Hurricane shutter

A hurricane shutter made out of plywood.

Hurricane coverings, commonly known as shutters, are used in hurricane mitigation to protect houses and other structures from damage caused by storms. Hurricane shutters are used to prevent windows from being broken by flying objects during a storm. Although the negative pressure caused by high-speed wind flowing over a building roof can cause the roof to fail with the building envelope intact, broken windows allow the air pressure to rise inside a building, creating an even greater pressure difference and increasing the likelihood of roof failure.[1][2]

Shutters are frequently constructed from steel or aluminium, 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.

  1. ^ "Hurricane Code and Requirements" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 14, 2017. Retrieved Oct 9, 2016.
  2. ^ "Hurricane Retrofit Guide - Debris Impact Standards". www.floridadisaster.org. Retrieved 2016-10-09.