If you live in South Florida, hurricane protection is a part of life. While it’s been many years since we’ve had a direct hurricane impact, the reality is that it’s only a matter of time before the winds once again howl down our streets.  We can be ready for future storms by installing hurricane shutters or impact windows and impact doors, but there are other benefits worth considering.

When this client purchased new PGT WinGuard Impact Windows and Impact French Doors in 2010, the primary considerations were style, color and a product that would meet Dade-County and Florida HVHZ requirements for hurricane protection. We also discussed the noise reduction that comes from impact doors and windows, their added level of burglar resistance, UV protection, and increased energy efficiency. But these other features of impact glass windows and doors were more of a secondary benefit that made their decision a bit easier.

After the project was completed, their windows and doors looked beautiful, the air conditioner ran less, and noise reduction from the multiple layers in an impact glass window was immediately apparent.

Then about a year later, I received a phone call from this client praising the quality and real world performance of PGT Impact Doors….with a catch. We needed to replace their damage Impact French Door and Impact Glass.

A burglar’s early morning attempt to break into this client’s home was foiled when their 750 Series PGT Hurricane Rated French Doors stood up against multiple brick, shovel, and pry bar attacks to the impact glass, frame and locking mechanism. While the door glass cracked, the tough Polyvinyl Butyral PVB interlayer stayed intact and kept the criminals out. The client’s alarm went off and forced the burglars to retreat… leaving the homeowners shaken but secure.

In a residential setting, burglaries are often swift in and out attacks that take just a few minutes. A monitored alarm system is a good deterrent for some criminals, but it may not be enough to prevent these quick break-ins.  By adding another layer of protection such as impact windows and doors, you could throw off a potential burglar’s plan with enough of a delay to make the difference in keeping your family safe and your home secure.

The look on these criminal’s faces when they couldn’t break through the impact glass doors – Priceless!

New windows and door can have a dramatic effect on a home’s overall appearance. This client in Plantation upgraded their aging and inefficient awning windows to new PGT WinGuard Impact Windows and Impact Doors.

The large size of their front window opening set up perfectly to replace with the clean lines of new casement windows. Two impact glass casement windows on each end of a large 50% fixed glass impact window created a modern look that instantly updated the home’s curb appeal.

The vertical lines of the horizontal sliding impact windows for the two smaller front openings coordinate well with the casement window while providing a more cost effecting solution.

The day of the installation, the homeowner didn’t recognize her own house and drove right by.

Not only did their new impact windows transform the look of their home, but they now enjoy the additional benefits of built-in storm protection, noise reduction, and burglar resistance.

The Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale is a classification used for some western hemisphere tropical cyclones that exceed the intensities of tropical depressions and tropical storms. The scale divides hurricanes into five categories distinguished by the intensities of their sustained winds. This scale and hurricane force winds are not the only factors that must be considered though. Storm surge and water rise, wave height, flooding from rain, and tornados spawned from a hurricane can also have a major impact on the loss of life and property.