Joe Stewart
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Is it necessary to use "heavy duty" barrel bolts for my plywood hurricane shutters? The "heavy duties" cost about $5.00 apiece at HD for 4 inch Stanleys. The standard duty Stanley 4 inchers are $0.99 apiece at Big Lots - quite a difference. Is anyone using standard duties for their plywood shutters? If I go with the heavy duties, the cost of the barrel bolts will probably be double the cost of the wood itself. Any opinions greatly appreciated. Joe Stewart in South Louisiana 
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danielw
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Loc: Hattiesburg,MS (31.3N 89.3W)
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I'm not sure about using the 'heavy' vs the standard. The prices you quote would definately drive up the cost.
What about doubling up on the number of standard bolts. Cheaper and more secure.
You might want to buy longer screws (1"-1.5") to fasten the bolts. The ones that come with the standard bolts are a little on the 'cheesy' side when it comes to Hurricane protection.
Just my two cents...and probably what I would do if I put some up here.
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Ed G
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Loc: Clermont, Fl
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what is the difference in length of the barrels?
the el-cheapo's may not extend into the pre-drilled hole far enough to be secure.
Personnally, I would want at least 3/4" barrel length into each hole.
If money is an issue, you may want to reconsider your installation to surface mounting the plywood.
What are the walls of your house made of?
Check out hurricanedepot.com for hardware examples.
I invested $1200 to cover all my windows (including 2 sliding doors) with .050 corrugated aluminum panels (dade county approved). That price included all mounting hardware.
Easy installation.
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Joe Steward
Unregistered
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Forgot my password and had to post under slightly different name.
Thank your for the replies!
Went back to HD this morning. The "heavy duty" Stanley 4 inch barrel bolts have 5/16 inch diameter bolts and have a 7/8 inch "throw". The standard duty Stanley 4 inchers also have a "throw" of 7/8 inch, but the bolt itself is smaller (1/4 inch diameter). The housing of the heavy duty model is made of heavier steel and the screws that they give you are longer.
As was recommended on the NOAA web page, I was going to discard the screws that they give you and use 1/4 inch hex head bolts and washers. I will use 3/4 inch exterior grade plywood.
On the websites of companies selling hurricane hardware that I've seen, they sell barrel bolts, but they don't tell you if they are heavy duty or not, and they don't give barrel diameter or throw.
I like the idea of putting the bolts closer together and I believe that this is what I will do.
My house is brick veneer construction. The brick is red clay and I recently discovered that it is hollow, with two cells per brick. House was constructed in 1997.
I have twenty five windows, two doors, and the double front door to cover. I believe that two of the windows and the double front door are too big (7 feet tall, 7 feet wide) to use plywood/barrel bolts, so I may have those shutters professionally made.
Haven't decided what to do about the two metal garage doors , which I understand are inherently weak.
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CoalCracker
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Loc: Cape Coral, FL
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Joe,
Not sure what the building codes for garage doors were in your area when your home was constructed, but your garage door could be the most vulnerable area on your home, more so than your double front doors and sliding glass doors. I agree that you should have a storm shutter company supply protection for the door areas. Likewise, I'd check with a garage door company to see if they can install stiffeners and/or vertical braces for your garage. Trust me, any money you spend is worthwhile. I live in Southwest Florida and had corrugated steel panels made for all my openings and also had my garage door braced 14 years ago since my home was constructed in 1981. Doors in 1981 were required to sustain only 50 mph winds. At the time it cost me about $2600 for the entire job, but when blew by us last year, the bracing saved my garage door, and the panels saved water incursion when my neighbor's shingles blew off and smashed into the sides of my home. Best protection you can get is to ensure it complies with Miami Dade (FL) codes. Hope this helps.
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h2ocean
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Loc: South Merritt Island, FL
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You may want to check out panel-mates for the plywood - great product and rated one of the strongest fastners for plywood and panels. I have the .063 heavy duty aluminum panels (even over the garage door which is rated to 130) because the panels are rated much higher. The panels are very quick to install w/ a wing nut driver on the drill. So much easier and faster than the sidewalk bolts w/ lead anchors. Trust me I know...after last year, I had the anchors changed to panel-mates - at least 1/2 the installation time! My patio is covered w/ Armor Screen. During the peak of the storms last year with the wind blowing directly in, we sat out on the patio watching Jeanne and Francis. Armor Screen is also a great product for larger openings - it is actually rated as one of the strongest hurricane protection coverings.
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Merritt Island, FL Home Weather Station
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