FAQs

Weather Guard Inc.

Hurricane Shutter FAQ for Ormond Beach, Volusia, Flagler, and St. Johns County

Have a hurricane shutter-related question? We have the answer. Check out these FAQs and give us a call today for more information!

Choosing a Shutter

  • What types of hurricane shutters does Weather Guard install in Ormond Beach?

    Weather Guard manufactures and installs accordion shutters, manual and motorized roll-down shutters, Bahama shutters, colonial shutters, aluminum storm panels, and hurricane armor screens from Fernandina Beach and St. Augustine through Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, DeLand, and Deltona. Accordion and roll-down systems stay on the house. Panels store in the garage. Bahama and colonial shutters protect the opening and stay part of the look of the house.

  • Which hurricane shutter is best for a Florida home?

    The best shutter is the one you will actually close. For most Volusia and Flagler homes, accordion shutters are the best balance of price, speed, and code-rated protection. Roll-downs win when you want push-button operation, security, and privacy. Panels are the low-cost option if you have storage and help. Armor screen is the right call for a lanai or pool cage. Bahama and colonial shutters are for openings that should look finished every day.

  • What is the difference between accordion and roll-down shutters?

    Accordion shutters fold to the sides and lock in the center. Roll-downs store in a housing box above the opening and lower by crank or motor. Accordions usually cost less and take 15 to 30 minutes for a whole house. Motorized roll-downs close in seconds. Both meet the Florida Building Code when the product approval matches that opening. Weather Guard builds both in Ormond Beach.

  • Are motorized roll-down shutters worth it?

    Yes, on openings you cannot reach, on homes that may be empty when a storm hits, and for anyone who should not crank a heavy shutter. They also work as everyday security and shade. Weather Guard installs a manual override so they still operate if the power is out.

  • Do storm panels work as well as permanent shutters?

    Yes, when they are Florida Product Approved and mounted on the correct tracks. In Volusia, Flagler, and St. Johns, they can meet the same impact standard as accordion and roll-down. The difference is labor. They are right for a budget job. They are wrong if you travel during hurricane season.

  • Can you protect a lanai or outdoor kitchen?

    Yes. Large openings are where a window shutter stops making sense. Weather Guard designs roll-down systems and hurricane armor screens for lanais and outdoor kitchens. Span and beam height decide which one will pass, so this one needs a site visit.

  • Do hurricane shutters work on stucco, block, and wood-frame homes?

    Yes. Most coastal Volusia homes are concrete block with stucco. The fastener schedule changes for wood frame and for hollow block. Weather Guard also color-matches tracks and can stucco-finish headers so the hardware disappears into the wall.

Cost, Insurance, and The Grant

  • How much do hurricane shutters cost in Ormond Beach?

    Weather Guard does not publish a price list because the number changes with the opening, the product, and the wall. A bedroom window is not a slider, and a slider is not a lanai. Accordion, roll-down, Bahama, colonial, and panel systems are priced off a site measure, not a per-square-foot guess. Motorized roll-downs cost more than a manual system on the same opening because of the motor, the wiring, and the override. Second-story work and lifts add to the job. New installs include a warranty. The only firm number is the written estimate after Weather Guard measures the house. Call (386) 356-2180.

  • Do hurricane shutters lower homeowners insurance in Florida?

    They can. Florida law requires insurers to offer a discount for verified wind-mitigation features, including opening protection. It is not automatic. Every glazed opening the carrier counts has to be covered by a Florida Product Approved product, and a licensed inspector has to record it on form OIR-B1-1802. Plywood does not qualify. Savings sit on the wind portion of the policy and vary by carrier and distance to the coast. Weather Guard supplies the approval numbers. Ask the agent for the credit before you treat it as payback.

  • Can My Safe Florida Home help pay for hurricane shutters?

    It can, if you qualify and if the grant is approved before any work starts. The standard match is $2 from the state for every $1 you spend, up to $10,000 from the state. Shutters are an eligible opening-protection improvement. Common rules are a homesteaded single-family home permitted before January 1, 2008, an insured value of $700,000 or less, an active policy, and income within the program limit. Low-income applicants may not have to match. Rules and funding move, so confirm the current cycle at mysafeflhome.com. Do not start fabrication until the grant is approved. Early work is the usual reason a reimbursement dies.

Codes and Permits

  • Do hurricane shutters have to meet the Florida Building Code?

    Yes. In Volusia, Flagler, and St. Johns, the product needs a Florida Product Approval rated for the design pressure of that opening. Ormond Beach, Daytona, and Palm Coast are in a wind-borne debris region. They are not in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. HVHZ is Miami-Dade and Broward. Weather Guard matches the approval to the opening and keeps the paperwork for the permit and the insurance file.

  • Do I need a permit in Volusia or Flagler County?

    Yes, for permanent systems, including panel tracks. Weather Guard pulls the permit, meets the inspector, and closes it out. An unpermitted shutter can fail at resale and get rejected for the insurance credit.

  • Will shutters help me pass a wind-mitigation inspection?

    They will if every opening on the form is protected and the inspector can see the approval. One bare window can drop the credit. Schedule the inspection after the building final, then send the form to your agent.

Install, Storms, and Repair

  • How long does installation take?

    Most single-family jobs finish in one to three days once the shutters are built and the permit is issued. A typical accordion or panel package is often one day. Motors, second-story work, and lanais take longer. In-house manufacturing means the wait is the build plus the city, not a shipment from out of state.

  • Do you offer free estimates?

    Yes. On-site measurement and a written number. Call (386) 356-2180.

  • Will motorized roll-downs work if the power goes out?

    Yes. Weather Guard sets them up with a manual override. Find the crank at install, not when the lights are out.

  • When should I put shutters up?

    When a storm is forecast to bring tropical-storm-force wind to your stretch of coast, not when it is already raining sideways. Panels go up first. If you evacuate, close them before you leave.

  • How often should shutters be serviced?

    Twice a year on the coast. Rinse the salt, clear the bottom track, and use a dry silicone spray. Do not use grease. Weather Guard services what it built and most systems it did not, including dead motors, pulled straps, and locks that will not catch.

  • How long do aluminum shutters last?

    A code-rated aluminum system, rinsed of salt and kept in its tracks, commonly stays in service 20 years or more. Hardware and motors wear before the slats. Stainless fasteners are what keep a beachside install from seizing.

  • What areas do you serve, and do you build your own?

    Ormond Beach shop, serving Fernandina Beach and St. Augustine south through Palm Coast, Flagler, Daytona, New Smyrna, and Edgewater, and inland through DeLand and Deltona, homes and condos. Shutters are built in-house, which is why a non-standard slider gets built to the opening and why parts stay available. Licensed and insured. New installs include a warranty.