Hurricane Impact Windows

Every time a huge hurricane starts moving towards coastal regions, you’ll see footage and photos of plywood over windows. This is a sensible strategy to keep debris and wind from destroying your windows. However, hurricane impact windows are the best way to keep the wind and debris from destroying the windows.

Hurricane Impact Windows

What They Are

“Hurricane windows” is somewhat misleading, and a better term is impact windows. If you’ve never looked into impact windows, you might be wondering what we’re talking about. They come in two main designs. The first is designed for small projectile impact and is made of several layers of polyvinyl butyral between glass panes. The glass panes are further tempered to increase their durability.

The second type of impact windows are those made for large projectiles. These are PET laminated glass, usually attached directly to the building’s frame. Such windows are actually polycarbonate with a glass casing. Typically, they are bonded to the building’s frame by a silicone adhesive.

Installation

It’s not as simple as slapping hurricane impact windows into your window frame and calling it a day, though. Installation must take the functional aspects of the windows into account. For instance, you need to make sure you use reinforced window frames to match the impact windows. After all, what good is a shatter-resistant window if the frame around it breaks when impacted by debris?

Another tip for installation is to replace all windows in your house, and all frames. If you have a few impact-resistant windows but don’t replace them all, you’re just asking for disaster. If one of your other windows gives out, the resulting change in pressure could cause serious damage to the rest of the house. Similarly, make sure you replace every frame: a window is only as strong as the frame that holds it.

Why to Upgrade

Modern impact windows have been tested to withstand even the most devastating weather conditions. If properly installed, these windows can turn your home’s weak point into a strong, storm-resistant window. These offer you the best chance of your home surviving extreme storm conditions, giving you peace of mind.