Impact Glass vs. Hurricane Shutters: Which is the Right Choice for You?
As a homeowner in a high-risk hurricane zone, it’s essential to prioritize the protection of your property. Hurricane shutters and impact glass are two popular options, but which one is better? In this comprehensive comparison blog post, we will delve into the benefits and drawbacks of each and help you make an informed decision for your home’s safety.
Hurricane protection is a must-have for homeowners residing in high-risk areas. With the unpredictable weather patterns, it’s essential to safeguard your home against damage caused by strong winds and heavy rains. While both options are popular choices for storm protection, there’s an ongoing debate over which option is better suited to guard against hurricanes.
As you’re considering the best way to protect your home from storms, several factors come into play such as cost, maintenance requirements, appearance, energy efficiency, noise reduction and more. In this comprehensive comparison we will examine all of these factors in detail so that you can make an informed decision on which type of storm protection suits your needs best.
Understanding the Need for Hurricane Protection
High-risk areas are prone to frequent and severe hurricanes, which can cause significant damage to homes. Hurricane damage not only leads to costly repairs but also puts the safety of homeowners at risk. Protecting windows during a hurricane is crucial as they are one of the weakest points in a home’s defense against strong winds and flying debris. Impact glass is often touted as an alternative to hurricane shutters, but it may not offer adequate protection against high-velocity winds and large projectiles.
Investing in affordable hurricane shutters provides peace of mind by ensuring maximum storm protection for homes during a natural disaster. Hurricane shutters offer superior resistance while also providing additional benefits such as energy efficiency, noise reduction, insulation, and security. Installation of these shields increases the value of your home while reducing maintenance costs associated with replacement or repair caused by weather damages over time. Therefore it is wise for homeowners living within high-risk areas for hurricanes to choose window protections that guarantee full safety when navigating through harsh weather conditions,
The Benefits of Hurricane Shutters
Hurricane shutters are the superior choice for many homeowners due to their lower cost in terms of initial installation as well as replacement if needed. .
Here are just a few reasons why hurricane shutters might be the right choice for you:
- Affordability: Hurricane shutters are generally more cost effective in nearly every situation.
- Durability and strength against strong winds and debris: Shutters can withstand high wind speeds and flying debris better than windows- whether laminated, glazed, etc.
- Versatility in design and easy installation: They come in various types such as rollup, accordion, colonial, clear polycarbonate, or Bahamas; these designs can complement any architectural style. Plus, they’re quick and easy to install. Laminated rated windows most likely will be nearly impossible to detect, but have some drawbacks regarding their performance.
- Increased rain protection: impact glass is known to have issues with leaking from wind driven rain, hurricane shutters deflect the water farther away from the window seams, therefore reducing the intrusion of wind driven rain (estimated to prevent 77-88% of rain from hitting the glass by Florida International University)
By choosing hurricane shutters over other forms of protection, you’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing your property is safe from damage when the next big storm hits.
Comparing the Two Choices
In addition to providing protection against hurricanes and other storms, both offer design options that can complement the aesthetics of any home. While shutters come in a variety of styles such as accordion or roll-down designs, impact glass is available in different tints and thicknesses. Ultimately, choosing between the two will depend on factors such as design preference, maintenance requirements, insulation needs, issues with rain intrusion, energy efficiency benefits or noise reduction goals.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Between the Two Options
There are several factors to consider when making this decision. Some of these include the level of resistance and protection needed, energy efficiency, sound reduction, cost, installation and maintenance.
- Protection: Hurricane shutters offer a higher level of resistance against damage caused by storms as they shield windows from debris. However, glass is also strong enough to provide adequate storm protection.
- Energy Efficiency: Hurricane shutters can greatly reduce solar gain if you choose a permanent style while new windows are only slightly better than the normal windows (if tinted) that lie behind every shutter.
- Installation & Maintenance: Installation costs for both options vary depending on the size of your windows but generally installing hurricane shutters is less expensive. Additionally if there’s any damage done during a storm replacing broken panes will be much easier (and affordable) with hurricane shutter systems compared to replacing entire window panes as required by an impact resistant system.
Ultimately both options offer benefits in terms of safety and protection during storms however one may be more suitable based on specific needs such as affordability or energy-efficiency concerns.