Boarding Up The House

     When I was very young, and storms were coming, the preparation never included window covering.  

     We knew that some large estate homes and churches could afford not only the cost of the wood covering, but also had storage space to keep the coverings when not in use.  By the time I was ten, the rumor about taping windows to prevent blowout or even cracking raged throughout the entire state, and every time a storm was coming, people got out their masking tape and got creative.

     You could practically guess the income level of the breadwinner based on the amount of tape used.  We knew it had to come down after the storm, it was a one time use thing, so, if you were not making money to waste, you taped, but only a little.  

Still taping your windows in storms?

by Eliot Kleinberg

Posted 3:20 p.m., March 28, 2012

ORLANDO — Two decades after Andrew, you’d think no one was foolish enough to still stretch masking tape or duct tape across windows in advance of a tropical storm or hurricane.

But a new survey says that, remarkably, nearly seven in 10 still do. This despite years of advice that it doesn't work and actually makes things worse.

MYTH:
Taping windows reduces shatter and makes cleanup easier and is better than doing nothing.
REALITY:
Taping has no value, creates a false sense of security, and wastes valuable preparation time.
Tape will do nothing against missiles. 
While windows might normally shatter into small pieces, taping can create large, deadly daggers of glass.
Tape glue is very hard to get off after it’s baked on the glass.
SOURCE: Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, Palm Beach Post archives

     There are alternatives to tape that actually help.  Note: NOTHING is guaranteed.  

     Storm windows and awnings are an alternative to boarding and taping, allowing you to use what you may already have.  If you do not have awnings and storm windows, they are still an alternative to consider and may add value to the home by adding a 'look' as well as a function.  Awnings also reduce power usage in summer.  

     Boarding up the windows with plywood will help protect against projectiles to some degree.  It isn't pretty but it is do-able.  Boards can be cut to fit, well in advance of a storm.  Pre-drilling holes and setting the boards is also a good idea.  The down side to boarding windows is, plywood warps.  You can't take it down and store it wet, and if stored in high temperatures in a humid location, it will warp.  
TIP: Number the boards, or write on them which window they fit, on both sides.

Hurricane storm panels are available at major hardware and builder's supply stores.  They store more compactly than wood and do not warp.  They don't offer the finest look.  Taking down the brackets can leave holes in the frame of windows.  

TIP: put them up right.  Make the brackets permanent, caulk in the drilled holes, and paint to match the trim.