For homeowners in the Hurricane Belt, preparing your home to resist hurricane-force wind, rain, and flying debris is a must. A pivotal element of hurricane-ready home design is the installation of impact-resistant windows and doors. Also known as hurricane windows or laminated glass, impact-resistant windows feature a unique design that withstands everything a Category 5 Hurricane can throw at your home. This is why you need a complete impact-resistant window guide that covers all the details you need to know.
Impact-resistant windows can withstand not just a few hits. They insulate and seal your home against extreme winds, driving rain, and devastating air pressure changes while protecting you from flying debris. This is why homeowners in South Florida and throughout the Hurricane Belt invest in upgrades and installations of impact-resistant windows for safety and peace of mind.
If you are considering upgrading your home with impact-resistant windows and doors, the experts of A-Christian Glass are here to help. Explore this guide to impact-resistant windows to make a more informed decision for your home.
What Are Impact-Resistant Windows?
Windows and doors feature two panes of shatter-resistant glass with a flexible insulating laminate in between. This is clear in our complete impact-resistant window guide. The fused panes are then sealed into a strong frame, ready for highly secure installation in any home. Each high-impact window meets rigorous testing requirements to prove its resistance to projectiles and intense wind forces, ensuring your home’s highest quality of protection.
How Impact-Resistant Windows Are Built
High-impact windows are designed to withstand extreme weather situations and potential threats. Engineers construct these fortified windows using three key elements:
- Two Glass Panes of Shatter-Resistant Glass – The construction begins with high-density, shatter-resistant glass panes. Impact-resistant windows use flexible glass that withstands heavy impacts without cracking. The outer pane of glass, often called the “sacrificial pane,” protects the inner pane. Even if the outer pane breaks, it helps preserve the integrity of your home.
- Advanced Laminate Sheet – The magic of impact-resistant glass lies in the laminate layer between the panes. This advanced polymer is usually PVB (polyvinyl butyral) or SGB (SentryGuard Plus), two unique and highly durable polymer formulas. This layer of advanced laminate provides flexibility, insulation, and protection between the glass panes. It is also often UV-resistant.
- Sealed in a Strong Frame – Impact-resistant windows and doors feature a strong frame that seals fused glass. The frame must be solid and well-sealed to protect against air pressure and water intrusion around the glass.
PG Strength Grading of Impact-Resistant Windows
Impact-resistant windows all have a PG rating of 50.
The PG grading system rates the strength of all window glass. It’s based on the hurricane categories they are designed to resist. The lowest PG grade is 10, rated for Category 1 Hurricanes (wind speeds of 74-95 mph). The highest rating is PG 50 for windows that can endure Category 5 Hurricanes with wind speeds above 157 mph.
Impact-resistant windows are tested at wind speeds of 200 or more, achieving a grade of PG 50 to achieve their strength certification.
How Impact Windows Are Tested
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) provides a standard to certify the multi-point durability of impact-resistant windows. Some of the most essential tests that impact-resistant windows models are subjected to include:
- Large Missile Impact – Windows are struck with a two-by-four plank of wood weighing nine pounds, shot by a cannon at 50 feet per second.
- Small Missile Impact – Small 2-gram steel balls can strike the windows at 90 mph, travelling at 130 feet per second.
- Wind Simulation – Windows can take up to 150-200 mph wind speeds in a wind tunnel.
- Rapid Pressure Changes – Windows can withstand up to 9.000 cycles of rapid pressure changes to ensure resistance against the air pressure effects of a hurricane.
How Do Impact-Resistant Windows Protect Your Home From Hurricanes and Storms?
The unique layered design of high-impact impact windows and doors is crafted to provide multiple protection aspects for your home, particularly in a hurricane or similarly powerful storm. An impact-resistant window guide can help you understand how these features work. Impact-resistant windows protect your home from high-speed winds, driving rain, flying debris, air pressure intrusion, and even the risk of broken glass should the outer pane break from a powerful impact.
