When Hurricane Andrew his southern Florida in August, 1992, so many houses & business were devestated that manufacturers started thinking about a window that could protect homes from strong winds & flying objects.
They are available in new construction, but if a home is already built & it’s in a hurricane zone, hurricane windows can be added as a remodeling project. The cost isn’t much greater than other windows without the added protection offered by hurricane windows.
The most important benefit of hurricane windows is to protect your home from the high winds & water associated with hurricanes. It has been found that most of the damage done to homes by hurricanes is a result of broken windows. The debris blown around by the high winds breaks the windows, causing the air pressure from the wind to enter the home.
This air pressure can blow out the other windows, even the ones that are not on the windward side of the house, & it can even blow off the roof. People have used shutters in the past to protect their windows, or board up their home every year when a big hurrican threatens. These solutions are both expensive & take a lot of labor. Once you have put the hurricane windows in your home, they’re always there, doing what they’re supposed to do, protect your home from strong winds. Even those who use plywood as protection have to be very careful because storm tracks change rapidly so you may be hit when you’re not ready, or you may put up plywood & never get hit. With the right kind of windows, you’re always ready, but you’re not putting in extra work if you do not need to. Shutters have to be put up & taken down, & occasionally that is a burden on a homeowner who isn’t in good shape. In addition to these benefits, hurricane windows add other protection to your home. Because of their construction that can take the pressure of heavy winds, they can not actually be easily broken. This prevents thefts & accidents. There is more. The entire construction design makes the window more hard to break in to, so many insurance companies are offering a discount to homeowner who have them. You should see if you insurance company can offer you such a discount; it may pay for the windows over time. An additional benefit is that ther is a film in the inner part of the window that protects the home from UV rays.
These rays can cause considerable damage over the years, such as fading carpets, curtains & furniture. The heavy nature of hurricane windows also helps them to serve as sound absorbers. How do hurricane windows work? These windows are made of two separate layers of laminated glass. Between these layers, there is a film of strong plastic. If the window does shatter, which is hard because of the two layers, the plastic layer stays in place, giving protection to the interior of the home from wind damage & the driving rain. Hurricane windows undergo very thorough testing to make certain they will withstand a storm. Impact tests involve small & large objects being hurled at the window, simulating the debris that may be flying around during a hurricane. These windows are built to endure a wind speed & flying debris of 130 miles an hour. The same glass available for hurricane window is available for skylights, patio doors & other types of glass that may shatter in a major storm. In order to get the most protection from hurricane windows, you must make certain they’re properly installed. No window can protect your home if the installation is faulty. In addition, the installation wil be different for each window, depending on the materials of the window frame, etc.
It is best to have a professional install these windows to make certain it’s done right. You may even risk not being covered under warranty if you do not have a professional do it.
Peter J. Mason regularly publishes web pages on problems relating to interior design & decorating. You can learn about his abstracts on hurricane windows & decorating over at his site & different sources for interior design tips.
