Indian Hills

Prepare for Hurricane Season now!

May 12, 2001

Fortify your home for a hurricane!

WINDOWS: You can build your own hurricane shutters for your windows & doors. Exterior grade plywood 5/8?” thick is recommended. When measuring to cut plywood to fit over the openings, allow for the plywood to overlap the openings by 4?”. On wood frame homes, FEMA recommends using 1.25?” lag bolts and plastic-coated permanent anchors for windows up to 3?’x4?’. The bolts should penetrate the wall & frame by at least 1.75?”. For larger windows, use three-eighths-inch lag bolts that penetrate at least 2.5?” deep. On concrete block homes, use 1.25?” bolts and galvanized permanent expansion anchors that penetrate the wall at least 1.75?” for windows up to 3?’x4?’. For larger windows use three-eighths-inch bolts. After cutting to fit, drill holes about 2.5?” from the edge at 12?” intervals. Make sure a hole is at each corner. Drill for holes in the center to relieve wind pressure. Place plywood over the opening and mark the position of the holes on the wall. Drill holes to the appropriate size for the anchors, install the anchors, plywood washers & bolts to make sure they fit properly. Mark each piece of plywood with where it goes (I.E. dinning room window). For openings that are wider than 1 piece of plywood, use as many pieces as necessary & then attach a 2-by-4 brace horizontally across the width & attach with 10-gauge wood screws.

DOORS: Doors should be reinforced with bolts at the top & bottom of the door frame, particually on double doors. Garage door tracks should be anchored to the 2-by-4?’s in the wall & ceiling with heavy wood bolts or to masonry with expansion bolts.

ROOFS: Gabled roofs are the most susceptible to high winds. This is a roof with a flat side that looks like an ?“A?”. You can install 2-by-4 braces in the attic to reinforce such areas. Place 2-by-4?’s in an ?“X?” formation at each gable. To make the ?“X?”, attach one 2-by-4 to the highest point of the end truss. Attach the other end of that board to the bottom of the truss that is fourth from the end. Attach the other 2-by-4 to the bottom of the end truss & also to the top of the truss that is forth from the end. Use 3?” 14-gauge wood screws.