Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Florida > Naples
 [Register]
Naples Collier County
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 05-28-2010, 07:23 AM
 
Location: Hunters Ridge
1 posts, read 5,479 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

My wife and i just bought a house in Bonita Springs (just east of 75) and it doesnt have hurricane shutters. We are new to FL. Is this a MUST HAVE for this area? Does anyone have a recommendation on what to buy and a reliable company to install? thank you
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-28-2010, 08:01 PM
 
Location: Lakewood NJ/Murrells Inlet SC/ N. Naples FL/Swainton NJ
4,023 posts, read 6,505,616 times
Reputation: 3523
Our Naples condo did come with metal corragated screw-on hurricane shutters stacked in the storage closet. Originally I considered getting the mounted pull down shutters for the windows and the linai. I got an estimate of about $7,000 and considered doing it. However this visit I decided that the shutters we have might be fine. I just spend two days painting the metal shutters white (which is required by the HOA is they are to go on for any length of time) and installing them. We now have a very dark condo. But since we will probably head north next week and might not be back to October, I think I will just leave them on. A bad hurricane season is predicted and I'd rather not have to worry from a long distance.....
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2010, 11:07 PM
 
208 posts, read 609,212 times
Reputation: 98
I don't know if it is a "must have", but it will lower your homeowners insurance, if you have them. Did you have a wind inspection done? It isn't that expensive to have and also lowers your homeowners insurance.

Most people get them, hoping to never use them. Some people get them and keep them on when they are gone in the summer.

You can get some at home depot or Lowe's (if you are a do it yourself-er). They even come in polycarbonate and are clear to allow light in.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-29-2010, 12:31 PM
 
Location: Mtns of Waynesville,NC & Nokomis, FL
4,781 posts, read 10,530,495 times
Reputation: 6518
Surprised your home doesn't have a set...need them or not, that is the $64,000 question.

When we roll north to the Mtns for 7 months, I put mine up, (corrugated steel panels that
bolt on, and painted to appease the HOA), plus we spent the dough 4 seasons ago for an
electric roll down set of panels to cover our sliders on the lanai. Pricey then; less pricey and
much more competitively priced now, imo.

Dunno if I can name names here, but Lifestyles, Alufab USA, High Velocity and Imagen come
to mind. We used Lifestyles out of Ft Myers, as our home has a very wide set of sliders and it
was a complex, wide span, motorized set up we wanted for that area. Friends have used the
other companies I listed, with success.

I figure it is good defense: like carrying rain gear on a potential rainy day, thus it doesn't happen.
GL, mD
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-29-2010, 03:05 PM
 
592 posts, read 1,807,041 times
Reputation: 543
Many houses here don't have them and make out just fine without them even in hurricanes, but of course many people do have them and some of those people have most likely avoided troubles because of it. It's a gamble, for sure.

Our house came with the corrugated metal type that you screw on, but there was an option to upgrade to the accordian type. They compress and stay right on the house when not in use. They close up very small, are the same color as our house and are barely noticeable. Should there be a hurricane scare you simply pull each side together and lock it in the center with a key-viola! I insisted my husband get that upgrade and he thanks me, no lie, at least 3-4 times a year for it. I encouraged him to go for it because we're not getting any younger, ha ha, and he has a back problem. It only takes him about 1/2 hr of very easy labor to close up our 5 bedroom home. And I, an under 5' tall old lady, opened them all by myself this past December when we got back here. That's how easy they are to do!! (He was laid up with a back flare up at the time and again was mighty glad we had opted for the accordian shutters over the corrugated.)

The neighbors toil with their corrugated ones for an entire day-or more. Each separate piece of the corrugated type is very heavy and you have to carry them in parts from where they're stored in the garage (which takes up space there) all around your home to each and every window. They are very heavy, bulky and unwieldy and are lots of work to handle, in general. You have to go up and down a ladder to screw each section in when you're putting them up. In our community, at least, they often don't fit in the tracks and/or the owners haven't marked them for which specific window they go to or haven't kept every section in order when they put them away last time. Often if you don't get that right they won't go in the tracks, either. So, it's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle if you don't happen to be an organized person. Quite a few of our neighbors have them spread all over the lawn when they're putting them up. As far as I can see they are a struggle in every way.

