Weekend Makeover

Mary: Hi and welcome to Weekend Makeover. I’m Mary Chamberlain. As spring dissolves into summer, home improvement projects tend to move outside. So, to keep up with the Jones’ we’ve moved outside with them. On today’s episode we are going to have a little fun in the sun, solving a few outdoor dilemmas. So, grab your sunscreen and come along for the ride. Last year, four hurricanes made ground fall, in Florida alone, within two months. Causing more than $40 billion in damages and resulting in over 150 deaths. By the time October came around, it was clear how important it is to have storm shutters that were convenient and effective.

Steve: Well, there’s three types of storm shutters. There’s the panels which are steel corrugated panels that you would put up onto the wall. Climb up on a ladder to fix them, store them in your garage, fairly dangerous, heavy, very sharp edges, and that’s something you would need to put on given great notice before a hurricane. The next product would be an accordion shutter, which is the traditional side folding shutter. Now, that shutter works well as a hurricane shutter, but it doesn’t look great on the home and it really is only used as a storm shutter in case of a hurricane. The last product is a rolling shutter, which is this product here, which will be operated from the interior of the home, can be operated on a daily basis, looks better on the home, and can be operated by anyone. And, it’s always there and ready to go in case of any need.

Mary: One of the great things about roll shutters is they serve more than one purpose. These shutters from QMI can also be used as a security shutter, privacy shutter, and a sun shade. To complete our edition, QMI installed five state of the art, battery operated, rolling shutters.

Steve: This shutter here is the QMI L6 slat with end retention. The end retention means this slat on the end is held captive inside this rail. No matter what the winds are, this shutter cannot be pulled out of the system. By a push of the button on the inside, the shutter is brought up or brought down, and can be operated at anytime by anyone; no special equipment, no tools, no advanced warning. The storm can be right up the road and you can push a button and be secured.

Mary: But there is one more feature that makes these shutters stand out from the competition and blend in with your home.

Steve: This is the traditional finish of a roll shutter, with an aluminum housing, aluminum rails, into the home. We are always looking for better ways to make the shutter look better on the home and actually blend in on the home.

Mary: What they have come up with is decorative cap that once painted makes this storm shutter look more like a window dressing and less like a storm shutter

Steve: What the homeowners will find is that they don’t just have a storm shutter, they have what we call a lifestyle shutter. People will use this shutter everyday, unlike a panels and accordion shutters. They’ll use this for security, sun control and privacy. Also, not the most important thing, what they’ll find is that they will get a discount on their homeowners insurance, and when they go to sell their home, the value of their home will be much greater.

Mary: I’d like to thank everyone at QMI for helping us with our project. Now, we’re off to put the finishing touches on another backyard renovation.