Almost any type of hurricane shutter can be installed at home by yourself in a DIY exercise. Unless of course, the opening is a little dangerous to reach, like a second floor window, where the shutters have to be installed from the outside.
The easiest types of shutters that you can install are plywood boards that are at least 5/8th of an inch thick. The only due diligence that you need to exercise here to see that you don’t bang a tack on your thumb when putting up the board.
If it is a rolling shutter then you should ideally install them during construction when you can apportion adequate space for the housing at top; similarly for accordion shutters there has to be space at the sides and firm foundation for the tracks down.
If you wish to install Bahama shutters, then see that they fit nicely into the window frame; use hinges that can support the weight of these shutters. You can also attach a latch to the shutters to keep them down in closed condition. When you order a shutter kit, it arrives with all the parts and detailed instructions. You need to be ready with the tools and an understanding of how to do it. Look on the internet for further instructions; if you are a newbie take time to understand what an “H” bracket is and where it fits; where the sprocket goes, etc.
Before you install shutters, check for building code requirements; these vary with the state and some even require professionally installed shutters.
