Why Impact Windows are the Best: A Quick Tutorial on Impact Protection

Are impact windows marketing hype? Some people would like to think so, perhaps because they don’t know much about hurricane windows or they’ve been duped by fake vendors. Here are 5 facts on impact windows. Understanding will help you make an intelligent decision if impact windows are the best and most practical choice for your property.#1 Impact windows have a minimum standard requirement.The minimum requirement includes compliance with glazing, leakage, weather-resistant, and construction reliability, among others. Impact windows go way beyond these basic needs and have to pass more stringent laboratory testing including resistance to flying debris, wind speed, and structural wind load.#2 Hurricane windows should be able to resist a missile level D impact.A missile level D means the window should not break when hit by a 9 pound, two by four piece of debris moving at a speed of 50 feet/second or 34 miles/second. According to the Museum of Science and Industry, the wind speeds of a depression is from 20 to 39 miles/hour, or 0.01 miles/second, which means the impact window should be able to resist wind speeds of a hurricane 4 storm which has sustained winds of 136 miles/hour, or 0.04 miles/second.#3 Other factors affect the performance of impact windows.Aside from the impact resistance level of hurricane windows, installation, construction, leakage, design pressure, and wind behavior affect how much pressure impact windows can safely handle. This is why it is very important to have a professional install your impact resistance windows.#4 Building codes do not guarantee that windows being sold in your area are impact-rated.To check the product, ask for the test certification and look for an authentic seal that the window is impact-ready. Never rely on the sales pitch of a person as every window system that is impact-ready must have a seal or Product Approval. If you live in an apartment complex or condominium and you want to be certain the windows are impact-proof, you can ask for a copy of the building permit or certification from the building manager or owner.#5 Impact window systems cover different kinds of protection.Some windows are impact-protected against water, others against solar heat. There are also impact windows designed to improve security while others are just designed to be decorative. You need to be specific when you ask for impact windows. Do you want protection against wind, water, heat, or debris? Or, do you want it all?For the best impact windows, expert installment, and after-sales service, Castle Impact Windows is one of the leaders in the industry. Our team is always ready to accommodate your needs and service your requirements!