Impact Windows Withstand Projectiles and Debris
As you might guess from the name, the primary purpose of impact-resistant windows is to protect your home from flying projectiles in a hurricane or similarly high-speed storm. Hurricanes can throw around tree branches, lawn furniture, and anything else caught up in the wind.
The shatter-resistant glass, the flexibility offered by the laminate layer, and the durable two-paned design all combine to provide a highly durable grade of resistance against projectiles and other types of impacts against the glass.
Only the Outer Pane of Impact Windows Will Break
The two-pane design of impact-resistant windows and doors provides a protective pane and an inner pane. If an impact is strong enough to break the glass, often only the outer pane or “sacrificial pane” will crack. The flexible and insulating laminate will protect the inner pane of glass from absorbing the same amount of force. The outer pane also remains sealed to the laminate.
This results in two crucial and protective events: First, the inner pane does not break. It remains sealed in the frame, and your home is still protected from wind, rain, and further debris for the duration of the storm. Second, the shards of glass from the broken pane are less likely to fall. This reduces the risk of damaged glass even outside your home.
Impact Windows Protect Against Wind and Water Intrusion
We previously noted that how we seal glass into strong frames is essential. Strong winds and driving rain can often seep into a loose window frame. Impact-resistant windows have a design that ensures protection against wind and water intrusion, keeping your home sealed and safe from water damage during storms. That’s why we always sell hurricane windows pre-sealed into sturdy frames. That seal is part of the protection, ensuring that water and wind cannot creep in around the pane, no matter how wind-driven the rain might be. This also protects your home from year-round moisture intrusion in the humid Florida climate.
Impact Windows Are Sealed Against Air Pressure Damage
Lastly, impact-resistant windows protect your home from air pressure damage. While this is lesser known, one of the most devastating damage a hurricane can do to your home is to force air pressure in through the windows. When this happens, the intense wind inside your home can significantly raise indoor air pressure. The pressure pushing outwards is not a force that homes were designed to resist, and it can result in the collapse of walls and even your roof.
By installing properly sealed windows designed to resist even hurricane-strength winds, you can protect yourself from this devastating risk.
What About Glass Doors With Impact-Resistant Glass?
If your home has glass or French patio doors, it’s only natural to consider them when planning for fortified windows, as outlined in this impact-resistant window guide. The good news is that builders quickly integrate the construction procedures used for hurricane windows into glass door designs. They install impact-resistant glass in highly durable doors, which they mount into sturdy doorframes. Paired with high-performance weather stripping around the door’s perimeter, you can rely on the same degree of protection for impact-resistant windows and doors alike.
For Florida homeowners who love glass-wall architecture and glass patio doors, adding impact-resistant glass doors is a must. You can rest easy knowing that your home is protected without sacrificing your favorite view or sunroom design.
Who Needs Impact-Resistant Windows?
Who benefits the most from storm-resistant windows and doors? Here in South Florida, homeowners rely on impact-resistant glass to protect homes from the yearly risk of hurricanes and tropical storms. However, our complete impact-resistant window guide also considers the importance of fortified windows and doors for homes in other regions facing high-intensity storms.
Homes in the Hurricane Belt
The Hurricane Belt includes states along the East Coast and Gulf Coast, where tropical storms that brew in the Atlantic often rake the coastline and sometimes communities further inland during hurricane season between June and November. South Florida is the most profoundly affected by hurricanes. Still, recent massive storms striking further North have emphasized the need for impact-resistant windows and doors for any home within the possible path of tropical storms and hurricanes from the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. This includes Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, New York, and Massachusetts.
Homes in Tornado Alley
Those who live in the center of the country may reside in a region known as Tornado Alley. This is where a vortex of warm and cold air meets to form an unusually high percentage of tornadoes between May and June. Tornadoes are more localized, with less rain than hurricanes, but their impact can be devastating for the homes and buildings hit, including flying debris and incredibly high-speed winds. Impact-resistant windows can provide critical protection for homes in Tornado Alley states. These include parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado.
