In coastal environments, numerous post-disaster investigations conducted by FEMA have shown that windows and glazed portions of doors are vulnerable to impact from windborne debris. This impact force is the principal failure mode for these systems. Debris from the natural environment (e.g., tree limbs) and from the built environment (e.g., roofing material, siding material, sawn lumber, etc.) can become windborne debris and break window and door glazing. Once broken, windows and glazed portions of doors can allow wind, windborne debris, and rain into the interior of the building. This can result in  the following: Large amounts of water may enter a building and damage its contents and finishes. There is also the possibility that the water could compromise certain structural members. If water intrusion occurs, action will not only be needed to eliminate the water-induced damages on appurtenances (such as carpets, cabinets, and floors), but also to mitigate all potential long-term moisture problems associated with certain construction materials.

Hurricanes and coastal storms can pose significant problems from water-infiltration due to wind-driven rain. Leakage can occur between the door or window and their frames and between the door/window frames and the walls onto which they are mounted. Coastal storms such as tropical storms and hurricanes generate winds that may approach or exceed the wind speeds observed during design wind events. As such, these winds generate high-wind pressures on the outsides of the buildings, exploiting any vulnerability around doors and windows and allowing water to enter buildings. Further, leakage rates typically increase with greater wind speeds. While the amount of water entry that can result from leakage around windows and doors will typically be much less than the amount of water entry that can result from a breach in the building envelope, actions can and should be taken to help reduce leakage around doors and windows. These actions are often code-plus or best-practices approaches.

Laminated glazing systems typically consist of assemblies fabricated with two (or more) panes of glass and an interlayer of a polyvinyl butyral (or equivalent) film laminated into a glazing assembly. Laminated systems are non-porous and have slightly different pass/fail criteria in ASTM E1996. During impact testing, the glass panes in the system can fracture but the interlayer must remain intact to prevent water and wind from entering the building.

There are several types and sizes of laminated glass.  Hurricane Windows & Doors of Florida, Inc. can help guide customers thru this myriad of confusing choices.  Many companies try to over sell or provide products that are not necessary.  We will help you understand what the best choices and what are the common practice.  Glass can come is sizes such as 5/16, 7/16, 9/16 and many more.  What size is best suited for you let Hurricane Windows & Doors of Florida, Inc. assist you in that choice. Hurricane Windows & Doors of Florida, Inc. has over 30 years of industry experience and construction knowledge.  Don’t be caught not being prepared and be hit with catastrophic winds that can penetrate your home causing major destruction with debris and water.