Minimize hurricane damage with impact resistant windows and doors

Living in a hurricane zone requires property owners to pay particular attention to the type of windows and doors installed in their buildings.

While hurricane force winds do cause damage to property, it’s wind-borne debris (such as tree limbs, signs, roof tiles, etc.) and not the wind itself that causes the largest amount of damage . When flying debris breaks through windows and doors, the wind enters the property and creates forces that the structure of the building is not designed to withstand, often lifting the roof or pushing out the walls and causing them to fail.

Even if the roof and walls remain intact, the rain and water damage from a broken window can be severe, leaving a home uninhabitable and resulting in a total loss of its contents.

Installing impact resistant windows and doors will help to minimize the risk of penetration by flying debris.

The most common way to achieve impact resistance in windows and doors is to select a product that uses laminated glass. Laminated glass is comprised of two panes of glass bonded together with a strong, clear interlayer.

Laminated insulating glass is constructed as two panes of glass bonded together with a strong, clear interlayer, then includes an airspace followed by a third pane of glass for added insulation. The airspace between the 2nd and 3rd piece of glass is filled with air or other gas to reduce heat transfer. Once sealed, the glass “sandwich” behaves as a single unit and is transparent, like ordinary glass. A special silicone glazing process helps keep the glass from breaking away from the frame.

PGT windows and doors that feature impact-resistant laminated glass or laminated insulating glass are designed to withstand repeated impact from a nine-pound 2’ x 4’ beam traveling at 34 miles per hour. Even if the glass is damaged, the interlayer will hold the glass pieces secure in the frame and continue to keep unwanted elements outside.

These glass choices combined with PGT’s heavy-duty frames allow the brand’s impact-resistant products to meet or exceed the most stringent code requirements for hurricane-force winds and flying debris. In addition, PGT’s impact-resistant windows and doors exceed the 2010 Florida building code standards for impact-resistant, and many products offer additional testing and certification including those of Miami-Dade and AAMA.

The strength of these tested and proven glass choices provides peace of mind for homeowners living in even the fiercest hurricane-prone regions or those seeking continuous, effortless protection.

Source: PGT