How to protect yourself from hurricane product fraud

With opening day of the 2009 Florida hurricane season only a month away, it’s a good time to caution consumers about false advertising and promotional scams for window films. A previous post advised that so-called “hurricane protection film” was no better than a band aid at stopping wind-borne debris from penetrating household window glass. Their intended application is actually automotive glass to help screen UV rays.

Consider this? You could go to your local auto parts store and buy a sheet of stick-on UV film. It’s as thin as a bread wrapper with paper backing to protect the adhesive. Before you buy this stuff and go to the trouble of pasting on a bedroom window, ask yourself a simple question. Would this film stop 2x4 flying at 60+ mph from breaking through the glass during a hurricane? Well, this is the same stuff that the “hurricane film professionals” would install at your home.

There is only one “approved” glass for windows and patio doors that can stop flying hurricane-driven debris. Impact-resistant laminated glass. Think of it as a glass sandwich, consisting of two panes of glass laminated together with a polymer interlayer. It is the only true hurricane-resistant glass that is laboratory tested, stamped with an approval number in accordance with current Miami-Fade or Florida building codes.

Don’t take our word for it. Contact the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHBA) at http://www.ihpa.com/ In December 2008; they announced the formation of the Consumer Safety Task Force for Hurricane Protection Products. This newly formed group works in tandem with the Florida Attorney General’s office to help protect consumers “who have been, or are being subjected to deceptive or misleading trade practices by unscrupulous hurricane profiteers”, quotes the IHBA press release.

So, what should you do if someone tells you that they can give you “approved hurricane protection” for a fraction of the cost of impact glass or hurricane shutters? Just ask these three simple questions: (1) Does the product have an approval number issued by the Miami-Dade County Building Code or the Florida Building Commission? (2) Is the contractor licensed to install the product with a permit? (3) Will your insurance company accept the product for hurricane protection?

We hope you are a better informed consumer after reading this post. You can get help from law enforcement if you like. Or, just slam the door on these guys and get in touch with a licensed window contractor.

Can window films stand up to wind-borne debris as often claimed?

If you think that retrofit window film installations will stand up to hurricane force winds and flying debris, think again. Misleading claims in product flyers or on websites may have confused you. It’s easy to jump to this conclusion due to false statements and the public’s experience with auto glass films – except for one important detail. Auto glass is tempered to contain glass in highway accidents, not hurricanes. Technically, the installation of home widow films doesn’t even come close to the ASME standards that are proscribed for replacement impact windows by Miami-Dade building codes. But, some recent hurricane protection promotions would lead you to think otherwise.

Among all the available options, including plywood, window film certainly has a price advantage and can provide good solar and UV protection. But what about frame strength, correct fastening within the opening and the attachment of the glass itself? Close inspection of windows installed in older homes frequently proves to be substandard. Ok, so some glass will stick to the film, but the entire installation will more than likely blow out of the wall when facing hurricane force winds.
Protect yourself from misleading promotions. If you want true hurricane protection, hold film installers to the same test standards that replacement impact window manufacturers and installers must meet.

Visit Astor Impact Windows for information about purchasing impact windows and doors. You can also email us at sales@astorwindows.com or call us at 1-800-573-1780.

Impact Glass Distortions: one of life’s better trade offs

Life as we know it often has trade offs or compromises. For example, you won’t find a vehicle that gets 30 miles per gallon that can pull your 3,000 lb. camper to a vacation campsite.

There is also some degree of compromise if you are in the market for impact windows to protect your home from hurricane force winds. You should know that these glass types do not always provide a crystal clear view, and are not totally free of imperfections or distortions. This is due to the fact that the heat strengthening, tempering and lamination of glass can result in some distortions or imperfections that can occur naturally during processing. For the most part these inherent problems are not aesthetically objectionable.

So, how you identify a "normal" or "expected" distorsion level versus a defective glass panel? Glass companies must adhere to precise ASTM quality standards that proscribe acceptable levels of imperfections or blemishes. Astor Windows distributes products that are highly regarded for quality of manufacture. No matter which glass type you select, we make sure that all products meet the most stringent quality standards in spite of the fact that they may have some aesthetic imperfections.

Visit Astor Impact Windows for information about purchasing impact windows and doors. You can also email us at sales@astorusa.com or call us at 1-800-573-1780.

Brace Yourself from the Winds of Change in Windstorm Insurance Rates

It should come as no surprise that the June 1 beginning of hurricane season has politicians, regulators and insurance providers alike making windy projections about windstorm insurance rates. Will homeowners be left spinning in the wind while rate hikes are debated?

Scientists continue to debate the impact of global warming on hurricanes. However, it appears that insurers have decided that costs will be higher. The industry is betting on more hurricanes, cutting coverage and increasing premiums in Florida. Homeowners have already taken a big hit since 2004, with increases ranging from 100 to 300% in some instances. The rationale behind projected insurance increases is complex and is not yet approved by Florida regulators.

The editors of this blog will be asking the insurance industry and individual agents about possible discounts for homeowners who install impact-resistant windows and doors. We want to know if products that can withstand flying debris and stop structural roof damage can blow the roof off rising insurance rates. Stay tuned.


Visit Astor Impact Windows for information about purchasing impact windows and doors. You can also email us at sales@astorwindows.com or call us at 1-800-573-1780.

