Ready for Life

Hurricane shutters are not that common in the Houston area. But, hurricanes can be a real threat. I spent the last weekend preparing my home for high winds and how to avoide a disaster.

Plywood doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. It is a little awkward to transport in 4′ x 8′ sheets without a truck, but there is always delivery. So, I came home to a nicely bundled, metal banded stack of plywood in my driveway. I had been somewhat concerned about it staying in the driveway for a few hours until I got home at the end of my day. My concerns were probably a little silly. After all, it required metal snips (medium size), and lots of work to move the 20+ sheets anywhere. Moving more than five of them was honest work.

Houston is hot and muggy most of the summer. Moving 3/4″ sheets which weigh over 30 lbs. each was very moist work. Hydration of my body was a big concern. I hired an off duty professional to come cut and hang all the plywood for glass windows and doors of the house. Here was our strategy.

 I ordered 3/4″ Plylox from an online source. Only 1/2″ plylox are available in stores. These are the same metal home gator clips for insetting in masonry, but will accept larger wood thickness. I just didnt feel like 1/2″ would be safe in a really high Category wind. If I ever needed smaller sheets, I plan on shimming in the plylox. We cut each piece or pieces of plywood to fit each opening I would need protected. This included strips of 3/8″ x 12″ to cover the undereave soffits and prevent wind entering under the roof and causing uplift. These will be screwed in with wood screws under the eaves. The goal is to prevent wind from entering any openings including broken windows, soffits, attic vents, fireplace chimneys, etc. All must be sealed to prevent hurricane wind damage.

We carefully measured and cut wood for each window and 2×4’s to reinforce any splices required. I then labeled each piece with a can of spray paint before we stored the wood in a safe and accessible place. This was then protected from the elements and hidden from eyes. All this went pretty smoothly because I did several things. We pre-measured the openings and purchased enough plywood and plylox for the entire job plus a few extras. I had all the right tools on hand and batteries charged. I hired help when I exceeded my area of expertise. I helped the contractor every step of the way and we tested installing each piece before calling the job complete. There were three different openings we had to recut and rip.

 I worked, learned, and feel confident I can install the wind barriers on my own if needed. Next, the reinforcements for the garage door. Typically the weakest point on a house in a storm.