Secured

I had two guys show up on my Ring doorbell yesterday morning. They said that they were there to install my hurricane shutters. I had it in my head that they were coming Tuesday and I told them as much. I said “I show the install was supposed to be done November 13th”. After a pause the guy says, today is November 13th… Whoops. I apologized and asked if they needed me for anything, they did not.

The normal windows get a channel system with lightweight metal inserts that slide into the top and are secured at the bottom with bolts/wingnuts. The installer showed me the process to install them, it’s very easy compared to the plywood mess I used to deal with at the old house. I would guess I could have the house totally buttoned up in an hour or less.

The front door is protected by a roll down shutter with a hand crank. I again got a demonstration of the process. The door can go from open to sealed in a minute or so. The install looks cleaner than I expected and does not really stand out like a sore thumb which I was glad to see.

Finally he showed me the back lanai which was the most expensive part of this project, by far. There are two huge sliders back there that go into the main bedroom and the great room as well as a small window for the kitchen.

Instead of covering these individually my sales rep recommended installing accordion style protection that would seal off the entire lanai. I was hesitant at first about the idea and remained somewhat hesitant right up until yesterday. I was worried they would be overly obtrusive and that the rail along the floor would be a trip hazard. However, it’s all good.

The rail that actually goes right past the door is rounded and low profile. You would almost have to try to trip yourself on it, it just isn’t an issue. The shutters fold up nicely, tight to the walls leaving the views out the back largely unimpacted. The shutters even have two clear portals that allow you to get a peek outside even when the full force of a hurricane is upon you. Even though it was a very pricey option I value having the lanai sealed off in a rather bulletproof manner. The only negative was the pull down shades that were on the lanai to block late day sun had to come down. I didn’t really use them though anyway.

The install took the entire day, as I arrived home from work they were just finishing up. This concludes the last significant home improvement I have planned for the near future. At some point the carpet in the bedrooms will need to go and the master bathroom will get updating but that is as time, patience and money allows. I have dropped quite the wad of cash on this place since moving in. The good news is all of it is an investment in the property that will pay dividends down the road.

I am hoping to get a little bit of the chunk of money I spent on these shutters back via a reduced homeowners insurance rate. I need to see what my options are there.