There are two things that need to be considered for the condo or town home owner, when it comes to protected the patio with hurricane shutters.

1) What type of hurricane shutter should I use to protect my patio?

We recommend either the roll-down shutters or the accordion shutters. Roll-down shutters are easier to manipulate and they are a lot easier to install. Reason being is that patio floors are not always level. Roll down shutters are installed above the patio opening and are not affected by the slope of the patio floor. Accordions however, will have to be installed parallel to the slope of the wall. This can be especially difficult if there is no wall above the patio opening and it has to be mounted to the ceiling.

2) Should I protect the entire patio or just the doors leading out to the patio?

Although the cost is higher, protecting the patio with hurricane shutters will protect debris and heavy rains from damaging your patio furniture and patio flooring. It will also provide you with a secured area to store outdoor plants and equipment. If that is not a concern for you, than it would be more affordable to protect the patio door (especially a sliding glass door) with either storm panels, accordion shutters, or roll-down shutters.