Do I still need shutters with impact windows?

Detailed Answer

No, if you have properly rated and installed impact windows covering all openings in your home, you do not need hurricane shutters. Impact windows are approved as a standalone hurricane protection system under the Florida Building Code and the Miami-Dade High Velocity Hurricane Zone standards. They are tested to withstand both debris impact and sustained cyclical wind pressure, which means they provide continuous protection without any additional barrier. This is one of the primary advantages of impact windows over shutters: they are always in place and always ready.

That said, some homeowners choose to keep or add shutters over their impact windows as a secondary layer of protection, particularly on oceanfront or bay-front properties that face the most extreme exposure. While this is not required by code, it can provide extra peace of mind and an additional barrier against debris. If you already have shutters and are adding impact windows, you are free to remove them, keep them in storage, or leave them in place. Your insurance Wind Mitigation Inspection will note the impact windows as your primary opening protection regardless.

From a practical standpoint, eliminating shutters is a major quality-of-life improvement for South Florida homeowners. Anyone who has spent a sweltering afternoon putting up panels or accordion shutters before a storm knows how physically demanding and time-consuming it can be. With impact windows from Florida Impact Windows & Doors, there is nothing to install, nothing to store in your garage, and no need to rush home from vacation when a storm threatens. Your home is protected around the clock, every day of the year.