Accordion Hurricane Shutters AHS

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SAVE MONEY ON YOUR WINDSTORM INSURANCE by using our BERTHA HV accordion shutters and other hurricane protection products ... We can protect your home in just a few weeks... Call Us Today (561) 893-9463 or (561) 893-WIND AHS Home Page

Do you need solar shades, insect screens or retractable screen doors?
Shady Lady offers a wide variety of remote controlled interior and exterior solar shades and exterior insect control screens.

If you really think 5/8" plywood on your windows will protect you ... think again.

Look at what Hurricane Andrew did with a 2x4 board and a 20" thick Royal Palm tree.

Plywood is better than nothing, but it's really only a toy to a hurricane.
You need the type of rated hurricane protection found on this website.

* In order to be approved by the Florida Building Code, an independent testing center will test each hurricane shielding product the same way that Andrew did: a 7 long 2x4 weighing 9.5 pounds is repeatedly fired from an air cannon into the material being tested. In order to pass, the 2x4 must not penetrate or rip the material being tested. This simulates the pictured real world "Andrew tree test". Although the pictured tree failed, all of our products passed this test.

We will always have room for qualified people. If you are a "people person", friendly and reliable give us a call about working with us as:

Welcome to:

Your Accordion Hurricane Shutter manufacturer

We are the manufacturer of the:

BERTHA HV (high velocity)

accordion hurricane shutters.

To better serve you and to provide you with a complete one-stop-shop experience, we have expanded our price ranges, added more styles of products and increased our product features.
We are proud to add the following high quality products:

PGT WinGuard impact windows: casement, single hung, horizontal roller, picture (large area), architectural (examples: trapezoid, round, hexagon, triangle, etc)

PGT WinGuard impact doors: French and sliding glass doors, 90 and 135 degree sliding glass doors

Very low profile, rated high pressure, single wall, end retention, wide span roll down aluminum shutters

Flesher Windows impact windows: single hung, horizontal rolling windows, architectural (examples: trapezoid, round, hexagon, triangle, etc)

Flesher Windows impact doors: high end sliding glass doors up to 10 foot high and 24 feet wide, 90 and 135 degree sliding glass doors

StormWatch hurricane fabrics in both see through porous mesh and clear non-porous vinyl.

As before, all of our featured products have been approved for the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ). This means that they have been designed, tested and approved by the Florida Building Code for usage against hurricanes with 150 mph winds, large and small flying missiles.

Please note: we are currently in the process of a total redesign for this website to include additional information about our new and old products.
If you have questions about either our products or services?

We offer a wide variety of Florida Building Code approved products to quickly and effectively protect your family and home from hurricane related wind damage.

If you want buy shutters and have them installed: we will apply for your permit, build your shutters and install them as soon as the permit is issued. The permit process is currently taking 2-4 weeks.
DIY. If you just want to buy shutters and install them yourself: we can have your shutters ready within 2-5 days of your signed order.

Insurance companies will give you money back on your home insurance policy if all of your openings (windows, doors and garage door) are protected with Florida Building Code approved products. They call this a "Wind Storm Mitigation Discount".
This is NOT a one time credit. Once protected, your insurance premium will continue to be discounted and you will continue to save year after year after year.
Why? Because it's cheaper for insurance companies to insure a home that is less likely to be damaged by a hurricane than one that may be blown away and will need to be replaced or repaired.

3) SERVICING OF "MY SAFE FLORIDA HOME" GRANTS
My Safe Florida Home is a state run program designed to assist Florida homesteaded homeowners in securing their home against hurricane damage. It was set up to give you a grant up to a maximum of $5,000 to help put shutters on your home. The program is currently closed to new applicants, but we can still service those that have received their grants.

