Hurricane season has arrived, and residents in low-lying areas should start thinking about how they will prepare their home for high winds and heavy rains.
Homeowners who stick it out through a hurricane or live in areas that aren’t under an evacuation order there are steps you can take to protect your windows as well as your own safety from broken blown in glass.
Here are 5 steps needed to board up your windows with plywood. Please do this while winds are down or else these sheets will go flying.
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.)
1. Mark the location of the studs closest to each side of and underneath the window. (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.
2. Cut each panel so it will extend at least one inch beyond the framing on all sides of the window.
3. Number each panel to indicate which opening it will cover. Add an arrow showing which end goes up.
4. 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.
5. 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.
How To Board Up Your Windows Preparing for a Storm was first posted on http://charlesandhudson.com
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