Need some new ideas...

[MomH]

for protecting windows a little.

First the problem:

I am almost 65, fat, have bad back, and couldn't lift a piece of plywood if my life depended on it.

I live on less than $1000 a month and help support a daughter on that. Not to mention, car payment, house payment, insurances, and meds.

I have two windows that are the big problem. They would take 3 sheets of plywood each to cover and would have to be screwed into fake brick. Yes, I measured eight ways to Sunday. I can't afford the plywood, let alone the hardware and paying someone to put them up and take them down every time a storm threatened.

Windows are on north and south sides of the house.

Got any ideas???

Last year we nailed two layers of heavy knit material to one window and just pulled the shears and drapes on the other. Then we stayed as far from both as possible.

We got through last years storms quite well even though 3 were within 25 miles of less. No damage here just a lots of shingles and tar paperr pieces in the yard.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Guest]

Here are a few links that might be easy and inexpensive. However family and friends are usually free if you bake some cookies or prepare a meal for there troubles.


http://www.shattergard.com/home.html

http://www.armorscreen.com/

not sure of the price compared to plywood and some nails but it sure looks easy on the back.

[MomH]

Thanks for the try, Redder. I should have mentioned that I had already researched the film and screen companies.

All the ones I found required professional installation and were far more expensive than plywood. In fact, every alternative I could find was cost prohibitive for me.

[HurriCat]

I'd hope that in such a case, that there might be a church group or community effort to get their neighbors protected. Without that, I'd say depending on the landscaping and access, possibly a van or truck can be parked up close to the windows. Maybe a neighbor could park their larger van or truck in this way. Otherwise, your earlier tactic is about all I can see - cover the windows somewhat and stay away from them. Depending on your location in relation to shelter availability (and if you have pets), it might just be better to plan on getting to a shelter than to be in an unprotected home.

[patsmsg]

There is not likely to be a cheap alternative to "covering" the windows adequately outside, unfortunately. Anything less durable than plywood is a waste of time and money really. Better solutions are more expensive.

I'm not sure if I understand, but if you are staying in the house, and the material you used last year was to keep the glass from going all over the house(but not necessarily to keep the window from breaking), a set of window blinds, closed and screwed down at the bottom of the frame would probably do the trick as well or better than material.