Don’t Forget the Doors! How to Secure French and Entry Doors from Hurricanes

When homeowners plan for hurricane protection, they naturally focus on their windows. But in our extensive experience, one of the most critical and often overlooked vulnerabilities of a home is its doors. Your front entry door, elegant French doors, and wide sliding glass doors are large openings that can become catastrophic failure points in a storm if left unprotected.

A standard residential door is not designed to withstand the impact of flying debris or the immense positive and negative pressures of a hurricane. At American Hurricane Shutters, we specialize in providing robust, engineered solutions to protect these vital entry points. This guide will walk you through the best hurricane shutter options for the various types of doors on your Carolina home.

The Unique Challenge of Protecting Doors

Doors present a different challenge than windows. They are functional entry and exit points, so any protection system must allow for easy use right up until the storm arrives. They are also often larger than windows, requiring stronger and more robust shutter systems.

Sliding Glass Doors

These are often the largest single panes of glass on a home, making them a massive target for debris. A breach here can allow a devastating amount of wind and rain to enter your home in seconds.

French Doors (Double Doors)

Elegant and beautiful, French doors are notoriously vulnerable. The central point where the two doors meet (the astragal) is a significant weak point, and the large glass panes are prime targets.

Front Entry Doors

Even a solid wood or fiberglass entry door can fail. A powerful impact can splinter the door itself or, more commonly, the door can be blown in at the frame if the deadbolt and latch fail under extreme pressure.

The Best Hurricane Shutters for Doors

Fortunately, we have several excellent, lab-tested solutions to secure every door in your home. The best option depends on your budget, your door type, and your desired level of convenience.

Solution 1: Accordion Shutters – The Versatile Workhorse

Our Bertha HV Accordion Shutters are one of the most popular and effective solutions for all types of doors.

• How it Works: We install a track above and below the door frame. The shutter is configured with a “center split,” with half of the shutter stacking on the left and the other half on the right. To close, you simply pull the two halves together and lock them in the middle.
• Best For: Sliding glass doors and French doors if they have 2″ or more under the door before hitting the deck. This means we can install an angle. Deckboards are considered facia so are not rated to install a walkover track into. You must anchor a 0.25″ thick 2×5 aluminum anchor to the stucks in the wall sill, then use self tapping screws to anchor the walkover to that. Accordions provide a solid, one-piece aluminum barrier and are incredibly easy to deploy in minutes.
• Cost: Approximately $34 per square foot, making them a fantastic value for a permanently installed, convenient system.

Solution 2: Roll-Down Shutters – The Ultimate in Strength and Convenience

For the absolute highest level of protection and ease of use, Roll-Down Shutters are the premier choice.

• How it Works: A single, wide rolldown shutter is installed in a housing box above the door. With the push of a button (for motorized versions), the curtain of interlocking aluminum slats rolls down to completely cover the entire door frame.
• Best For: Any door, but especially for wide sliding glass doors, multi-panel patio doors, and as a primary security feature for front entry doors. Especially if they are for a deck and do not have 2″ below for an angle. They also provide an excellent level of security against intrusion for vacation homes.
• Cost: Starting at $48/sq ft for manual and an additional $700 per door for motorization, this is a premium investment in ultimate security and convenience.

Solution 3: Storm Panels – The Most Affordable Rated Protection

Our Bertha HV Storm Panels offer an excellent, budget-friendly way to secure your doors.

• How it Works: We install a track system or direct-mount anchors around the door frame. Before a storm, you secure the custom-fit aluminum or clear polycarbonate panels over the entire door.
• Best For: Homeowners on a strict budget who need to protect standard-sized entry doors or sliders. They offer the same lab-tested impact rating as our more expensive systems.
• Cost: Starting at just $18/sq ft for aluminum and $22/sq ft for clear panels.