The Best Plywood Alternative: Are Storm Panels Right for Your Myrtle Beach Home?
For decades, the standard hurricane prep in Myrtle Beach was a mad dash to the hardware store for plywood. It was a stressful, expensive, and wasteful tradition. Homeowners spent days cutting, labeling, and drilling, only to be left with a pile of heavy, warped, and waterlogged wood after the storm.
Thankfully, there is a far superior solution: engineered hurricane storm panels. These are not your grandpa’s plywood boards. They are a lightweight, reusable, and cost-effective system designed to provide the highest level of protection for the lowest possible cost.
If you’re a budget-conscious homeowner looking for the most affordable storm panels in Myrtle Beach, this is your answer. As the Carolinas’ trusted installers since 2007, American Hurricane Shutters can outfit your home with a professional-grade panel system that takes the guesswork out of storm prep forever.
What Are Hurricane Storm Panels?
Hurricane storm panels are a removable storm protection system. Unlike plywood, they are custom-measured and fitted to your home’s *specific* openings. The system consists of two parts:
- The Track: We install a permanent, low-profile track above and below your window (or on the sides, depending on the opening). This track is professionally anchored to your home’s structure using 18-8 stainless steel fasteners that never rust.
- The Panels: These are the removable, interlocking panels that you slide into the tracks when a storm approaches. They are corrugated for incredible, overlapping strength. After the storm, you simply slide them out, stack them, and store them until the next event.
We install the industry-leading Bertha HV Storm Panels from Eastern Metal Supply (ASSA). These panels are rigorously tested to meet or exceed South Carolina’s tough coastal building codes, meaning they are certified to stop flying debris and resist hurricane-force winds.
Why Are Storm Panels the Best Plywood Alternative?
The Hidden Dangers of Plywood
Plywood is not “hurricane-rated.” It’s a “good-enough” solution that often fails. Here’s why:
- It’s Not Impact-Rated: A 2×4 missile at 100 mph will easily penetrate a single sheet of plywood, leaving your window exposed. Our Bertha HV panels are designed to stop it.
- Fasteners Fail: Most people just drill plywood into their window frames or siding. This ruins your window warranty, and the screws can easily rip out under pressure. Our track system is anchored to the *structure* of your home.
- It’s Not Reusable: After one or two storms, plywood warps, rots, and delaminates. It becomes a heavy, useless piece of trash you have to replace. Our panels are a one-time purchase.
Engineered panels solve all of these problems. They are:
- Code-Compliant: Professionally installed panels meet SC building codes and will earn you a discount on your homeowners’ insurance. Plywood will not.
- Infinitely Reusable: Our aluminum and polycarbonate panels will last for decades. They are a one-time, permanent investment.
- Lightweight & Strong: The corrugated aluminum design makes them significantly lighter and stronger than a 3/4″ sheet of plywood.
- Easy to Store: Panels stack neatly and compactly, taking up a fraction of the space of bulky plywood sheets. A whole-home system can be stored in a small corner of your garage.
Your Panel Choices: Aluminum vs. Clear Polycarbonate
We offer two fantastic, affordable options. The one you choose depends on your budget and whether you want to let in light.
1. Rated Aluminum Storm Panels (The Cost-Effective Choice)
These are our most affordable storm panels in Myrtle Beach SC. They are the workhorse of the industry, offering the highest level of protection for the lowest price.
- Our Product: Bertha HV Aluminum Panels
- Material: High-strength, corrugated aluminum. They are lightweight but incredibly rigid and strong.
- Pro: This is your most budget-friendly, code-approved option.
- Con: They are opaque. When installed, your home will be in total darkness.
- Cost: Approximately $18 per square foot, installed.
2. Rated Clear Hurricane Panels (The “No-Cave” Option)
This is a very popular upgrade. Clear hurricane panels offer the exact same level of elite storm protection, but with one massive quality-of-life benefit: they are transparent.
- Our Product: Bertha HV Clear Panels
- Material: Ultra-strong, impact-resistant polycarbonate (the same material used for bullet-resistant glass).
- Pro: You can protect your home *without* living in a dark cave. You maintain natural light, which is a huge psychological benefit during a multi-day storm and power outage.
- Con: They cost slightly more than aluminum.
- Cost: Approximately $22 per square foot, installed.
Pro-Tip from the Installers: Many homeowners in Myrtle Beach choose a hybrid approach. They use the more affordable aluminum panels on most of the home but invest in clear panels for key areas like the living room, kitchen, and a bathroom. This gives you light where you need it most and saves you money.
The Cost-Benefit Analysis: Storm Panels vs. Other Shutters
Storm panels are the entry-point for professionally installed, rated storm protection. They are a “manual” system, meaning you are trading your own labor for a lower upfront cost. Here’s how they stack up:
| Shutter Type | Average Cost (Installed) | Convenience |
|---|---|---|
| Rated Storm Panels | ~$18 – $22 / sq ft | Manual (Requires labor & storage) |
| Rated Accordion Shutters | ~$34 / sq ft | Excellent (Permanent, glides shut) |
| Rated Rolldown Shutters | ~$48 / sq ft + Motor | Superior (Push-button) |
As you can see, panels are by far the most affordable option. You can protect the same home for roughly half the cost of accordion shutters. The trade-off is that you must be physically able and willing to install the panels yourself before each storm (a process that takes about 1-2 hours for an average home).
Why a Professional Installation is Non-Negotiable
You can buy storm panels at a big-box store, but this is a classic “DIY-trap.” A panel system is 100% dependent on its anchoring. If the tracks are not anchored correctly to the *structural* part of your home, the entire system will fail.
A professional installation from American Hurricane Shutters is the only way to guarantee:
- Code-Compliant Anchoring: We know the local codes in Myrtle Beach and use the correct fasteners (18-8 stainless steel) for your home’s construction (brick, block, or wood).
- Insurance Discounts: We provide the documentation you need to prove you have a “professionally-installed, rated system,” which is what insurance companies require for a discount.
- Full Insurance Coverage: Our installation is backed by our full General Liability, Workers’ Comp, and $2,000,000 umbrella policy. If our team gets hurt, you are 100% protected.
- No Subcontractors: We are a family-owned, disabled-owned business. Our own full-time, expert team—never a subcontractor—will be at your home.
We’ve been a proud member of the Wilmington-Cape Fear HBA since 2007, and our reputation is built on doing the job right. Don’t gamble your home’s safety on a faulty DIY installation.
Get the Best Plywood Alternative in Myrtle Beach
Stop the yearly plywood scramble. Make a one-time investment in a reusable, code-approved storm panel system from American Hurricane Shutters. It’s the most affordable, high-strength protection you can buy.
Contact us today for a free, no-pressure estimate. Our owner, Matthew Burns, or a member of our expert team will visit your Myrtle Beach or Pawleys Island home, measure your openings, and give you a transparent quote for both our Rated Aluminum Panels ($18/sq ft) and Rated Clear Panels ($22/sq ft).
Call Us: (910) 256-1288
Email Us: matt.burns@ahscarolinas.com
Learn more about our panel systems on the Panel Shutters page.
