Hi, I’m the Hurricane Impact Window Specialist here at American Hurricane Shutters. Lots of companies advertise, throwing around the terms, impact resistant, hurricane proof, hurricane rated. But what does it actually mean? Doing your research could be the difference between your safety and peril for your family and property. When an actual hurricane occurs at American Hurricane Shutters, we take this seriously.
Serious Commitment to Safety
How seriously? Very seriously. As a customer, you cannot assume that the impact rated label on the products that you buy here actually means it is hurricane resistant for the severity of storms that we have here in the Wilmington, NC, serving areas from Myrtle Beach, SC to New Bern, NC. You have to actually see the certifications and specs. Nothing in the Wilmington dictates when this label can be used.
Understanding the Threat
You know that hurricane winds can cause tremendous damage to property. But what you may not know is that the majority of the damage caused is by wind-borne debris, such as signs, trees and roof tiles. Not just the wind itself. Debris penetrates windows and doors, allowing the wind to enter the hole. This creates forces that the structure of the house is not designed to withstand, often lifting the roof or pushing against walls causing them to fail getfont.
Critical Questions to Ask
Even if the walls and roof remain intact, the rain and water damage caused by the broken window can be severe, leaving a home uninhabitable and resulting in a total loss of its content. We spoke to a few of our competitors and asked them about their hurricane impact windows. Take a listen.
Competitor Insights
“OK, but you don’t know, like, if it’s a Miami-Dade certification or whatever?” “Househood certification, I have to check it again, verify it.” “Do you offer any sort of warranty?” “No, because if you have the contractor putting your glass wrong, I cannot take fault for that.” “Can you tell me what brand the windows are, please?” “The windows? I’m not sure where they come from birdzpedia.”
Testing Your Windows
One way to tell if your window is actually hurricane impact resistant is the reflection test. First, place your hand or an object in front of the glass. Now, if it is hurricane impact resistant, it will be made up of two sheets of laminated glass with at least five-sixteenths of an inch thick. And if it is, in fact, resistant, you will see two reflections of the same object in front of that glass. Another easy and sure way to determine if your window is, in fact, hurricane impact resistant is to look in the corner of your glass for permanent marking. Now, it will have all of the specifications of that window right there in the corner. And the ultimate test that you can give to determine if your window is, in fact, impact resistant is the impact test.
Conclusion: Be Prepared
In the end, hurricanes are here and we must be prepared. So do your research and if you have any questions, come and check us out at American Hurricane Shutters and let’s build beautiful newigcaptions.
