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You can choose 5/8-inch plywood or 3/4-inch plywood—anything thinner than these sizes may not withstand the impact of debris propelled by strong winds or can be easily torn off by intruders. Remember that the durability of the wood board is crucial, particularly for safeguarding your windows during severe storms. The effectiveness of using wood boards for protecting the investment you made in your home relies on using the appropriate material and ensuring proper installation.

While plywood will keep winds and debris from shattering your windows from the outside, window film can help protect your windows from the inside. Window film can keep a window from shattering. If your windows break, the film can hold the shards of glass in place, reducing the risk of cuts.

While you may sometimes see window film marketed as "hurricane window film," note that it doesn't provide sufficient hurricane protection on its own. It's no substitute for plywood, storm windows, or hurricane shutters.

If your windows weren’t manufactured with a retaining clip to receive muntins and hold them in place, you should contact a window company near you to add them for you. A professional will bond the muntins directly to the glass to hold them in place, and they’ll make sure the edges line up nicely with your window frames. If your window does have retaining clips to hold muntins in place, you can just pop the muntins into the clips.

If you live in a colder region, consider installing double- or triple-pane windows with low-E coatings, which can trap heat and keep your house warm. In hot areas, windows with reflective coatings and insulated frames help keep cooling costs down. If you experience a lot of extreme weather, then impact-resistant glass might be a worthwhile investment.