Accordion shutters are wonderfully suited to protect Florida homes from the effects of hurricanes. These are fixed to the sides of the windows and they open and shut accordion-style, hence the name. Once installed, you don’t have to take them down and put them up again every time hurricane season approaches. Installing them can be carried out as a DIY job if you are so inclined to such activities and can manage the installation of tracks; getting an accordion shutter ready for an approaching hurricane takes a minute or two. These shutters will also your property from theft by acting as the first line of defense. This is a useful attribute as incidents of theft in the aftermath of a hurricane are not uncommon.
Accordion storm shutters can be operated from inside or outside of the house and are available in unlimited widths, as one-piece or two-piece shutters. To operate these shutters from the inside you should be able to open the windows sufficiently to reach out to the shutters.
Basically, if you have a concrete or masonry structure, particularly one having a curved contour, then you should consider this shutter type. These shutters are not without their drawbacks and the most common one is that they spoil the appearance of the property. The installation of tracks has to be done correctly so that the shutters slide properly on the tracks. Because these shutters slide on tracks, they can sometimes come off tracks or get stuck. Proper alignment of shutter wheels and lubrication of track and wheel is essential.
These shutters cannot be installed during construction; and because they are stacked at the side of the windows, you need to have space for them. Unlike roll-down shutters this type does not support centralized operation and choice of colors can be a little limited. When going for this shutter type, choose a company that offers accordion storm shutters in a powder finish and having a low profile that does not take a lot of space when stacking, thereby lessening what is euphemistically known as the “visual impact”.
Expect to pay anything between $16-$20 per square foot for this shutter type.
