PRODUCTS
For real protection, and to meet the hurricane building codes established for the state of Florida, you need impact windows and doors. Hurricane resistant impact windows and doors must pass rigorous testing to ensure that they will not fail during a storm. The tests simulate the effects of hurricane force winds and cover six key criteria:
- Air Infiltration
- Water Resistance
- Forced Entry
- Wind Resistance
- Flying Debris Impact Resistance
- 9,000 Internal/External Pressure Cycles
Non-Impact products do not meet the criteria above, nor do they meet the hurricane building codes established by the State of Florida.
What Impact Windows and Doors can mean for you
By resisting the penetration of wind-borne debris and protecting against wind infiltration, impact
windows and doors reduce the risk of the most severe damage to your home – the kind that results when wind is allowed to enter the structure and create internal pressure that can lift the roof and cause other structural damage.
What’s more, along with the benefits of year round protection from storms, impact approved windows and doors also offer owners greater energy efficiency, reduced sound transmittance and additional UV protection.
Price and Value
When you compare the difference in cost between impact resistant windows and doors and other code approved products such as accordion shutters, roll down shutters and wind abatement systems used with non-impact products, it is important to make sure to look at comparable quality. Typically, the additional cost to upgrade to an impact resistant product is minimal when compared to the cost of the non-impact product and the shutter system together.
More importantly however, the installation of hurricane impact glass – by providing the highest level of hurricane protection — will increase the value of your home or building by a greater percentage.