Homes in Severe Storm Regions
The Great Plains and Great Lakes regions throughout the “Midwest” are known for their spring and summer storms. These can include tornadoes, hail, and thunderstorms. Any climate where hail is a routine risk can benefit from impact-resistant windows and doors, providing added protection against ice balls that can grow quite large in the upper atmosphere before they fall.
Homes With Yearly Blizzards
Lastly, some regions experience severe yearly blizzards, which carry their own risks. Impact-resistant windows offer several degrees of protection against these winter storms. Because blizzards often come with high-speed winds, the wind resistance of impact glass is essential. The laminate layer adds additional insulation, while the sealed, durable frames protect homes from cold drafts and moisture intrusion.
The Advanced Benefits of Impact-Resistant Windows and Doors
Impact-resistant windows help protect your home from hurricane forces. However, the design features offer advantages that can improve your home above and beyond the original design. Through rigorous testing and real-world applications, as explained here in our complete impact-resistant window guide, we offer a superior overall home experience in terms of home security, energy efficiency, peace and quiet, and even UV protection. Not to mention the insurance savings for creating a better-protected home.
These benefits make the investment even more valuable by increasing your home’s worth and year-round comfort with a straightforward upgrade.
Protection From Intruders
Impact windows are tested and proven to resist two-by-four boards and steel balls. In real hurricane experiences, they resist large tree branches and flying lawn furniture. It’s no surprise that burglars and home intruders are also easy to keep out. With impact-resistant windows and doors, unwanted guests will find your windows a profoundly unbreakable barrier.
Even after a feat of strength that might crack the outer pane, burglars would have to break the inner pane and push through a glass-filled membrane. This not only keeps your family safe, it also ensures that your possessions are safe from opportunistic thieves even when you are away from home during storm evacuations.
Energy Efficiency: Sealed and Insulated
The layer of state-of-the-art laminate between the panes of glass in an impact-resistant window improves the window’s strength. But it also acts as an insulator. Laminate prevents temperature changes from transferring between the panes of glass.
This allows impact-resistant windows to provide a benefit similar to double-paned windows regarding energy efficiency through temperature stability. Sealed window frames also play an essential role. When your home is adequately sealed and energy-stable, your AC doesn’t have to use as much energy to keep the indoors cool.
Energy efficiency is essential for Florida homes where high temperatures require efficient cooling to decrease power prices. Impact-resistant windows and doors can significantly reduce your energy bills each year by keeping the heat on the outside and the AC indoors.
Peace and Quiet with Noise Reduction
You may also notice that your home is quieter after installing hurricane windows, as detailed in the impact-resistant window guide. This is because the dense and laminated glass resists the transmission of sound waves. Unlike standard single-pane windows, the shatter-resistant glass’s density and insulating laminate layer prevent sound from passing easily through your windows. This provides an effect known as noise reduction.
The first benefit you will notice is that you can’t hear unwanted noises from outdoors. Traffic noises, yard work, and nearby conversations on the street will be much quieter after your windows are installed. But you will also enjoy greater sound privacy. Conversations and sounds inside your home are less likely to be heard outdoors because noise reduction works in both directions.
Protection from UV Rays
Another side-effect of the advanced laminate layer between your impact window panes is UV protection. Many impact-resistant window models block a certain amount of harmful UV rays from making it through your window. Some models block up to 99% of UV rays.
Floridians love sun-drenched rooms, but a sunny window without UV protection often shows signs of fading on the carpet, furniture, wall paint, and even artwork where the sun usually hits. UV protection allows you to enjoy endless sunny mornings and afternoons without worrying about UV damage to your home or your eyes.
Lower Home Insurance Costs
Insurance companies love impact-resistant windows. Your home insurance policy is there to pay for repairs and restorations after storm damage. However, impact-resistant windows and doors drastically decrease the risk of this type of damage, even in the face of Category 5 hurricanes. Most home damage during a hurricane occurs when windows are broken, causing water damage and air pressure collapses. If your windows can resist the storm’s forces, you are far less likely to experience home damage or an insurance claim.
