Simple Tips to Prepare Your Home and Windows for Hurricane Season

Living in a coastal state means living with hurricanes, and now that hurricane season is underway, it’s crucial that homeowners be prepared for storms that can strike on a moment’s notice. When a powerful storm is in the forecast, plan a trip to the grocery store and buy enough non-perishable food, water and supplies for two weeks. Once you have done this, it’s time to prepare your home’s windows.

Avoid the rush to nail plywood to window frames by installing special storm panel frames that will be ready to hold the plywood in place. Pre-measure and cut 5/8-inch plywood to fit the frames before a hurricane is on the way. When the hurricane watch is issued, simply slip the plywood panels into the frames.

But if you find yourself in a rush, you can still secure your windows before the storm strikes.

How to Prepare Secured Plywood Panels

If you don’t have storm panel frames, you must secure plywood directly to the window frames.

1. Cut the plywood to fit at least six inches around the window frame.

2. Make sure there are at least two inches from the edge of the window pane to the outer edge of the exterior wall to prevent damaging the window when the plywood is installed.

3. Special clips that fasten to the window frame or brick veneer can be used to secure the plywood to the exterior wall.

4. Secure the plywood using clips or by drilling screws 18 inches apart around the plywood perimeter.

Source: Glass Doctor, Rainbow International