To replicate hurricane-force impacts, pieces of lumber are shot out of an air cannon at Simonton StormBreaker Plus windows at a rate of 50-feet per second. To pass the impact test, the glass can be shattered, but can not break out of its frame.

The severe storms that made 2005 a record-breaking hurricane season may soon be repeated. According to expert weather forecasters, hurricane seasons for the next several years are projected to be especially strong.

From Maine to Texas, coastal area residents searching for ways to protect their homes are turning to hurricane-resistant windows and doors. Made with an outer layer of tempered glass and an inner layer of impact-resistant glass, these windows can stand up to the fiercest storms.

What makes these windows so strong? A heavy invisible plastic interlayer sandwiched between panes of the inner glass prevents the glass from being punctured by flying debris. Much like a car windshield, when these windows are struck during a hurricane by tree limbs or other flying objects, the glass may shatter, but it will not break out of its frame. This protects a home and its contents.

“If you live in a coastal area, nothing beats hurricane-resistant windows for giving you peace-of-mind and protecting your home,” according to Mark DeSimone, coastal specialist for Simonton Windows. “These products work 24 hours a day, seven days a week and never need to be boarded or shuttered up. That saves homeowners a tremendous amount of work.

“Hurricane-resistant windows and doors are an investment that pays off in many ways. First, they offer storm protection and superior energy efficiency benefits, which can save on energy bills. Second, many insurance companies offer homeowners reduced rates for having these products in their home. Third, the vinyl frames on these windows are easy to maintain while being a great insulator. And finally, impact-resistant windows protect the home from noise and solar penetration along with making it extremely difficult for intruders to break in.”

To protect a home during severe weather, coastal residents need to concern themselves with four primary ways that strong winds can potentially enter a house. If this happens, there’s potential for pressure to build up inside the home and the roof to blow off. The key areas are the windows, entry door, garage doors and roof. Homeowners in coastal communities should have hurricane-resistant products installed in these four vulnerable areas of the home to protect their property.

“We had Simonton StormBreaker Plus windows installed in our home just three months before Hurricane Wilma hit our area with category 3 winds,” says Margaret Johnson of Everglades City, Florida. “We couldn’t be more pleased with our investment. Our extended family stayed in our home watching the storm through these impact-resistant windows for five hours. We saw the strong winds actually push the glass in and out of the frame, but the windows held firmly in place. They did exactly what they were supposed to do … they protected our family.

“The devastation in our area from Hurricane Wilma was incredible. However, our good fortune at installing these hurricane-resistant windows before this storm truly paid off for us. We only had a few roof shingles fly off and the rest of our home is in perfect shape.”
Built to withstand hurricane-force winds and meet the strict Dade County, Florida building codes, the impact-resistant windows from Simonton are tested regularly to make certain they pass pressure cycling, impact and water infiltration tests.

“A two-by-four piece of lumber that’s eight-feet long and weighs nine pounds is shot out of an air cannon multiple times at a window as part of the test process,” says DeSimone. “The lumber hits the window at a rate of 50-feet per second. After multiple impacts, the test unit is subjected to 9,000 cycles of combined positive and negative pressure. To pass the impact test, the glass must remain in the frame and the window has to be operable. Those are extremely rough conditions that replicate a severe hurricane.”

In addition to the impact tests, the hurricane-resistant windows must also pass rigorous pressure and water infiltration tests. With massive force and water pressure placed against the windows they must still be operational with no leaks after the tests.

“We’ve replicated whatever Mother Nature can throw at these windows,” says DeSimone. “This gives homeowners the confidence to know that the hurricane-resistant windows and doors they select to protect their homes can stand up to the force of major hurricanes.”

For the free booklets, “What You and Your Family Should Know About Hurricane Safety” and “Making the Most of Life on the Coast” call 1-800-SIMONTON.

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