Do you live in a hurricane zone, such as Southwest or South Florida? If yes, then taking certain precautions is important in order to protect your family and your home from the potential damage of severe weather. Installing impact glass, such as impact windows and impact doors is one of the most useful ways to ensure your home can stand up to hurricanes. It’s made to withstand the extreme forces of hurricane winds and flying debris. It can increase the safety and security of your home while also improving the comfort and appeal of your property. In this article we discuss 3 benefits of impact glass if you live in a hurricane zone. Hopefully this article will help you decide if impact windows and doors are right for you.
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4 Benefits of Installing Impact Windows and Doors
There are three huge benefits to using impact glass if you live somewhere with hurricanes, such as in coastal Florida. Below, we give three of the biggest benefits and why they are so important. Can you think of any other benefits? Just let us know!
1. Better Protection Against Debris, High Winds, and the Elements
Impact glass windows and doors are designed to withstand the extreme forces of hurricanes, including flying debris and high winds. We discuss why this is a huge benefit below.
Problem with non-impact glass during a hurricane
Standard, non-impact glass windows/doors shatters if/when struck. This lets rain and wind into the home. In the worst cases broken glass can cause the home to become pressurized during a hurricane, causing much more, severe damage.
Why impact glass is better
Unlike standard glass, impact glass is made to take intense impacts. Impact windows and doors are constructed of several glass layers with a polymer interlayer in between. This interlayer keeps your glass in place even if it is struck. Your impact window/door may fracture, but it will stay in tact.
This has several benefits. First, it prevents glass from shattering into a million pieces and creating dangerous glass shards. Second, it prevents rain, wind, and debris from entering into your home. Lastly, it reduces the chance of structural damage to your home during a hurricane. This is because when glass openings break during a hurricane it can lead to pressurization. And this can cause catastrophic damage, structural issues, and roof failure.
In a nutshell, impact glass creates a more resilient home in hurricanes, so you and your family are safer.
Beyond the obvious and immediate safety benefits, impact glass can also increase the durability of your home. Impact glass is manufactured to handle repeated impacts without breaking. This means they offer extreme protection through multiple hurricane seasons. This added durability means you’ll need fewer repairs and replacements over time. Impact glass gives homeowners a long-term, cost-effective option to be prepared for extreme storms.
2. Impact Glass Increases Home Security
In addition to offering great protection against hurricanes, impact glass also helps with home security. The same factors that make it resistant to hurricanes also make it very challenging for intruders to get through. Unlike typical glass, which can be easily shattered, impact glass stays intact even when exposed to blunt force.
The extra security means your home is protected against break-ins, which can offer peace of mind. Knowing that your windows and doors can handle attempts of forced energy is a huge deterrent to anyone trying to get inside. When installing impact glass, you protect the home from both natural disasters and criminal activity.
While the strength is important, it’s not the only security feature associated with impact glass. Many impact windows and doors also incorporate advanced locking mechanisms and reinforced frames. This enhances the security benefits even more. The extra features make it more challenging for possible intruders to get inside so you get an additional layer of protection. This strong defense is especially useful for families. If there are young kids or older members of the household, they might be more vulnerable during a possible break-in.
In addition, having impact glass installed can lower the cost of your homeowner’s insurance premiums. Insurance providers are aware that impact-resistant windows have extra security and reduced risk of damage and may offer discounts on policies for having them. At the very least, they offer insurance discounts for added hurricane protection. This financial benefit can offset the initial costs of impact glass and make it more cost-effective over a longer period.
3. Improved Noise Reduction and Energy Efficiency
Security and hurricane protection aren’t the only benefits of impact glass doors and windows. These products can also help reduce noise and increase energy efficiency in your home. The multiple layers of construction in impact glass add excellent insulation to maintain a consistent, comfortable temperature inside. The additional insulation can lower energy consumption since your heating and cooling systems don’t need to work extra to keep your home comfortable.
This energy efficiency offered by impact glass can lead to serious cost savings over the life of the products. When you have less need to constantly heat and cool your home, it’s often going to lead to a significant decrease in energy bills. This contributes to a more sustainable lifestyle and makes impact glass a cost-saver over its lifespan.
In addition, impact glass is a great option for helping reduce external noise inside your home. If you are in a noisy or busy spot, you’ll enjoy the quieter environment that impact glass provides. The noise reduction creates a more comfortable and peaceful living space for a better overall quality of life.
This noise reduction benefit is especially useful for people who work from home, families that have small kids, or anyone who does not like outside noise. When you need a quiet area for concentration, peace, and rest, you can’t beat the noise reduction benefits. Impact glass offers a productive and relaxing atmosphere by cutting down on external sounds like construction, traffic, and of course, noisy neighbors.
So adding impact glass to your home means you get great security and safety but also a more energy-efficient, quieter, and healthier living space. This approach to home improvement shows that there are a huge number of benefits to selecting impact glass for your Southwest Florida home.
4. Increase the value of your Florida Home with Impact Glass
We have learned that impact glass can help you protect your family and improve the enjoyment of your home. But they have another big benefit. They can also increase the sale value of your home. Many potential buyers seek out homes with hurricane protection and safety features already installed. Buying a home plus installing hurricane protection is difficult for most people. That is why finding a home with these products already installed is a huge perk for buyers.
In turn, impact-resistant windows are a huge selling feature. The investment is great for protecting your property and family while enhancing how marketable your home is if you choose to sell it in the future.
When you select impact glass, you get protection from hurricanes while also investing in a more valuable, energy-efficient, and secure home. This full-faceted approach to home efficiency and safety makes impact glass an important consideration for anyone who lives in or near a hurricane prone area.
Final Thoughts
There are several benefits of impact glass, which make it a great idea when you live in a hurricane zone. Impact windows and doors offer better energy efficiency, improved security, and unbeatable hurricane protection. They also help to reduce your costs over time while also increasing your home’s value. These benefits make impact glass a very attractive option if you are in the market for new windows and/or doors.
Eurex Shutters offers high-quality impact glass products designed to meet the needs of Southwest Florida homeowners and business owners. Our family-owned company is dedicated to helping you protect your family from hurricanes and other threats. If you are in the market for impact windows and doors we can help. Contact us today to learn more about our impact glass options and schedule a free, in-home consultation.
Or call (239) 369-8600 for immediate service.
Sources:
Wrights Impact Window and Door – What are the benefits of installing hurricane windows and doors?
https://egsinternationalllc.com/3-benefits-impact-glass-live-hurricane-zone
