Standard Windows vs. Hurricane Impact Windows – Is there Really a Difference?

Comparing standard windows to hurricane impact windows is like comparing a canoe to a yacht. The canoe and the standard windows can fulfill basic needs most of the time, but the yacht and the hurricane impact windows go well beyond the basics to provide superior safety and a more satisfying experience.

During a hurricane or tropical storm, standard windows can easily shatter if high winds or debris hit them. Not only will this cause a dangerous mess in your home, but it can lead to water damage, your roof blowing off, and your walls caving in. To prevent this, all Florida building codes require homeowners with standard windows to use hurricane shutters for protection. While this can work, the shutters require annual maintenance to ensure they remain in tip-top shape. On top of that, there is a significant amount of manual labor involved in closing the shutters for a storm, especially if your home has more than one story. During the storm itself, your family lives in darkness until the danger subsides and you can open the shutters.

In contrast, hurricane impact windows can protect your home during a hurricane without the use of shutters. The windows are produced from laminated sheets of glass bonded together with a polymer layer in-between, creating a super-strong window. To provide even more strength, the window is held in place with a heavy-duty frame. These windows can withstand a 2X4 ramming straight into it without shattering.

Because hurricane impact windows are so strong, they provide a host of additional benefits that standard windows can’t offer. Hurricane impact windows help protect your home against intruders, providing additional safety and peace of mind for your family, as well as a providing a possible premium reduction from your homeowners insurance company. They also offer extensive energy efficiency. Because of their high level of insulation, hurricane impact windows keep the heat outside and the cool air inside, reducing wear and tear on your air conditioner and lowering your electricity costs.

Another benefit of hurricane impact windows is that they minimize the amount of UV rays that enter the house. UV rays cause your furnishings, carpets, and paintings to fade. They also can cause skin cancer and premature aging. These windows are also excellent at soundproofing, providing a calmer, healthier environment inside your home without noise pollution from the outside coming in.

Standard windows plus hurricane shutters can meet the basic requirements for a hurricane, but doesn’t your family deserve better? The gold standard of hurricane impact windows provides a safer, more comfortable experience during a hurricane and every day. The experts at CitiQuiet Windows and Doors offer hurricane impact windows to fit every style of home and a range of budget levels. We also offer white glove service, managing the entire window process from helping you select the right windows, to measuring, permitting, installing and clean-up. Call us today or stop by our showroom in Boca Raton to learn more.

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 atcitiquiethurricanewindows.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.