How Windows and Doors Can Protect During a Hurricane
June is here – and so is hurricane season. Two of the most important areas of your home to protect are your windows and doors.
Hurricane Dangers
Florida has the dubious honor of experiencing the most hurricanes of any state in the United States. The latest severe hurricane was Hurricane Michael, which landed in the Florida panhandle with wind speeds of 160 miles per hour. Winds of that speed, or even half of that, can cause catastrophic damage to your home.
If your home has standard windows and doors, the wind can blow right through them or cause debris to hit them, shattering glass throughout your home. Moreover, the air pressure from the broken windows can cause an upward pressure on your roof, increasing the likelihood of your roof blowing off. The debris swirling outside can enter your home, creating a dangerous situation. On top of all this, the pounding rain can enter your home, causing significant amounts of water damage and potentially mold growth throughout.
For this reason, it’s essential to protect all windows and doors during a hurricane. Two of the traditional methods for this have been boarding up windows and doors or hurricane shutters. A more recent innovation that has been gaining popularity is hurricane impact windows and doors. Let’s explore all three options:
Boarding Up Windows and Doors
Many Floridians install plywood over their windows and doors during a hurricane. This is far better than no protection, but it comes with some drawbacks:
• Hammering the plywood into the walls leaves permanent holes.
• This requires a significant amount of outdoor manual labor in the Florida summer sun.
• Plywood may be in short supply right before a hurricane since many others will be taking this approach.
• Your home will be completely dark until you remove the plywood.
Hurricane Shutters
Hurricane shutters are usually permanently affixed to your home, are easier to use, and provide more protection than plywood. Some considerations are:
• They can detract from the architectural beauty of your home.
• If you have manual shutters, it can be time-consuming to close all the shutters.
• If you have automated shutters, you run the risk of them malfunctioning.
• Similar to the plywood approach, your home will be cut off from all natural light until you open the shutters.
Hurricane Impact Windows and Doors
Hurricane impact windows and doors are constructed with multiple layers of glass and laminate. They are the strongest glass available and are able to withstand high windspeeds and debris projectiles. Even if they are hit with projectiles at high speeds, their special construction will cause them to spiderweb, but prevents them from shattering. There is no need to worry about boarding up or shuttering windows and doors when your home has hurricane impact windows and doors. These are the gold-standard in protection for your home during a hurricane.
CitiQuiet Hurricane Windows and Doors is one of South Florida’s leading retailers of hurricane impact windows and doors. Contact us today to learn about how hurricane impact windows and doors can simplify your hurricane preparation and give you peace of mind that your home has the maximum level of protection during a storm.
Since 2012, CitiQuiet Windows and Doors has been engineering and installing high-quality impact windows, doors, and shutters for residential and commercial buildings throughout Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties.
Based in Boca Raton, CitiQuiet Windows and Doors offers a turnkey service to clients including initial design, engineering, and permitting, installation and finish work. From elegant French doors to hurricane impact-resistant windows and sliding glass doors, CitiQuiet Windows and Doors has your solution.
At CitiQuiet Windows and Doors, we carry only the highest-quality products from the nation’s top manufacturers – and we stand behind everything we sell. For a free estimate, contact CitiQuiet Windows and Doors at 561-241-9463, visit us at citiquiethurricanewindows.com, or stop by the showroom today at 6530 West Rogers Circle, Suite 29, Boca Raton, FL 33487.
With an A+ rating from Better Business Bureau (BBB), CitiQuiet Windows and Doors consistently strives to exceed customer expectations.