Q: I purchased a resale house in Fort Pierce, Fla., and moved in this past February. The house was inspected by a licensed inspector. His report stated that he could not find the code label on the shutters. Can you inform me as to how to determine that these shutters are the proper type? Until I can prove my shutters are approved, my insurance company will not give a discount on my policy.
A: Trust your home inspector’s opinion and knowledge of local ordinances. If he said there were no labels or any way to determine the status of the shutters, then they probably need to be replaced.
In Florida, storm shutters and their components have to be designed by a qualified engineer and must bear a nonremovable label or seal from the manufacturer.
By researching EHow.com I found there are some areas of Florida and other hurricane-prone states that allow the use of certified hurricane impact-resistant glazing without shutters. The impact-resistant glass undergoes two types of testing, including large-missile-resistant testing and small-missile-resistant testing.
According to EHow.com, the missile test for storm shutters is designed to emulate flying debris associated with hurricane-force winds. The test involves firing a 9-pound, 2-by-4-foot object at a shutter at 50 miles per hour. A second impact test uses several small, 5/16-inch diameter, 2-gram steel balls fired at the shutters at 130 mph.
The glazing and the shutters must pass these rigid design tests to meet the requirements of the codes. Before replacing shutters or the windows, it would be wise to contact your county building officials to determine what is required by local codes.
Evansville resident C. Dwight Barnett is a Master Inspector and is certified by the American Society of Home Inspectors. Write to him at C. Dwight Barnett, Courier & Press, P.O. Box 268, Evansville, IN. 47702, or email him at d.barnett@insightbb.com. Please include a SASE with your questions.
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