ll need a place to store all of the plywood. You don’t want to put the wood in the sun, anywhere remotely wet, and it’s not supposed to be leaning against a wall because the boards will warp, so this really limits your options.
5 Great Hurricane Protection Options To Replace Plywood
Picking just the right protection for your family and home is essential. Whatever that means for your unique desires.
Here are five durable and even aesthetically pleasing alternatives for plywood.
- Accordion Shutters
- Bahama and Colonial Shutters
- Polycarbonate Panels
- Hurricane screens
- Motorized screens and roll down shutters
Here is a description of each of these products and the benefits/disadvantages that come along with them.
Accordion Shutters
If you’re looking for low-cost and high-quality, accordion shutters are a great alternative to plywood. They’re permanently installed and these shutters simply attach at the middle with a lock.
Closing and locking your shutters will only take a couple of minutes so there’s no scrambling to board up all the windows. Moreover, accordion shutters act as a security system for your home. So if that’s a concern of yours, you can kill two birds with one stone.
A disadvantage of these shutters is that you cannot see through them. They will block all-natural light from entering your home. So like plywood, you will have to rely on alternate light sources.
Consider Bahama And Colonial Shutters As Alternatives To Plywood
If you want to make a statement with your hurricane protection, Bahama and Colonial shutters are an excellent aesthetic enhancement. Fortunately, this kind of shutter will allow light into your home and they’re adjustable so year-round you will have control over the lighting. No storage is necessary either because these shutters are permanently installed in your windows.
Shutters can be more on the expensive side so that could be seen as a disadvantage. In addition, a lot of people don’t want to change the appearance of their homes. So if you’re one of those people then this would be a disadvantage for you as well.
Polycarbonate Panels
Lightweight, affordable, and super durable, these polycarbonate panels are an excellent alternative to plywood. Instead of carrying heavy wood, your panels would be easy to move around and allow natural light to enter as well.
One of the only downsides is that this material isn’t very scratch resistant. If a branch were to fall it could potentially scrape the panel. However, they’re easy to clean up with a little polish.
Motorized Screens And Roll Down Shutters
Automated hurricane protection is great because of the convenience. Whether it’s motorized screens or roll-down shutters. Making sure your windows are secured only takes a few seconds and very minimal effort.
The downside to roll-down shutters, similar to the accordion style, is that they don’t allow light in.
If you’re ready to ditch the plywood and protect your home with something a bit more convenient, give us a call at 727-488-8182 or contact us online.
