How Are High-End Impact-Resistant Windows Able to Withstand Hurricanes and Tornadoes?

The windows you install matter. Few elements of your structure will have a bigger impact on safety and energy efficiency than your windows. If you live in an area that experiences intense weather patterns, such as hurricanes and/or tornadoes, your window choices are even more critical as a real estate developer or construction expert. High-impact windows serve a specific purpose for both residential and commercial buildings. Let’s learn more about these tornado and hurricane-resistant products and how a sliding glass door manufacturer can help you.

What Are High-Impact Windows?

High-impact windows are glass products that are made to withstand debris, wind-borne debris, break-ins, and high-gust winds. These windows are made with special frames and safety glass that has been sealed in a way to keep the glass from breaking away from the frame. This type of safety glazing is often required for windows in certain areas of the country where high-gust winds are common. A glazing system of +105/-130 is needed to withstand hurricane-force winds which are often clocked at 100MPH.

What Are the Benefits?

The safety glazing used on these windows can reduce or minimize the likelihood of injury to humans if the glass is broken. They are made with many layers of laminated glass that have undergone stringent testing. This testing can include both small and large projectiles to ensure the glass can withstand the impact.

What Will These Windows Withstand?

These windows are designed to withstand the pressure of an impact from a projectile, which could be the result of winds, break-ins, or accidents. During testing, the impact resistance is determined and then the window is given a rating based on that. This rating is called a DP rating; DP stands for design pressure. The DP rating of a window can be between 20 to 70. It’s important to pay attention to the DP rating when having windows installed, as building codes in certain parts of the country call for certain DP codes.

Are High-Impact Windows Required?

High-impact windows and doors purchased from a sliding glass door manufacturer aren’t required everywhere, but they are required in some places, specifically along the East Coast of the United States. Coastal homes in this region are at particular risk of impact from hurricanes and high-speed winds. Texas, New York, Georgia, Hawaii, Alabama, Maine, Mass, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Florida have all adapted certain building codes in certain areas to incorporate high-impact windows.

These are just a few facts on high-impact windows and how they can affect your building projects. If you need high-impact windows to withstand hurricanes and/or tornadoes in the South Florida or Caribbean Islands areas, please contact EGS International today.