For more information about this program view www.MySafeFloridaHome.com

All of our BERTHA HV accordion shutters are custom engineered and manufactured to meet all statewide Florida Building Codes and more importantly YOUR specifications. "Affordable and Effective Hurricane Protection"

Just call: (561) 893-WIND (9463)

We are "Do-It-Yourself" friendly. If you can install hurricane panels or plywood, you can install our accordion shutters.
We also can arrange to have your hurricane protection installed.

What Product Should I Use ?
If you are confused about the different types hurricane protection products, let me try to help you determine which product might work best for you. Remember, you can mix and match solutions based upon the opening you are trying to protect.
All of our products have been tested and certified for use in 150 mph winds and able to withstand large and small missile impact. One product (mesh fabric roll down) carries the above rating but chose not to be certified for use in the the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ).
The following lists the relative cost and attributes of each type of opening protection (#1 least expensive - #11 most expensive).

Steel panels: least expensive, heavy, hard to handle (you should ware gloves to protect your hands from cuts), rusts, stored in garage, installed from outside, blocks exits, installed with wing nuts and tracks
Aluminum panels: lighter than steel, easier to handle, stored in garage, installed from outside, blocks exits, generally used on rectangular or arched windows and large doors, installed with wing nuts and tracks
Clear Lexan panels: see through, easier to handle, stored in garage, installed from outside, blocks exits, generally used on rectangular or arched windows, installed with wing nuts and tracks
Mesh or clear vinyl manual hurricane fabric: can be rolled up and temporarily stored next to opening during the season and moved to garage when not needed, light weight, when rolled up the integrated cover is color matched to your walls or trim, see through, installed from outside, can be used for some exits, generally used on first floor windows and doors or outer edges of patios and balconies, installed with wing nuts or sidewalk bolts. These fabrics can be placed 1-inch from glass when outside of HVHZ (Miami-Dade and Broward). When used in the HVHZ areas, a 30 inch distance is required between the glass and the fabric.
Accordion shutters: very convenient, permanently mounted next to opening, quickly closed and opened, provides emergency exits, can be closed from the inside, can be used on all floors, patios and balconies
Mesh fabric roll down: permanently mounted above opening, requires side tracks, see through, requires crank or electric motor, used on outer edges of patios and balconies, This can not be used in the HVHZ area (Miami-Dade and Broward counties)
Bahamas: permanently mounted next to opening, requires tools to close, blocks exits, can only be closed from outside
Stainless steel screens: permanently mounted on opening, does not block exits, can only be opened from inside, see through, looks like a screen door or window
Aluminum roll down: permanently mounted above opening, small opening can be hand raised and lowered or crank assisted, large openings require an electric motor and can be remotely push button controlled.
Colonials: permanently mounted next to opening, requires tools to close, blocks exits, can only be closed from outside
Impact resistant glass: permanently mounted over opening, see through, glass may break when hit but it will stay in the frame. In addition to hurricane protection, it also reduces external sound, ultra violet rays and heat transmission.

We feature the following products:

BERTHA HV (Accordion Hurricane Shutters) - We manufacture this product to meet your custom specifications. The Bertha HV has been designed and certified to meet the Dade County and statewide Florida Building Code (FL1850-R1). This advanced and patented shutter system is ideal for all openings (single family homes, condos, high-rise buildings and commercial buildings).

Manual Deployed Hurricane Fabrics - Miami-Dade County (HVHZ) rated and statewide Florida Building Code approved. Effective hurricane protection rated at 150 mph. We have two different types of fabrics: one (solid clear reinforced vinyl) for windows and doors, the other (breathable mesh) for larger areas such as patio and entrances.

Aluminum Hurricane Panels - 0.050 and 0.063 gauge, Dade County rated and statewide Florida Building Code approved. We can also order steel panels.

Clear Lexan Hurricane Panels - 0.100 gauge, Dade County rated and statewide Florida Building Code approved. Good bye cave ... hello sun shine. We can also add these to your existing (2 inch profile)aluminum panels.

