Hurricane shutter

Hurricane shutters are used in hurricane mitigation to protect houses and other structures from damage caused by storms. They are frequently constructed from steel or aluminum, but homeowners sometimes use the low-cost alternative of plywood. The shutters are affixed to the outside of the building with screws, hurricane clips, or a track system. Advanced shutters may be motorized, and they may fold away when not in use.

Three major types of shutters are known alternatively as panel systems. They are usually made of plywood, metal (aluminum or steel), or polycarbonate plastic. Lexan panels are transparent, and may be flat or have been heat-formed into a corrugated shape to further increase impact resistanceFact|date=November 2007. Panels must be attached to the structure via screws in a direct mount or on tracks. When not in use, storm panels are stored in an easy to reach location. They can be quite bulky. Another type of shutter is an accordion shutterwhich are made from interlocking vertical blades which slide into place horizontally on a track. They are operated by pulling each curtain toward the center of the track, latching the curtains together and locking the handle.

Another type is the roll-up or rolling shutter, consisting of a series of slats that form a curtain with both sides of the curtain being inserted into guide rails. The curtain is then rolled onto an axle which is covered by a housing. Rolling shutters can be operated manually by gear, by pull strap or can be motorized independently or in conjunction with a manual override. Motorized shutters can be operated by either a switch or remote and can be controlled either individually or in groups. On loss of power caused by hurricanes, motorized shutters must be operated manually, requiring either access to the motor (which can be difficult) or a pre-installed manual override. Most often, a manual override is operated using a gear.

Other types are the Bahamas and Colonials. Bahama shutters are mounted above the window creating shade when they are open, and when in use, they are brought down and secured over the window. Colonials are similar to the wooden shutters, but are made of aluminum. They hinge on the side of the windows and swing shut to protect the opening.

Hurricane shutters are used to prevent windows from being broken by flying objects during a storm. Although the negative pressure caused by high velocity wind flowing over a building roof can cause the roof to fail with the building envelope intact [ [http://www.roofingcontractor.com/CDA/Archives/33165f18c67ad010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____] Understanding Wind Uplift Ratings ] , broken windows allow the air pressure to rise inside a building, creating an even greater pressure difference, and increasing the likelihood of roof failure.

The most comprehensive standard of hurricane building material product approval is the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Residential CodeFact|date=November 2007. These codes use the criteria set forth in ASTM E1886 & E1996. These test method norms describe the standardized tests to measure the impact resistance of a shutter and its resistance to cyclic wind pressure. The IBC is considered to be a more comprehensive code than other normsFact|date=November 2007, since the requirements are adaptable to all levels of required wind speed. The Florida Building Code (enacted in March, 2002)is in most aspects similar to the IBC in regard to the testing and approval of hurricane shutters. The Miami-Dade County norms, often considered the most stringent requirements for hurricane shutters, rely on self-developed testing methods TAS201, 202 and 203. Passing the tests prescribed by the TAS norms is required only for shutters approved for use in the Florida HVHZ (High Velocity Hurricane Zone). The Florida Building Code will accept testing performed by TAS methods for inclusion in the FBC Database of approved building products. Both Miami-Dade County and the State of Florida maintain web-searchable databases of products approved for use as hurricane protection. These typically include not only actual test results from certified independent testing laboratories, they also contain "Product Approval Drawings" or "Installation Instructions" which describe exactly how a rated hurricane shutter is to be attached to a building. Both the product and installation method must be shown to be in compliance with these drawings in order for a shutter to be considered "hurricane protection" or "code-rated".

References

ee also

*Hurricane preparedness
*Hurricane proof building
*Product certification
*Window shutter