By Deborah L. O'Mara
June 28, 2005—Memories from the 2004 hurricane season–the most devastating ever–are still etched in the minds of those who lived it. The good news is that 2004 is over. The bad news is that the 2005 hurricane season is expected to bring another record-breaking round of high winds and pounding rain.
With that in mind, inquiring remodeling minds want to know: "Do storm-resistant windows really make a difference?"
From those who have experienced the devastation of hurricanes firsthand, the answer is yes.
In severely hit Punta Gorda, Fla., resident Robert Osbourne’s home survived Category 4 Hurricane Charley with just one window cracked. "We took a direct hit from Charley," says Robert. "Our roof was badly damaged, but the windows held up great. If we had regular windows in this house, I’m sure we would have lost the whole roof. The windows helped keep our house secure during the worst storm I’ve ever seen."
Other success stories with storm-resistant windows from last year’s coastal calamities are easy to find. "Just prior to the 2004 hurricane season, I replaced four patio doors and a living room bay window with storm-protection products," says John Brown of West Palm Beach, Fla.. "When the first hurricane winds came in with gusts over 100 miles per hour, trees started snapping, and I was concerned. But seeing and feeling the strength my new windows and doors exhibited, I just sat back and watched the storm rage," John added.
Storm-resistant windows are never hurricane-proof, but they are designed to be impact-resistant. These types of products minimize the possibility of glass blowing into the home or flying debris entering. The glass may shatter in the frame, but it adheres to a 0.09-inch-thick polyvinyl butaryl (PVB) interlayer. More important, the combination of the glass and frame properties and new requirements on how the windows must be anchored to the structure may help keep the rest of the house intact.
The devastating past hurricane seasons, personal safety and property loss concerns, stricter building codes and the rising cost of insurance continue to fuel high demand for impact-resistant windows and doors along the entire Eastern Seaboard and the Gulf Coast. New building codes in these areas require windows and doors to withstand the effects of high wind and windborne debris associated with hurricanes and coastal storms, and impact-resistant glass of a certain design pressure rating is necessary. (Simply stated, design pressure is a numerical value that defines the structural wind-loading requirements in pounds per square foot for a building and the components and cladding of a building).
The consensus seems to be that these products do their share to ward off the worst effects of hurricanes. And they certainly are becoming noticed more, even for those who don’t have oceanfront homes. In the future, as prices drop, consumers in tornado or other high-wind areas may opt for the added measure of safety and security these windows provide.
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