What do I do with the shutters when a storm is forecast?
Say who closes up and what the house has. You get the order of work for the days before, the day of, and the day after, printable on a page.
Your closing checklist
Storm closing checklist
onecallaccordionshutters.com
When a storm is named
Several days out, before a watch- Find every shutter key and put them on one ring by the door. Count the keyed locks and the keys.No key for a lock? That is a repair to book now, not on the day.
- Walk the outside of the house and open and close each accordion shutter a few inches to check it moves.One that sticks or will not lock gets booked for repair now.
Closing up
When a watch is issued, in daylight- Move patio furniture, planters, grills and bins away from every shutter so the blades can travel the full width.
- Close each accordion shutter from one end, walking the blades along rather than pulling from the middle. Meet the halves and drop the pin or turn the key.
- Do the sliding glass doors from inside last if they lock from inside, and leave one exit you can open quickly.
- Walk round once more: every shutter closed and locked, nothing left loose against the house.
- Photograph the closed openings on your phone, so you know what was protected and have a record.
After the storm
When the all-clear is given- Open the shutters nearest the main door first so the house gets light and you can see out.
- Open each shutter slowly. If one will not move, do not force it: note which and leave it closed.
- Look at each track and blade as you go; photograph any bent blade, torn anchor or damaged track before touching it.
- Stack the shutters, lock the stacks where the product has a stack lock, and rinse the tracks when water is back.
- Book repairs for anything that would not close, would not lock or came back bent, before the next storm.
Not on the day
- Ladders at second-floor windows in wind. A shutter you cannot reach safely stays as it is.
- Forcing a shutter that stops: a bent blade is a bigger repair than a stuck one.
- Booking a close-up service once a watch is out and hoping. Installers are booked solid by then; book when the storm is named, or for the season.
A shutter that will not close or lock? Book the repair before the season.
How this works
Closing a house up is three separate jobs that people run together: the checks when a storm is named (keys, a test-close, the panels counted), the closing itself when a watch is issued, and the reopening after the all-clear. The checklist splits them so the day-of list is short.
The lines that matter most are the boring ones: the keys on one ring, patio furniture moved so the blades can travel, one exit you can open from inside, and a photo of every closed opening. Everything on the list is something a homeowner can do from the ground; anything that needs a ladder in the wind is left off on purpose.
It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. It is a guide, not a quote or a professional assessment — products, openings and walls differ, so follow the maker's instructions where they disagree, and the installer confirms what the job needs when they measure it.
Questions people ask
- When should I close the accordion shutters?
- When a hurricane watch is issued for your county, in daylight, before the wind picks up. They are quick to close, so there is no need to live behind them for days; but do not leave it until the warning, when it is dark or blowing.
- What if a shutter will not close on the day?
- Do not force it. Note which opening it is, close everything else, and keep away from that window during the storm. Book the repair as soon as the weather clears, before the next one.
- Do I close shutters from inside or outside?
- Most accordion shutters close and lock from outside; sliding-door shutters often lock from inside. Leave one shuttered exit you can open quickly from inside.
- I am away. Who can close my shutters?
- A neighbour or relative with the keys, your property manager, or a close-up and re-open service booked through the site. Book it when the storm is named or for the whole season; once a watch is out installers are fully booked.
- Should I open the shutters as soon as the storm passes?
- When the all-clear is given, yes, in daylight. Open them slowly, photograph any damage before touching it, and do not force one that is stuck.
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