This is why insurance companies will often reduce your monthly or yearly rates after impact-resistant windows have been installed. Not only do impact windows keep your home safe, they also help you save money on insurance.
Increase Your Home’s Market Value
Last but not least, impact-resistant windows are a marked quality upgrade from older ones without the advanced window pane design. Whether upgrading from older single-pane windows or even double-paned windows that have become unsealed and foggy over time, the upgrade to impact-resistant windows and doors can significantly boost your home’s market value.
The combined advantages of storm protection, home security, energy efficiency, noise reduction, and lower insurance costs provide a powerful selling point for future buyers. Whether you desire your home to be a high-value jewel in the neighborhood or plan on profits from a future home sale, installing impact-resistant windows and doors will undoubtedly increase your home’s selling price and overall value.
Impact-Resistant Windows vs. Double-Paned vs. Storm Windows
We are often asked what the difference is between these fortified windows and other types of window upgrades. This is why you need a comprehensive impact-resistant window guide. It shows how important it is to understand both the synonyms used for fortified windows and how they differ from others, such as double-paned and storm windows.
Impact Window Synonyms
When people refer to impact-resistant windows, they may use other terms that refer to the same unique window design involving two panes, a laminate layer, and a sturdy sealed frame. These include:
- Impact-resistant windows
- Impact windows
- Hurricane windows
- Laminated glass
Impact Windows vs. Double-Paned Windows
What is the difference between impact windows and double-paned windows? Both involve two panes of glass, but how they are used to improve your home is quite different.
- Impact windows, as you know, involve fusing the two panes of glass together with an advanced polymer laminate sheet. The fused pane is then sealed into a sturdy frame designed to resist heavy impacts and high-speed winds.
- Double-paned windows consist of two panes of glass that are sealed with a layer of air in between. Sometimes, manufacturers vacuum out the standard air and inject a more insulating gas, such as Argon, which is non-toxic and high-density. This air or gas layer provides extra insulation from temperature transfer between the panes. Their design enables them to provide superior temperature protection, but efficiency decreases when the panes loosen and release the injected gas.
Impact Windows vs. Storm Windows
What is the difference between impact windows and storm windows? Both are designed to protect your home from storms, but they are not installed the same way or offer the same type of protection.
- Impact windows replace your old windows with laminated glass and a sturdily sealed frame that provides superior protection from storms and hurricanes.
- Storm windows are extra windows you can fit over the outside of your existing windows to provide temporary added protection from storms and hurricanes. Storm windows are a short-term solution often used to give a minor home improvement before selling or renting a home rather than a long-term home upgrade. They are usually a way to protect a home from storms without replacing the existing windows.
How Do You Know if Your Home Has Impact-Resistant Windows?
If you are considering an impact-resistant window upgrade to your home, the natural first step is to determine what type of windows you currently have. How do you know if your home already has impact-resistant windows, and if so, what their quality might be? Our impact-resistant window guide can help you solve the mystery and make plans to ensure your home has impact-resistant windows, whether you have them already or need window replacements to achieve your goal.
Construction Date
Since July 2001, Florida has required new homes to include impact-resistant windows to enhance resident safety and reduce major storm damage. If builders constructed your home in 2001 or later, you likely have impact-resistant windows. However, it’s a good idea to check any glass doors as well.
Look For a Mark
Some impact-resistant window manufacturers will leave a clear sticker that includes the technical specs of the window. If that sticker is still present, it can tell you when the glass was manufactured and its resistance ratings. Of course, not many homeowners leave that sticker in place, so don’t be surprised if it’s not there.
Check for a Double-Reflection
Impact-resistant windows consist of two panes of glass. They are fused together but have slightly different reflective qualities based on how light moves through the panes. Turn off most of the lights at night and look at your reflection in the windows. If you see two reflections, but your window is not double-paned (With air between the panes), you may have impact-resistant glass.
