Unless your home is equipped with hurricane shutters, an approaching storm
means you'd better get busy putting plywood over your windows. Plywood is
inexpensive, readily available (as long as you don't wait until the last
moment to shop), and has 30 percent greater impact strength than OSB.
Insurance industry groups recommend 5/8-inch-thick, exterior-grade (CDX)
plywood, at minimum.
Installation is a two-person job, particularly with large panels. For
safety's sake, get them up before the wind picks up and turns these sheets
into sails. Here's how to protect the windows of wood-framed houses. (For
masonry houses, see tip below.)
• Mark the location of the studs closest to each side of and underneath thewindow. (If there are no nailheads in the siding to give away where the
studs are, you'll have to do some probing with a drill and bit.) Plywood
fastened just to trim or sheathing can go flying.
• Cut each panel so it will extend at least one inch beyond the framing on
all sides of the window.
• Number each panel to indicate which opening it will cover. Add an arrow
showing which end goes up.
• Use corrosion-resistant screws that are long enough to reach at least 2
inches into the framing. They hold far better than nails and are easier to
remove. The best screws for this purpose are galvanized pan-heads or lags,
which have flat-bottomed heads that won't sink into and weaken the plywood.
•Hold the plywood up against the opening and drill pilot holes through it
and into the framing every 16 inches. Be sure each hole is at least one
inch away from the panel edge. Now use a cordless drill/driver or impact
driver to drive all the screws home.
TOH Tip: If you live where hurricanes are a frequent threat, take time during
the off season to screw stainless-steel hanger bolts into the framing every
16 inches, and drill matching holes in the plywood. Then, when a storm
threatens, you can mount the panels quickly and secure them with with nuts
and washers. Because these panels are reusable, prime and paint all surfaces
and edges to protect them from decay.
TOH Tip: On masonry houses, fit the plywood inside the window opening and
hold it in place with 4-inch barrel bolts spaced no more than 16 inches
apart. Each bolt's sliding shaft fits into a hole drilled in the masonry,
(not the grout joint).
