Does my Miami condo need hurricane shutters?

Question

I recently purchased a condo in Miami (Kendall, no where near the beach). When first looking at the apartment I asked about hurricane shutters and received strange looks from the owner, the real estate agent and the association representative. All told me that the association allowed them, but that I had no need for any since I had a balcony (12 ft long by 4 ft deep) and was on the second floor (building is four stories tall).
This doesn't make any sense to me. What do balconies and being on the second floor have to do with things hitting my sliding glass doors or windows? I thought the wind got worse the higher up you went.
Do I need hurricane shutters or not? If not, could you explain why?

Thanks!

Answer 1

you absolutely positively no foolin around without question need shutters.......

I manage a 75 unit condo in ST Thomas....we didn't have shutters here for Marilyn in 95.....windows and especially sliding glass doors blew in.....not so much from impact damage but just the wind force. The doors and sliding windows BENT in the middle, the doors popped out of their tracks and we had 18 units ripped apart from the INSIDE once the hurricane got into the building......and of course, all the units below the blown out apartments had terrible water damage......we mandated hurricane shutters, our property insurance went way down, we've had 7 hurricanes since and not a spec of damage. We even have a rule here that if an owner doesn't close their shutters, they are responsible for any damage whatever wherever in the building!

As I said, but will repeat, the damage came not from debris being thrown thru the glass but from the whole unit....frame and all..... "oil canning" in the wind till it popped out of the tracks.......a VERY scary thing to see........wind force goes up as the square of the wind speed......ie 40 miles an hour is 4 times 20 miles an hour, not twice; 100 miles an hour is 25 times that of 20!!!!! Drive down the road at 60 miles and hour and stick your arm out the window......now, 120 MPH is FOUR TIMES that force. Think unprotected windows and doors will stay put? Un unh....

I am also somewhat shocked that your association ( not to mention the local building code!) doesn't require shutters and I wonder who pays if you have shutters and the guy upstairs doesn't and you get flooded out......

Answer 2

Better safe than sorry. I had a condo in Boca, 7th floor, corner unit -- the balcony wraps around the corner with glass and I have storm shutters around the entire balcony.

Check to see that your association isn't responsible for the installation. New FLA guidelines, in order to comply with the proposed state catastrophe fund, require some developments to have storm shutters depending on your geographic risk level.

Answer 3

I live in SW Florida, and have seen hurricane shutters on high rise condos. I agree with you, hurricane winds don't discriminate about what floor you're on. You insurance company will give you a discount if you install shutters, so that's a little incentive.

Answer 4

I would think you do as well. Hurricane winds can shatter glass no matter what floor you are on. To play it safe and to avoid having to tape up your windows everytime there is a hurricane warning, I say invent in shutters.

Answer 5

I live in south Florida. some condos have already hurricanes shutters but i think the ones in Kendall don't have (you might not need but they are very safe)

Answer 6

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Answer 7

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