Should i board my windows
Some forums can only be seen by registered members. View detailed profile Advanced or search site with Search Forums Advanced. Hi, I plan to retire in Florida.
My first question is : do most of people board up windows when a hurricane comes, if you are some distance away from the ocean? Any information would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. I was in a condo on Tampa Bay, never boarded up. House 1. Rental on a canal a stones throw from the gulf, never boarded up. Current house 4. Just my preference though. Many around me all those places did board up. If you are well inland it would probably not be needed.
A lot of home- and business- owners along the coastline do board up when there's a threat. It would only take one strike though for us to change our minds. Once you pick your place, use common sense, look around, and ask your neighbors for guidance. In many locations, storm shutters are part of the real estate transfer for purchases. If you plan to rent, make sure it's defined in your lease agreement. On Anna Maria Island, one block from gulf, south of Tampa, yes, we boarded up.
Yes, we did evacuate. Yes, it was chaos. Flooded streets did a lot of water damage to our car's electrical systems on the island as it floods up immediately as the water has no place to go. When we decided not to evacuate due to chaos on the roads, it was almost unbearable to be in your home, boarded up with no power We boarded up when Charlie was supposed to hit us and it was the most eery feeling. Almost like living in a cave it was so dark and you had no idea what was going on outside.
We always say that we'll leave if a storm is heading towards us that is a Cat 2 or higher. If it ends up missing us and we left anyway, oh well, at least we were safe. I have been here with 3 or maybe even 4 Hurricanes and we never had anything done except for taken yard furniture inside and other small items.
We did have a tree on our car with a lesser storm called a Tropical Storm but the tree was more or less pushed over by the wind so the damage was hardly to see. Once that happens, your home and family are at the mercy of the storm. All the while flinging storm-borne debris everywhere endangering everyone in the home.
In the attic, the wind begins to squeeze its way through tiny cracks and crevices. It creates pressure that continues to build in the home. Meanwhile, the storm continues to rip at your roof from the outside. The combined force may rip your roof from your home. Then, measure again. Making a mistake when measuring plywood to board up your windows could be a costly one indeed.
Measure every opening you intend to cover horizontally inside the exterior trim and, then, vertically from the sill to the bottom of the top trim. Add eight inches to both the height and width providing a four-inch overlap on each side. If your windows have an extended sill, measure from the top of the sill to the top of the window.
Only add four inches to the sides rather than eight. We suggest boarding up the windows before the wind picks up. The plywood can be hard to hang onto making the job pretty difficult.
Not to mention, more dangerous. First, pre-drill holes the same diameter as your bolts or screws two inches from the edges of the plywood on each corner and at inch intervals around the entire piece of plywood.
Attach the 2x4s to the outside of the plywood panel with 10 gauge galvanized screws that are 2 inches long. Space them at 4 inch intervals. You could even take time to waterproof the plywood with a sealant or paint. Even if you intend to board up those windows and hunker down, if an evacuation order is given for your area, please, heed it. Because these panels are reusable, prime and paint all surfaces and edges to protect them from decay. Tip 2: On masonry houses, fit the plywood inside the window opening and hold it in place with 4-inch barrel bolts spaced no more than 16 inches apart.
Each bolt's sliding shaft fits into a hole drilled in the masonry, not the grout joint. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. How to Board Up Windows for Hurricane.
By Mark Feirer. Pinterest Email Pocket Flipboard. Boarding Up Windows For Hurricane Mark the location of the studs closest to each side of and underneath the window.
If there are no nailheads in the siding to give away where the studs are, you'll have to do some probing with a drill and bit.