Rolling storm shutters have always been quite popular, especially in storm-prone areas like Florida. That is because these premium hurricane shutters offer both storm and security protection for homes and businesses. And while they have a clean, sleek design you still may not want them visible on the exterior of your property. The good news is that you may be able to install them as hidden roll down hurricane shutters. This helps to further limit their visibility on your home or business. In this guide we discuss what hidden roll downs are and give some examples of hidden installations. First, we give a quick introduction to roll downs in case you are unsure of what they are.
What are roll down shutters?
These shutters are permanently installed on the exterior of a home or office. They are installed on the exterior side of windows, doors, and other openings, such as patios and lanais, etc. Their purpose is to protect vulnerable openings of your home. For example, they create an impact resistant layer on top of your glass windows and doors, etc.
Each rolling shutter is composed of a series of individual, horizontal slats. These are the horizontal “lines” you see in the image below. The slats glide up (to open) and down (to close) along tracks. The tracks are mounted on the sides of the opening (ex: a window or door). Rolling shutters also have what is called a housing box. This box is where the mechanicals and slats (when the shutters are open) are stored.
These shutters are popular because they are very easy to use, and can be either manually controlled or opened and closed electronically.
Some of the benefits of roll down shutters include:
- Superior storm protection and security protection
- Ease of use
- Instant privacy and a way to control UV and light in your home
- Energy savings when closed
- Sound reduction when closed
- The ability to turn a lanai into an enclosed room
Learn more about Roll Down Hurricane Shutters.
What are hidden roll down hurricane shutters?
No. Hidden roll downs are not invisible! They do exist. But they are installed in a way that makes them look invisible (or hidden) when they are open (up). The definition of Hidden is concealed or out of site. And this is a great way to describe hidden shutters.
So how is this accomplished? The housing box and tracks are installed in a way that hides them from the exterior view of the property. Or in other words when you are looking at the exterior of the opening, the roll down tracks and housing box are not visible. And the only time you will know they exist is when you close them (or roll them down) or view them from the back side.
Can every roll down shutter be hidden?
With enough time and money you can do anything, including making an opening suitable for a hidden shutter install. But generally speaking, hidden installation are not suitable for every opening of your home.
You should remember that roll down shutters are positioned on the outside of your openings (windows, doors, etc). This is necessary to protect your glass from breaking in a hurricane. The shutters act as a barrier or shield on the exterior of your glass.
Hidden installations are possible when there is adequate space behind the opening. This space is where the housing box and tracks are installed out of sight.
You can see an example of a suitable opening in the accompanying image.
Many exterior openings, such as normal windows are flush with the exterior wall. And this means that there is no space behind the exterior wall to install the housing box and tracks. There is one exception to this, which is if it is possible to hide the housing box in the soffits.
Areas where hidden roll down shutters are possible
As we mentioned above, it is not possible to do a hidden installation on every opening. There are, however, certain locations where it works well. These areas Include:
- Windows and/or doors that are recessed (set back) from the exterior wall. If there is adequate space for the housing box and tracks then this is possible.
- Patio or lanai openings like the one pictured above are usually suitable for hidden installations. You do however, need enough space above the opening to fit the housing box, etc.
- Windows or openings with a soffit above – the housing box can be hidden (or covered) by the soffit.
Examples of hidden roll down installations
Below we share some examples of hidden roll down shutters installed on homes in Southwest Florida.
CONCLUSION
Rolling storm shutters have always been a popular type of hurricane shutter. This is especially true in storm-prone areas like Florida. They have a clean, sleek design, but you still may not want them visible on the exterior of your property. That is where hidden roll down hurricane shutters come in. Hidden shutters are installed in a way that makes them look invisible (or hidden) when they are open (up). This is because the housing box and tracks are hidden. It is not possible to do a hidden installation in every area of your home. But it can be done in certain areas that allow for it. Adding shutters with a “hidden installation” helps you accomplish a cleaner look for the exterior of your home.
Check out our other helpful blog posts below to keep learning about shutters. Or click below to request a free estimate today.
