Hurricane Ratings For Windows

The term hurricane windows is a little misleading.

Hurricane ratings for windows.

Protected glass windows will generally. The benefits of impact resistant windows exceeds just those homes located in areas prone to hurricanes. However the window is tested to withstand 170 mph winds. Category 1 and 2 storms are still dangerous however.

In a category 1 hurricane winds range from 74 to 95 mph. As a result south florida has different requirements for rating approved impact resistant windows. Burglars run once they try to smash one. Hurricanes reaching category 3 and higher are considered major hurricanes because of their potential for significant loss of life and damage.

Falling debris could strike people livestock and pets and older mobile homes could be destroyed. The saffir simpson hurricane wind scale is a 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane s sustained wind speed. But unless you ve bought the expensive impact rated version you re windows are completely vulnerable to breakage from wind borne debris. This number correlates directly with the amount of wind pressure the window can endure.

A hurricane door with a pg rating of 40 may possess two aspects that rate in the 50 range but the door receives the lowest score. In theory its true the dp50 rated window is designed to take those wind loads. Beginning in 2001 new homes in florida and. For example a window with a dp30 is rated to take the equivalent of 110mph wind.

The saffir simpson hurricane wind scale classifies hurricanes in the following format. Some of the windows are even labeled with hurricane rated tags but the fine print reads much differently. They also help homes withstand damage during harsh. This scale estimates potential property damage.

Designed engineered and manufactured to withstand severe coastal weather conditions andersen windows and doors with stormwatch protection offer our greatest level of hurricane strength protection for your coastal home. Impact windows also increase safety noise reduction and intrusion resistance. The simplest way to read ratings. Our hurricane strength windows and patio doors offer some of the best protection from coastal storms.

Let s simplify the numbers. Hurricane windows are not the same thing as impact resistant windows. In response to this certain hurricane prone areas have adopted new asce american society of civil engineers guidelines for windows in new construction. The pg rating of a window typically falls anywhere between 15 and 70.

A window with a pg of 35 can handle 35.