Carefree Home Watch is and you should be too. If you have hurricane shutters of any type such as the steel storm panel, automatic roll down, accordion-style, Bahama hurricane shutters, Colonial hurricane shutters, high tech fabric panels, plywood and even impact windows you should “exercise” your shutters. Yes, we said to exercise your shutters. The term exercise your shutters means that you should use them monthly to make sure that all systems are functioning as designed.
Preparing houses for hurricanes can be an intimidating prospect, especially when you’re faced with multiple tasks. Residents of SWFL become too “comfortable” without experiencing a hurricane each year. We put our shutters away, roll them up or secure them after a major storm and we do not think about them until the next crisis arises. Things happen! Parts and pieces get lost or misplaced. Mechanisms become rusty, corroded, slide tracks become dirty and inoperable, pests build nests inside your devices and all of these unexpected things become issues when it is time to use your hurricane shutters.
Consider this scenario; The National Weather Service announces that there is an impending storm approaching and issues a 10 day named storm warning. You begin getting your home ready and to put up your hurricane shutters then you discover that you have a burned-out electrical motor, you misplaced the hand crank tool, you are missing nuts, bolts, or some other key component essential to your installation. You contact your manufacturer for replacement parts and learn that due to the impending storm and the high demand for parts that all parts are out of stock and on backorder and it will take two weeks (14 days) to get you your part. Sorry, that will be too late as we are going to have a hurricane in ten (10 days) or less.
Here are 6 tips to maintain your hurricane shutters:
- Store wooden, aluminum or steel shutters flat in a dry area such as your garage where water cannot reach them. Store wooden shutters horizontally to prevent warping. Fabric shutters should be washed with soap and warm water and fully dried prior to storage to avoid mildew.
- Wash your roller tracks with soap and warm water bi-annually to remove debris.
- Lubricate your rollers, roller tracks and keyed locks with a white lithium silicone lubricant bi-annually.
- Check all clasp and locking mechanisms and lubricate operation.
- Check your inventory of nuts and bolts used to affix your shutters.
- Operate all mechanical shutters monthly.
Carefree Home Watch offers a storm shutter maintenance schedule as a part of our Concierge Services. Contact Larry at 239.234.1847or Carefree at info@carefreehomewatch.com for a free evaluation of your shutter system and estimate for services.
Carefree Home Watch offers exceptional care when you’re not there.