Have Your Home Assessed
You can also request a professional home assessment from a window and glass expert. Window contractors understand the various ways to construct windows. They can identify the type of windows installed in your home and provide an estimate of their age, quality, and any current maintenance concerns you should address. A home assessment is an excellent place to start if you are already considering a window upgrade.
Installing Impact-Resistant Windows for Your Home
Upgrading to impact-resistant windows enhances safety and quality of life in hurricane-prone areas. The combination of laminated glass and sealed frames provides strong protection. With tips from our impact-resistant window guide, homeowners can enjoy various benefits for storm safety. This ensures that fortified windows and doors remain a valuable investment for any home improvement project. No doubt, you have a few questions that need answers before you are ready to move forward with your plans. A-Christian Glass is glad to share our expertise to help you make the most informed decisions for your home.
How Much Do Impact-Resistant Windows Cost?
Impact-resistant windows cost between $120 and $500 each, depending on the size of your window and any unique features you need to account for. Standard-sized impact-resistant windows are often priced at $300 or below, while larger ones come at a higher cost. You can also order unique and custom impact-resistant windows from a specialist provider. While these windows may need to be custom-made for unique window frame shapes and sizes, upgrading every pane of glass in your home is possible.
Do Impact-Resistant Windows Open?
Absolutely, impact-resistant windows can be designed with a variety of aperture styles. Depending on your home’s design and desired functionality, you can install casement, single and double-hung, push-out, or fixed picture windows. As long as the windows seal tightly shut when a storm is on the way, your home will be safe and protected.
How Long Does It Take to Install Impact-Resistant Windows and Doors?
Window installations don’t take very long at all. Each window replacement (removing the old window and installing a new window) takes between one and three hours. With a team at work, two or three windows can be worked on at once. This ensures that replacing just a few windows can take a single day of work, and even replacing all the windows in a large house will typically take less than a week.
We assure you that during a multi-day window replacement project, we will safely seal your home. We will complete each window replacement on the same day it begins.
How Do I Replace Impact-Resistant Windows?
Sometimes, a home with impact-resistant windows experiences damage. If one or both panes crack, replace them with a new impact-resistant window. For more detailed information, you can refer to the impact-resistant window guide. But don’t worry. Replacing a damaged window with a new one is as simple and fast as any other replacement. You’ll need to remove your old window and securely install the new one in just a few hours.
Do I Need to Replace All My Windows At Once?
It is advisable to replace all your windows in a single project, but it is not necessary. Whole-home impact windows provide the best protection and peace of mind. However, upgrading a few windows or even one window at a time is also possible. This accommodates homeowners with a limited renovation budget and allows progressive upgrades for larger homes.
Homeowners can upgrade to impact-resistant windows in stages. These can often start at the lower floors and upgrade one floor at a time.
Protect Your Home With Impact-Resistant Windows and Doors
For residents of South Florida, every home improvement is an opportunity to increase your home’s safety, comfort, and property value. Our comprehensive impact-resistant window guide shows that these windows and doors offer all three advantages in a single project. This fortified glass, sealed in storm-ready frames, protects your home from high winds and debris during hurricanes. It also offers energy efficiency, noise reduction, security against intruders, lower insurance costs, and UV protection.
Together, these benefits enhance your home’s market value and improve your quality of life. Your home will be easier to cool, offer peace and quiet, and provide comfort during storms or evacuations. Upgrading your home with impact-resistant windows and doors is a valuable long-term investment.
Impact-Resistant Window Installations With A-Christian Glass
At A-Christian Glass, we are proud to provide the highest quality impact-resistant windows and doors to communities throughout South Florida. We are a family-owned and operated local business that has been serving our Florida neighbors for over 35 years. We prioritize beautiful, durable glass for your home’s safety, valuing it as our own.
Our installation teams guarantee a smooth upgrade to impact-resistant windows and doors. Each window and door is secured with the assurance that our work ensures your safety for years to come. For a personalized consultation on impact-resistant window and door upgrades for your home, contact us today.
The post A Complete Guide to Impact-Resistant Windows appeared first on A-Christian Glass.