Hurricane shutters have found wide use for protection in Florida during the Hurricane season. They may not be completely fool proof but they have clearly shown major success in preventing huge damage to buildings whenever a hurricane comes calling. Hurricane shutters come in a variety of shapes and sizes and designs. A person can choose the required design based on several factors. The major factors that play a role in hurricane shutter selection are, cost, certification, type of structure, type of fitting, design of the building and aesthetics. When choosing a hurricane shutter for your building, give consideration to your local building regulations with regard to hurricane shutters. It is best if you choose a set up that complies with the regulations of Dade County, Miami as they are the most stringent regulations in the country today with respect to hurricane shutters.



There are a variety of styles and material types to choose from when you go hurricane shutter shopping. The most common type is the Aluminum based shutter. Steel is also used as it is known for its high durability but most home owners prefer the aluminum types as they are lighter and easier to use. Aluminum type shutters are also rust free which gives it greater life unlike rust prone steel. You can get your shutters custom made to fit your window or glass door panel size.

The shutters come in either roll down type, removable type or accordion type. The accordion type is a pre fixed setup where the shutters when not in use are pushed manually along guide rails to either side. The whole shutter is sub divided vertically like an accordion and folds into a compact pack at the end. The removable type has prefixed railings which are pretty much invisible and hence do not spoil the aesthetics of your house. The shutter panes have to be fixed manually one by one by sliding them along the rails. This is the cheapest type in the aluminum shutter range. The roll up type is the most expensive aluminum shutter set up but is the easiest to use as well. It is also the quickest way to secure your house against a hurricane. The roll up type shutters can either be manually or electrically operated and would the best option especially if the occupants of the house are elderly or physically disabled.

Wholesale or retail level shutter shops deal mostly with aluminum type hurricane shutters. If you are willing to pay more, they will also provide even more expensive versions made of polycarbonate plastic. These retailers themselves will provide installation specialists to fix up your shutter if requested. Before going over to purchase a hurricane shutter, it is best though to verify if the shutters that they retail have gone through the testing process as given by the regulations of Dade County.

For those who find aluminum shutters a tad too expensive, there is a cheaper option available. Plywood shutters are also extensively used but they tend to be bulky to remove or fix and hence calls for a lot of work. At the end it is up to the buyer to decide which type suits his needs and priorities best.