Winterizing cabin windows - Metal Roll-Down Shutter or Impact Windows

Wed, 6 Aug 2025 02:29:57 GMT

I'm investigating our shutter situation for our off-grid summer cabin. We have an off-grid cabin in the Northern CA Sierra’s at 8,000 feet elevation. It snows past the windows in the winter.

We currently use heavy plywood for shutters. We are looking for something easier. We came up with two options:

1) metal roll-down shutters

2) Hurricane-strength windows - Impact Windows

The pros and cons we have discovered so far:

Metal roll-down shutters: Expensive (more than replacing the windows with Hurricane-strength windows), and not particularly attractive, good for security

Hurricane-strength windows: less expensive than metal roll-down shutters, and the windows should withstand the snow pressure without needing shutters. They are rated for lateral pressure (pressure from the snow build-up) of 80 PSF, whereas the existing 1/4 polywood wood shutters that have been working for years are rated for lateral pressure of 16 PSF, so it seems reasonable they will withstand the pressure from the snow. They are also rated to withstand a 2x4 propelled at a speed of 50 feet per second (approximately 34 miles per hour).

My questions on the Hurricane-strength windows: 1) Does anyone have experience with them? 2) Will they really withstand the snow build-up, leak, or fail in any way?

Any thoughts? Advice?

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 05:02:46 GMT

I can't answer about the Hurricane-strength windows, but there are cabins in Florida and we could pose your question to some of our contacts there. As for the metal roll-down shutters, I know some cabin owners who use those in higher elevations around Lake Tahoe. They are very pleased with the ease and effectiveness. Security is also a concern in that area.