Hurricane Proof Windows In Miami And Boca Raton

By Author: tom henrry
Total Articles: 6
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In areas of South Florida, like Miami and Boca Raton, wind penetration and water leaks from hurricane and tropical storms accounts for a large percentage of property damage. There are three options to protect your property that the Miami-Dade building code allows you to choose from: storm shutters, plywood panels, and impact resistant windows.

Storm shutters are effective but are unattractive and can lead to expensive structural damage down the road. Water can seep into areas where the shutters are screwed into the walls, eat away at the stucco and trickle down the inside of the structure. Standing water, even in small amounts, can cause severe damage. Overtime, this can compromise the structural integrity of the building, and in most cases, expensive and time-consuming repairs are necessary.

Plywood panels are another option—they protect your property from wind penetration, are durable material and fairly easy to install, but come in limited sizes. Each panel is more susceptible to water damage and expansion from moisture than other types of lumber, not to mention that they are unattractive to the eye and ...
... a hassle to take off after a storm.

The best and most flexible solution to protect your home or business from wind penetration and water damage are hurricane proof windows, also known as hurricane windows, storm windows, impact resistant windows, and impact windows. They are elegantly designed windows constructed from heavy-duty aluminum frames and two sheets of laminated glass with either an SGP or PVB interlayer. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be customized to match any style or personal taste.

Hurricane windows in Miami and Boca Raton are required to meet Miami’s stringent building code requirements that include extensive wind and pressure testing. The performance grade and design pressure are two components that will tell you how hurricane windows will hold up against the changing air temperatures and high-speed winds of hurricanes.

They are five performance grade categories: Residential, Light Commercial, Commercial, Heavy Commercial, and Architectural—residential performance grade which has a minimum recommended design pressure of 15 psf. Impact windows at this rating are tested to withstand sustained wind pressure of approximately 95-mph on both sides of the glass panel, recreating the negative and positive pressures.

To provide the maximum range of safety, the test pressure is always 150% of the rated design pressure. Each window must also pass a water pressure test that simulates continued rainfall at speeds of 34 mph. These are just minimal requirements, and in areas like Miami and Boca Raton, the impact window used depends on the building type and location.

When you purchase hurricane proof windows, make sure that the products that you’re considering are approved by Miami-Dade County. Impact window in Boca Raton are not all created equal. Conduct thorough product research to make sure the product you’re interested in meets the most recent building code requirements.