Residential Garage Door Brace - Secure Door - Aluminum garage door brace - this is the ONLY hurricane retro-fit garage door brace that has statewide Florida Building Code and Dade County approval (FL2364). It has been tested to 180 mph. If you do not have a hurricane rated garage door, you need this product to keep your door from being either blown in or sucked out. Once that happens, your roof is the next item to leave your home.
Commercial Garage Door Brace - Secure Door We have the only commercial garage door brace for warehouse roll down doors. This works on the same principal as the residential except it mounts on the outside of the door and can extend up to 14 feet in height.

Bahamas Shutters - Dade County rated and statewide Florida Building Code approved. Hurricane protection that adds a decorative island look to your home.

Colonial Shutters - Dade County rated and statewide Florida Building Code approved. Hurricane protection that also adds a decorative look to your home.
Fort Hurricane Stainless Steel Screens - We are an authorized dealer / installer of the Miami-Dade approved stainless Steel screening that are permanently mounted to your windows and doors and appear as an ordinary screen door or window. The screens can be either fixed (non opening) or operable for doors and window exits.

You are invited to visit our showroom (located at 1121 Holland Drive, Suite 23, Boca Raton) to see, feel and learn about all of the above products.

In addition to our manufactured BERTHA HV accordion hurricane shutters, we offer a wide variety of hurricane protection products so that you can choose the best product that fits your specific needs based upon cost, convenience, storage and appearance -- without compromising your protection.
You might consider a combination of hurricane protection solutions to secure your home. Secure Door is a very cost effective retro-fit device that is used to secure your garage door. Our aluminum and GE Lexan storm panels are Dade County rated and provide excellent protection for doors and windows. Storm Catcher fabric is most effective for securing large areas such as patios and walkways. Our BERTHA HV accordion shutters offer the convenience of being permanently installed and easy to secure. Bahamas and Colonial Shutters offer a decorative as well as hurricane protective treatment for your windows.

We only sell products that have received the statewide Florida Building Code approval. This approval signifies that the product has passed the state determined testing criteria and must be accepted at all local jurisdictions without further required testing.

Additionally, we prefer products that also have the Dade County approval. This is an optional test and the approval signifies that the product passed the local Dade County test criteria which in some cases is more stringent than the Florida Building Code.

We only offer products that are both affordable and effective as hurricane protection

We offer you a choice. When available, we offer several versions of each type of hurricane protection product. By offering the same type of product from different manufactures, you can judge for yourself which unique features best suit your needs

We only sell effective protection products rated at a minimum of 150 mph

We offer a variety of solutions from recognized leaders in hurricane protection so that you can choose the best fit for your home

What Is The Relative Cost?
The total cost of securing your Florida home with our tested Hurricane products is often just a fraction of your out-of-pocket insurance deductible. Hurricane insurance deductibles generally run about 2% of home's value. Newspapers report that the average Florida home value is about $350,000. The average hazard insurance deductible will therefore run about $7,000. There are many homes worth a LOT more because of their physical location, but not because of physical size.
The cost of protecting an average single story home with Dade county rated aluminum panels and garage door braces ranges between $2,500 and $3,500.
Accordion shutters will cost more than panels. Some people try to express the cost in dollars per square foot. We have found this to be very misleading because in order to do that you must make assumptions about the opening that are not always true. Anyone can give you an "low ball" price per square foot, but before anyone can give you an accurate price, they must actually see the opening. Because accordion shutters are permanently mounted, we must view the surrounding wall to determine how the shutter must be installed. Are there any obstructions that must be considered when building and installing the shutters? What is the distance from the back of the shutter to the glass? What is the wind load on the opening? Is the opening trapped on any sides? What type of tracks are required? These questions must be answered first and considered when designing the shutter for any specific opening. The information is also required for permitting.
Did you know that many insurance companies will actually give you a discount on your policy because you have installed hurricane protection on all of your openings. A further savings ... every year.
Also, in the area of loss-mitigation (taking measures to stop a loss before it happens) the Florida legislature is currently considering a bill that will make it possible to receive a zero-rate loan to be used to hurricane protect your home. "The bill also sets up a $100 million hurricane loss prevention endowment to fund interest-free loans for residential property owners and matching grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations."

