To meet Section 7, titled Opening Protection, you must have a system of protections for the openings on your home. These openings include doors, windows, garage  doors, doggie doors and attic vents. There are four different categories in this section.

The first category is hurricane rated openings which are usually installed by professional contractors. These opening protections must meet the requirements of the Miami-Dade County PA 201, 202 and 203, or Florida Building Code 201, 202 and 203, or ASTM 1886 and ASTM E 1996 (Missile Level C—9 lb). To know if your storm shutters meet these ratings you should have your receipts or contracts from the installers who put them on, or you can sometimes look on the windows to see the rating codes etched in them.

The second category is basic protection which are windows, doors or shutters that are rated to withstand a “Small Missile Impact”. Again, you should have information from the installers stating if your openings meet this criteria.

The third category is for openings that are covered with anything that is not rated, such as non-rated shutters or products that cannot be identified.

The fourth category is for wood panels that are quite easy to build and install. Homeowners with basic knowledge and tools can build wood panels to receive a discount. These panels must meet Section 1609 and Table 1609.1.4 of the 2007 Florida Building Code to be eligible for a discount. There is a tutorial video which can be seen here which teaches you how to build these. If you already have these they must be on site when we come to inspect your home to receive the discount.