If you’re a Florida homeowner and your home still has the old, single pane Florida style windows (like the picture above) or, even worse, jalousie windows then you are the best candidate for an upgrade. 

A little history. During Florida’s building boom after WWII central air conditioning didn’t exist and many homes were built with wide opening yet poor closing windows. Since we don’t suffer the harsh winters of the northern states there was no need to provide a weather tight seal. Many of these homes wouldn’t even pass inspection for a garage by today’s standards. 

Life Changing Event

In 2004 Florida was hit by four hurricanes, one after the other. Luckily they were not super storms, like Hurricane Andrew, but they still cost lives and created a huge amount of damage. The damage was so costly that it put some Florida insurance companies out of business. This prompted state legislators to act. 

The Problem

Legislators turned to storm and building experts to find out what happens during these storms and if there was anything that could prevent the catastrophic damage. They learned the number one culprit was flying debris striking and smashing windows and doors allowing the wind and rain to enter in. 

You might think wind and water damage would be the worst of it, but it isn’t. Once a home is breached through a broken window, the wind enters and causes an increase in air pressure. This pressure effect can lift the roof and collapse the walls. That ensures total destruction. That is what occurs in the video above, the roof literally being blown off. 

Legislative Response

State legislators turned to the building experts to see what could be done, if anything, to prevent these huge losses. Research showed that windows were the worst culprit followed by doors. If homeowners strengthened them to prevent the glass from shattering less damage would occur. Thus, new building codes favoring mitigation were born.

New Window Technology

Luckily glass and window technology has greatly advanced in the past 15 years. New impact resistant windows prevent the glass from shattering with a super strong laminated layer. Even hit with a 2×4 at over 130 MPH does not allow penetration. They keep your home safe and protected during storms. This same protection helps keep you safe from break-ins too.

New Exterior Door Technology

The next step was to re-engineer entry doors. For centuries we’ve made big, heavy wood doors thinking they will protect us. That is pretty far from the truth. Over time the wood dries out, cracks and weakens. 

Our doors are engineered with advanced composite materials to resist rot and weather damage yet are crafted to emulate the look of solid wood doors. They are just as strong as our windows and just as beautiful offering maximum protection against storms and intruders.