Hurricane Shutters

Macko Construction was one of the pioneers of installing storm protection on the Outer Banks since 1988. We have (3) products to choose from, with (3) price points. There are rolling storm shutters from QMI in six different colors, extruded aluminum storm panels from Eastern Metals, and our newest product called Hurricane Fabric.

          The rolling storm shutters we used today are on the cutting edge of technology. QMI’s new AL6- E extruded aluminum slats are the best hurricane protection that you can get. All of these shutters pass the flying debris and wind code for the Outer Banks. Each slat has a male and a female side that slide together and then there is a stainless steel screw that holds them together. No one on the Outer Banks uses this technology yet. Our competition still use slats that we stopped using 2 years ago. The advantage to this product is that you do not have to drill thru the house to install an operator that you have to hook a pole to. Our shutter can be pulled down just like a garage door and there is no need to drill through the house. That is one less place for water to get in to the house. We also have the availability of  “Smart Drive” technology, which offers low voltage operation. No need to run ugly electrical wires on the inside or outside walls. You also need not worry about the electricity going out. It works off a battery pack. Two things that also set us apart is that we pad out all of our shutters with solid 1X4 PVC material and also install a 45 degree Kant strip on top of the shutter boxes to shed water off and not allow it to get behind the top of the shutter. These shutters can be seen at Quality Manufacturing’s website at www.qmiusa.com. They also have a picture gallery with two of our houses, which are the first two sets of pictures.

          The next price point product that we have is .050 mill finish or white extruded aluminum storm panels. This product also passes the flying debris code and all North Carolina building codes. The difference between this product and the roll shutters is that they need to be installed prior to a hurricane in the head and sill tracks that are permanently installed on your home. The panels store easily because each panel stacks inside of the other and takes up very little space. Homeowners can store them inside their house under beds, inside their storage room, or we can build a system underneath a deck. Something that we have done for our customers that don’t want to carry them up 2 or 3 flights of stairs, is to build a bench seat on one of their decks to store them in. This product is very durable and less than half the price of rolling storm shutters.

          The third product that we have available is a hurricane fabric that also passes the flying debris code. This product looks like a tarp that is hung across your windows and doors that is secured with a washered wing nut. All of the fabric for one house can be stored in a duffle bag, so you don’t have to worry about storage. This product can be seen at their website at www.hurricanefabric.com.

          Here at Macko Construction, we do all of the installs ourselves. We do not subcontract the installation out to someone else. We take pride in the fact that the lead installer for our shutter products has been with us for over 10 years! We take our shutter business very seriously!

          One of the other services we have available for our customers, is the option of setting up a contract with individual homeowners to roll down their shutters, install their panels or fabric in the event of a hurricane. If Dare county calls for an evacuation of the Outer Banks, we will get our crews out there to put up your hurricane protection and secure your home. We know that most people can’t drive here to secure their homes in the event a hurricane passes our way. We can take care of that problem and put your mind at ease. So please give us a call today, for a free estimate on hurricane protection for your home.