Pictures of Plywood Storm Shutters installed on a house in Florida showing how they are installed and how they are made.

Plywood Storm Shutters Front View of House showing how the home made wood shutters cover two front windows.	Plywood Storm Shutters Front View of House showing home made plywood panels for the front windows.	Plywood Storm Shutters Front View of House showing the home made shutters are installed.	Plywood Storm Shutters Front View of House showing how the home made shutters are installed for a large window.	Plywood Storm Shutters Front View of House showing how the home made shutters are installed for a large window.
Plywood Storm Shutters Front View of House showing how the plywood shutters are installed for a large window.	Plywood Storm Shutters Front View of House showing the metal straps securing the plywood panel to the window frame.	Plywood Storm Shutters View of some of the home made Storm panels in storage.	Plywood Storm Shutters View of some of the Storm panels in storage.	Plywood Storm Shutters Front View of House showing how the home made shutters cover one small window.
Plywood Storm Shutters Back View of House showing home made plywood shutters with a view port installed to protect window.	Plywood Storm Shutters Side View of House showing plywood shutter with view port installed to protect window.

 

These are pictures of plywood Storm shutters that protect my Florida house from Storm winds. I used to have wooden shutters that I made from 3/4 inch plywood that were held in place by metal straps but they were not "Hurricane wind approved" by the State of Florida and therefore did not entitle me to a discount for my homeowners insurance. The insurance discount is the main reason that I switched to the Plywood Storm shutters.

 

Types of Plywood Storm Shutters

1. Plywood that is anchored outside of the window opening.
   These are simply panels of plywood that are screwed/bolted into exterior wall of the house and cover the entire window opening. They lay flat against the walls surface. One drawback on using these is that the wind may find it's way beneath one of the edges of the plywood and apply forces that may dislodge it and send it flying.
    
2. Plywood that is set inside the window frame.
   Plywood is cut to fit inside the window frame (on the outside of the house) and held in place with screws and metal straps. These are the plywood shutters shown in the above pictures. Wind cannot dislodge these shutters from the house because there is no edge for the wind to "grab". The wind merely pushes the plywood against the house making a tighter seal.

 

How to make Plywood Storm Shutters

Materials: 3/4" marine grade exterior plywood, white primer, white exterior paint, metal pipe strap (galvanized), stainless steel or galvanized screws, appropriate wall anchors for your house.

1. Measure the inside of the window frame and cut the plywood to fit. You may want to cut an additional 1/2 inch off each edge of the plywood to make installation easier and to compensate for warping of the plywood as each with age.
   
2. Cut metal pipe strap into 6 inch lengths and attach to the edge of the plywood as shown with stainless steel or galvanized screws. Use a minimum of two straps per edge. More for larger windows.
   
3. Place plywood into window frame and push the pipe strap against the adjacent wall to determine where to drill the holes for the wall anchors.
   
4. Remove the plywood, drill holes and insert wall anchors.
   
5. Perform a fit check with the plywood shutter and install in the window opening. Screw in securely. Cut excess pipe strap off if required.
   
6. Remove plywood shutter and store.

Note: to ensure that my home made plywood Storm shutters lasted many years I painted them with a coating of white primer, followed with two coats of white exterior paint. I chose white because if would be more reflective and not be as dark inside the house. Also, as shown in the photos I added a plexiglass viewport on some of the windows. This is one of the best features of the shutter as it lets light inside of the house as well as allowing you to look outside and see what is happening during the Storm. The viewport is small and does not weaken the shutter very much at all. I highly recommend adding a viewport. The light and the ability to look outside help to alleviate depression or bad moods during a Storm.

 

What is a Storm or 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. ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_shutter