Benefits and Installation of Impact-Resistant Windows

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Impact-resistant windows come in all the traditional styles including double hung, sliding, patio, and picture windows. They can be tinted or ordered with a protective UV blocker to prevent sun damage, or coated to prevent heat gain or loss. Protecting Your Home Hurricane winds deliver force to building exteriors and elements. It is by far the debris these winds carry that most threaten a home during a wind event. In high winds, roof sheathing, branches, roof tiles, or garbage cans become projectiles or missiles that are hurled at neighboring homes. The key to keeping your property intact is to keep the envelope tight so that wind and water cannot enter. Windows are a key point of entry, so it is essential that they resist the damaging force of wind-borne debris. There are only two secure ways to protect the openings of your home when hurricanes begin to blow – shutters and impact-resistant windows. Protecting your home and your family from flying debris requires that windows, doors, skylights, and patio doors all meet the tougher building standards as mandated by agencies like the South Florida Building Code, which has become a leader in materials and fastening upgrades in hurricane zones. Window Design and Installation When they first entered the market about 20 years ago, impact-resistant window styles were somewhat limited. Since then research and development have caught up to the demands of stricter building codes, and now nearly any type or style of window is readily available. Windows with impact-resistant designs now include fixed-pane, awning, casement, horizontal roller, single-hung, and double-hung models. Skylights, door glass, and patio doors are also available in impact -resistant formats. Today, virtually all of the major window manufacturers make high-grade, impact-resistant windows that have been certified to meet all protective standards. A window is part of a total house envelope so it must be installed correctly in order to maintain its integrity. According to Brian Hedlund, product marketing manager at Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors, each manufacturer specifies how its impact-resistant windows must be installed in order for them to offer the maximum amount of protection when confronted by storm-driven debris. “The installation methods are typically set forth by each manufacturer and a lot of times test reports (on how a window responds to debris and wind in a laboratory setting) will dictate what the installation method should be,” Hedlund says.

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