We've been in this house and community since right after hurricane Wilma and at first almost everyone who had the builder supplied basic corrugated shutters went through the nuisance of either having them painted white (which can be costly) or painted them themselves and then they hung them days later when the paint dried. But, by the year after that almost no one even hung them and I imagine that's because of the nuisance that type of shutter is. Several people have told us how they wished they'd taken the same upgrade we did on the shutters when the builder was offering it.

I just tell you this personal story in case you do decide to buy shutters. I hope I've given you something to think about when choosing which type to buy. Hey, if you're rich I bet electric ones are the best of all!! Good luck with your decision!

Last edited by JudiPatooti; 05-29-2010 at 03:14 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-29-2010, 07:02 PM
 
Location: Lakewood NJ/Murrells Inlet SC/ N. Naples FL/Swainton NJ
4,023 posts, read 6,505,616 times
Reputation: 3523
I figured I'd paint an put up our metal ones this time. I really don't have the funds at the moment to upgrade and we will probably leave next week to return in the fall. I also like the idea that they make breaking into the condo a lot more difficult, keep the sun out and maybe keep the windows cleaner (although probably not).

I have a feeling that if there are no major storms this season they will probably come off in the fall to go into perminant storage. I plan to save up for the sliders since I'm sure I won't feel like installing these as I get even older......
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-01-2010, 04:04 PM
 
Location: Full time in the RV
3,417 posts, read 7,747,657 times
Reputation: 3331
I have the corrugated ones from Home Depot. Judi is right-they are a pain. I have mine marked exactly where they go.

I used Home Depot's home installation to mount all the brackets. I've had very good experiences with HD.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-02-2010, 09:22 AM
 
Location: Niceville, FL
13,253 posts, read 22,650,364 times
Reputation: 16387
If you've got a house of a certain age, and have plans to replace windows anyways, we've discovered that just going ahead and getting impact glass can be cheaper than new non-impact windows plus shutters, and that way you don't have to mess with shutters if a storm comes close.

Just throwing that out as an option if it might apply.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-05-2010, 03:10 PM
 
Location: where my heart is
5,643 posts, read 9,591,902 times
Reputation: 1661
If you aren't a snowbird, I don't think it matters very much. My snowbird neighbors in my development have them the whole season they are away.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-27-2010, 10:29 AM
 
Location: Florida
51 posts, read 359,653 times
Reputation: 67
Default New to FL - Do we need shutters

New to FL. Shutter are not necessarily a MUST HAVE for your area. As far wind load map your area falls in the 110 mph zone. These tropical storms and hurricane are huge- the outer bands can cover the complete state. So any area is fair game. We’re not talking about small storms. Look at any satellite image of a severe weather event hurricane approaching Florida – they can cover the majority of state as they pass over.

Unfortunately, I can not recommend a product to buy and a reliable company to install. I don't think I could answers questions without bias and from a balanced perspective if I was out here trying to promote a particular company or product.

I can offer advice on types of products for your given situation, location or structure. I can and will tell you what products are tested and confirmed for Florida State Building Code and/or Miami-Dade code compliance. I will and often do call out such products that are fraudulently promoting unqualified products as "Hurricane Proof" when found ineffective. So called "Hurricane Film" is a good example of what not to put much faith in as hurricane protectives.

There are some very good, honest contractors out there. Ask your neighbors who may have had good experiences with their installation companies. Research their credentials and ask for references. Stay away from a company that only "pushes" one product type. It’s often a combination of product types that offer the best protection for any given structure. Windows, doors, sliding glass doors, and all skylights have different applications to hurricane protectives. I feel your better off looking at contractors who have a wide selection of product types for your need. A contractor should give credence to you homes architectural aesthetics to keep the solutions as unobtrusive as possible.

I get this question so often - as a researcher and contractor I'm wondering if I should publish some type of FREE guide to hurricane preparedness - outlining aspects of product selections and finding good contractors.

Last edited by preparedness expert; 06-27-2010 at 10:30 AM.. Reason: sp
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Florida > Naples
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top