Is It Time To Replace Your Storm Shutters?
Storm shutters are intended to add a layer of protection to a home. However, when the shutters are worn and well past their expiration date — they can actually pose some serious risks. Whether it's becoming debris in the middle of a strong storm or falling off and injuring someone, it's important to replace storm shutters before they reach this point. Not only are they a danger at this point, but they also aren't doing much to protect your home. Is it time to replace your shutters? Here are some telltale signs that you should make an upgrade.
Hard to Maneuver
You should not have to apply a great deal of force to open or close your shutters. If you notice that each time you try to maneuver the shutters, you feel like you could use an extra set of hands, you have a problem on your hands. Shutters are intended to easily open and close.
Once your shutters have reached this point, there is a good chance that the fasteners that both help you maneuver the storm shutters and keep them in place are worn and rusted. The rusted condition is causing friction that makes it hard for the shutters to move.
Unfortunately, simply replacing the fasteners is not an option, as the fasteners are built into the shutters. In this scenario, it's only a matter of time before the fasteners completely fail and the shutters detach from your home.
Opening and Closing on Their Own
Whether the shutter is in the opened or closed position, they should stay in place; they should not open and close on their own. For example, if you close the shutters and after even the slightest amount of wind, they open, it's a problem. The same is true if you open the shutters, but they always seem to close with every breeze.
This type of problem is the result of the same problem that makes it hard to maneuver the shutters — the fasteners. In this situation, it's likely that the fasteners have already started to detach from the wall, which is why the shutter is able to move so freely.
It's especially important that you replace the shutters in this instance, as it's literally only an amount of time before the shutters completely detach.
If your storm shutters are displaying these, or any other alarming, characteristics, contact an installation professional to learn how you can upgrade your shutters.
