Securing exterior walls, doors and windows
The exterior walls, doors and windows are the protective shell of a home. If a home's protective shell is broken, high winds can enter and put pressure on the roof and walls, causing damage. Strengthening the doors and windows can protect a home.
Double-Entry Doors
- Most double doors have an active and an inactive or fixed door. Check to see how the fixed door is secured at the top and bottom. The bolts or pins that secure most doors are not strong enough.
- Some door manufacturers provide reinforcing bolt kits made specifically for their doors. Check with a building supply store to find out what type of bolt system will work. The door bolt materials should cost $10 to $40, depending on the type and finish. Doors with windows will need additional protection from flying debris.
Double-Wide Garage Doors
- Double-wide, two-car garage doors can pose a problem during hurricanes. These doors are so large they wobble as the high winds blow. Wobbling can pull doors out of their tracks or cause them to collapse from wind pressure. If garage doors fail, high winds can enter a home through the garage and blow out doors, windows, walls and even the roof.
- Some garage doors can be strengthened with retrofit kits. Building supplies stores have retrofit kits for most garage doors. Expect to pay from $70 to $150 to retrofit a garage door.
- Many garage doors can be reinforced at their weakest points. Retrofitting garage doors involves installing horizontal bracing onto each panel. This horizontal bracing can be part of a kit from the garage door manufacturer. Heavier hinges and stronger center supports and end supports may also be needed.
- To check the track on a garage door, grab a section of each track with both hands and see if it is loose or if it can be twisted. If so, a stronger track should be installed. Make sure it is anchored to the 2-by-4s inside the wall with heavy wood bolts or properly attached to masonry with expansion bolts.
- After doors are checked and retrofitted, they may need to be balanced. To check, lower the door about halfway and let go. If it goes up or down, the springs will need adjusting. The springs are dangerous and should be adjusted by a professional.
- If the door cannot be retrofitted, specially reinforced garage doors designed to withstand winds of up to 120 mph are available for $400 to $450. These should be installed by a professional, and labor is an added cost.
Storm Shutters
- Installing storm shutters over all exposed windows and other glass surfaces is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect a home. Cover all windows, French doors, sliding glass doors and skylights. There are many types of manufactured storm shutters available.
- For more information on manufactured shutters, check with a building supply store. For manufactured shutters, follow the manufacturer instructions carefully.
- Before installing shutters, check with the county building department to find out if a building permit is required. It is important to have shutters ready now. Mark and store them so they can be easily installed during a hurricane watch.
- Homemade plywood shutters, if installed properly, can offer a high level of protection from flying debris during a hurricane. Plywood shutters can be installed on all types of homes.
- Measure each window and each door that has glass, and add eight inches to both the height and width to provide a 4-inch overlap on each side of the window or door. Sheets of plywood are generally 4-by-8 feet. Tell a local building supply store the size and number of openings to determine how many sheets to buy.
- Plywood shutter installation requires bolts, wood or masonry anchors, large washers, and 5/8-inch exterior-grade plywood.
- For windows 3-feet-by-4-feet or smaller installed on a wood-frame house, use 1/4-inch lag bolts and plastic-coated permanent anchors. The lag bolts should penetrate the wall and frame surrounding the window at least 1 3/4 inches.
- For larger windows, use 3/8-inch lag bolts that penetrate the wall and frame surrounding the window at least 2 1/2 inches.
- For windows 3-feet-by-4-feet or smaller installed on a masonry house, use 1/4-inch expansion bolts and galvanized permanent expansion anchors. The expansion bold should penetrate the wall at least 1 1/2 inches.
- For larger windows, use 3/8-inch expansion bolts that penetrate the wall at least 1 1/2 inches. Tools needed include a circular hand saw, a drill with appropriately sized bits, a hammer and a wrench to fit the bolts. To be safe, use eye protection and work gloves.
- Cut the plywood to the measurements for each opening. Drill holes 2 1/2 inches from the outside edge of the plywood at each corner and at 12-inch intervals. Drill four holes in the center area of the plywood to relieve pressure during a hurricane.
- Place the plywood over the opening and mark each hole position on the outside wall. Drill holes with the appropriate size and type of bit for the anchors. Install the anchors, the plywood, and the bolts to make sure they fit property. On wood-frame houses, make sure that the anchors are secured into the solid wood that frames the door or window and not into the siding or trim. Mark each shutter to show where it is to be installed, and store them and the bolts in an accessible place.
- If the opening is larger than one sheet of plywood, shutters will need 2-by-4 bracing. This bracing can be two 2-by-4s at the middle and bottom of the two sheets of plywood, evenly spaced, with the two-inch side attached to the inside of the storm shutter. Attach the 2-by-4s to the outside of the storm shutter with two-inch, 10-gauge wood screws before installing the shutter.
These recommendations are not intended to replace local building code requirements or to serve as the only options for protecting a home from hurricane wind damage. For more information on protecting a home from hurricane wind damage, contact county building officials, local building supply store, or a building professional such as an engineer, architect, or experienced contractor
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