"We'll keep BAD THINGS from happening to you, but you have to contact us first."

On Sept 20,2005, Max Mayfield (director of the National Hurricane Center) testified in front of Congress that we have now entered a new weather cycle and can expect to see more frequent and stronger hurricanes for the next 10-20 years. He also indicated that this is not a result of global warming but rather just part of earth's natural cycle.
Within days of Max Mayfield's testimony on October 15, 2005 WILMA was born just E/SE of Grand Cayman just a few hundred miles to our south. WILMA became the strongest hurricane ever recorded. Within a 24 hour time period, Wilma exploded in strength from a 60 mph Tropical Storm to a 150 mph Category 5 hurricane. On October 19th it peaked in strength at 160 mph. On October 21 it only took 6 hours to devastate the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula before it headed for Florida. On October 24, it slammed into SW Florida coast as a category 3 and crossed the entire state of Florida in only 4.5 hours as a category 2. Boca Raton was directly hit by the eye. In only a matter of minutes, South Florida lost enough trees, signs, roofs, power polls, windows, and garage doors to require thousands of clean up trucks to clean up the mess. Most South Florida was without electric power for 10 days. Now think about it ... that was only a category 2 storm when it hit us ... a relative light weight when compared to a category 4 or 5.
The entire hurricane weather pattern has NOW changed from just a few years ago. In the past potential hurricanes were tracked as they left the western coast of Africa. This gave us up to two weeks to prepare. Today, however, hurricanes like Wilma, Katrina and Rita just suddenly grow into a hurricane from a small tropical disturbance in the Gulf Stream ... just a relatively few miles off our Florida coast.

The net result is that you will have far less time to prepare and the ultimate hurricanes will be of a greater magnitude. Mandatory evacuations will become more common.
Q: How do you protect your home, business and other items that cannot be evacuated?
Q: What will be there when you return?
A: There is only one way to protect your home and your loved ones that live in this area and that is to make your survival plans WELL BEFORE they are needed.
When a hurricane alert is issued ... It's often too late.

YOU MUST ACT TODAY
Our tested products can assist you in providing the required physical protection for both your home and business.
Our hurricane protection products will physically secure your home and give your the best chance of returning to an intact property.

Our products can be self installed (Do-It-Yourself) or if you prefer, we can arrange to have them installed for you by an independent subcontractor.
Get it today
Most of our products are currently in stock so there is very little wait time. Custom ordered products are generally available within just a few weeks.
Pay Over Time
Because we accept all major credit, you can get your protection today and pay for it over time.

We even take cash !
Special order products (i.e. Accordions, Bahamas, Colonials and Fabrics) require 50% deposit for the materials with order and the balance must be paid before the product is shipped from the manufacture.
All Products Approved
All of our products either meet or exceed the Statewide Florida Building Code. Additionally, the majority of our products also carry the Miami-Dade County approval.
Peace Of Mind
We can't guarantee that your home will not be damaged, but we can tell you that you will have a much better chance of returning to an intact home with our hurricane protection than without it.

AHS services the following South Florida cities:
Big Pine Key, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Dania, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale, Highland Beach, Hollywood, Homestead, Islamorada, Key Largo, Key West, Lauderdale-by-the-sea, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Lighthouse Point, Loxahatchee, Marathon, Margate, Miami, Miami Beach, Miramar, Oakland Park, Ocean Reef, Palm Beach, Parkland, Pembroke Pines, Pembroke Park, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Royal Palm, Sea Ranch Lakes, Sugarloaf Key, Sunrise, Tamarac, Wellington, West Palm Beach, Weston, Houston Texas.