Posted on 09/02/2019 7:50:54 AM PDT by NautiNurse
The usual method of covering windows is to use plywood - effective but it blocks out all the light from a room. This method of covering - useful in relatively small windows, not large picture windows or sliding glass doors - is to use the plastic chair mats made for offices, available at places like Office Depot. They are available in a variety of sizes, they are flexible and light and they pass light through inside but they are tough - tough to cut, tough to high winds.
Home Depot sells some 1/4" 'studs' that have a coarse wood screw thread on one half and a 1/4" machine bolt thread on the other half. I space two or three of these on the wood frame on each side of the window. Screw two 1/4 nuts on to the bolt side of the stud and use a ratchet wrench {7/16} to screw the stud into a pre-drilled hole. Using two nuts when screwing in to the wood frame help to make the nuts easier to remove without unscrewing the stud from the wood.
Of course the holes in the plastic mat have to match the placement of the studs. I use a strip of angle aluminum - I guess about 3/4" with holes drilled to mount over the studs to hold the plastic mat in place. I place an aluminum strip on each side and on the top. If need be I cut a piece out of the plastic to cover around a window air conditioner - mark and cut carefully for a snug fit.
Wing nuts will not fit to spin on to the studs with the size of aluminum angle strip I use. There is a threaded mounting for wood made to tap into a piece of wood to allow a machine bolt to mount into the wood. It has 'teeth' to bite into the wood so it does not spin when screwing or unscrewing a bolt into the device. I simply mount these backwards onto the studs over the aluminum strips with the teeth pointing outwards which makes it work much like a wing nut. Of course regular 1/4" nuts will work
I have used these for a number of storms for at least 15 years. As I say, once the system is fabricated it is easy to erect the structure. I use a marker to label the plastic mats as to which window, outside surface, right/left, top for the aluminum strips for each window.
When I started working on this I found commercial structures that cost hundreds of dollars and you still have to engineer the mounting for each window. Also, the commercial device has to be sized for each window, custom made if the window is not standard. With this system you just cut the plastic to exactly what you need.
In saying that you 'cut' the plastic, don't figure to use scissors unless they are fairly large and sharp; this plastic is tough. Matte knives won't likely do the job either. I have used tin snips to cut the plastic.
I have found these very effective - and fairly cheap - storm covers.
I thought Irma made it to hot’lanta?
Hurricane hunters are only finding winds as high as 100 mph now. The monster is dying. Interesting to see if the media is a quick to point out the diminishing risk as opposed to end of the world coverage.
I looked up the surface frontal maps and 36 hour forecast.
There is a large high pressure area over the United states that is apparently breaking in to two high pressure areas over the next 36 hours.
Having studied “Everyday Weather and How it Works” it appers the large high pressure area is causing Dorian to stqqll out and holding it off the mainland
Any way the highs appear responsible for dtlling out the hurricne low
WAG
I fear it will be much greater. Stories of people washed away.
Not a chance.
Fascinating idea! Sure beats taping windows (don’t tape windows!). Love the idea that it allows light when the alternative is darkness with plywood and the crack house look.
God Bless the United States Coast Guardsmen as they serve your flock throughout the northern Bahamas.
Brilliant.
Thanks. There has been almost too many explanations to count. But that makes the most sense.
Hopefully, the media are following NHC updates, rather than interpreting hurricane hunter data dumps from various altitudes and translating km per hour to mph.
Larger size, lower wind speeds. She cycled and got bigger. May not mean higher wind speeds, but larger volume wind fields. She is sitting over the Gulf Stream. Have no idea why people predict her energy input to diminish.
Per Tom Terry WFTV Brevard county is now out of the cone per the latest track. The eye of the storm will be 50 miles from the coast.
For those folks interested in Disney, many of my friends with Disney passes have taken advantage of the reduced attendance ahead of the storm to get out there. Apparently that is a thing - get to Disney right before a hurricane. I never knew.
I was thinking same. They’ve been ON this with recon and updates.
Such a strange storm, odd. I can’t remember a hurricane stalling this way for so long, though Harvey hung over Houston forever it seemed.
I was thinking same. They’ve been ON this with recon and updates.
Such a strange storm, odd. I can’t remember a hurricane stalling this way for so long, though Harvey hung over Houston forever it seemed.
You can say that again.
Bahama’s Press is reporting that bodies are being collected onto flatbed trucks throughout the Abaco area.
Oh how incredibly sad.....my heart is breaking for those people
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