Tips on Choosing a Hurricane Windows Contractor

Choosing a window contractor can be difficult if you are not familiar with the business. Consumers need to know the right questions to ask in order to correctly differentiate one company to the other. You will be surprised of how many times homeowners make the wrong choice simply because they did not ask the right questions. Below, you can find a number of important questions to ask window contractors when you are bidding your replacement window project:

1. Does the company keep customer satisfaction ratings? If so, what are the ratings?


2. Who are the employees/technitians who will be installing the windows and doors?


3. Are the technitians certified by the window manufacturer? Can they provide proof of it?


4. How many years of installation (labor) warranty is the company offering?


5. What is the warranty of the product being offered?


6. How many customer references has the company provided to you?


7. How many of the customers references have you called to verify window company performance in previous jobs?


8. For how much is the window company's general liability coverage?


9. For how much is the window company's workers' compensation coverage?


10. Who is the window company's license qualifier?


11. Is the person the owner of the company?


12. Has company provided copies of the qualifier's license?


13. Has window company speficified that someone from their organization will be present at every building inspection necesarry to complete the job?


14. Is the company an authororized distributor of the window manufacturer and has shown proof?


15. Is the company a member of the Better Business Bureau (BBB)? Does the company have a clean track record with the BBB?


16. Does the company use an independent engineering firm to establish the site specifications of the impact products to be installed at your property?

You should copy this list and create a table to see how the bidding companies compare to one another.

Visit Astor Impact Windows for information about purchasing impact windows and doors. You can also email us at sales@astorusa.com or call us at 1-800-573-1780.

Energy Efficiency and Hurricane Windows – Part III

We will continue our energy efficient series by providing key facts to know about Energy Star® windows and doors. The Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency developed an Energy Star® designation for products that meet certain energy performance criteria. Recognizing that these criteria could not be the same for all of the areas of the United States, the Department divided the country into four zones:

Northern Zone (mostly heating necessary)
Central Zone (both heating and cooling necessary)
Central South Zone (both heating and cooling necessary)
Southern Zone (mostly cooling necessary)

Since this blog specializes in hurricane impact resistant windows and doors, we will concentrate on the Southern Zone, which includes Florida.

For the Southern Zone region, the Department of Energy recommended that windows should have a Solar Heat Gain Coefficient of 0.40 or less as this factor is the most important window property in warm weather. In addition, the Department made a recommendation regarding U-factors. They sustain that while a low U-factor is useful during cold days when heating is needed, a low U-factor is also favorable during hot days. As a result, they suggest a U-factor no greater than 0.65 on these warm regions.

Hurricane windows and doors that meet or exceed the criteria above are considered Energy Star® windows and doors.

Visit Astor Impact Windows for information about purchasing impact windows and doors. You can also email us at sales@astorusa.com or call us at 1-800-573-1780.

Energy Efficiency and Hurricane Windows – Part II

As we discussed in our previous post, when purchasing windows, including hurricane windows, it is important to know about three key glass properties: the SHGC, U-Factor and VT (for term definitions, please read our previous post). Below, we would like to show you how these glass properties vary as you change the thickness and/or tint of the window glass. You will notice that we chose the 5/16-inch, clear glass as our window point of reference in terms of price. This window is our starting point, giving it a value of 1. The "Price Ref." column shows the additional price, presented as a percentage, to pay for upgrading the tint or the thickness of the glass. For your information, all of the windows in the example below are hurricane windows (i.e., impact-resistant windows).



On the table above, you notice how you can improve the SGHC by adding a tint to the window glass. It is also important to highlight that even without a tint, hurricane windows offer a significant reduction in solar radiants. For example, the 0.63 factor means that 37% of the solar heat is block by the clear glass window.

Visit Astor Impact Windows for information about purchasing impact windows and doors. You can also email us at sales@astorusa.com or call us at 1-800-573-1780.

Energy Efficiency and Hurricane Windows – Part I

Energy efficiency is a "hot" topic today. I will not try to explain everything about energy efficiency on hurricane windows and doors because it will be unrealistic. However, I would like to quickly present to you to the key facts to know about energy efficiency and glazing.

First, we need to briefly define a few terms, including SHGC, U-Factor and VT, which are important to understand energy ratings.

SHGC stands for Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, a number between 0 and 1 that provides a measure of how well a product blocks heat from the sun. The lower the SHGC, the better a specific product is at blocking unwanted heat gain. As an illustration, a window that features a 0.60 SHGC means that it allows 60% of the available solar heat to come through. In warm weather, a low SHGC is desirable. As a point of reference, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) recommends installing windows and doors with a combine SHGC of 0.40 or lower. In the past, there were not hurricane windows in the market that could match that recommendation. Today, new lines of hurricane windows exceed these requirements.

U-Factor is another important factor for hurricane windows and doors. The U-Factor measures how well a product prevents heat from escaping a property. U-Factor ratings, which range from 0.20 to 1.20, are particularly important in cold weather during winter heating season. The lower the U-Factor, the better a window or door is at keeping heat inside the property.

VT stands for visible transmittance, an indicator of how much light comes through a hurricane window or hurricane door. The higher the VT, which is expressed as a number between 0 and 1, the higher the potential for day lighting.

On the following issue, we will continue expanding our conversation about energy efficient hurricane windows and key indicators.

Visit Astor Impact Windows for information about purchasing impact windows and doors. You can also email us at sales@astorusa.com or call us at 1-800-573-1780.

Key Facts about Egress Windows

If you are replacing the existing windows of your property, you should know that the new windows must comply with the existing Florida Building Code egress rules. The Code stipulates that bedrooms must have at least two ways of egress in case of emergency. A door to a different room or to the outside counts as one way of egress. To comply, a bedroom has to have a second way of egress through a window or through another door, such as a patio door. If your bedroom does not have a patio door, then at least one window must have egress dimensions determined by the Code. The window must feature a clear opening that must meet all of the following criteria.

* Minimum width of 20 inches
* Minimum height of 24 inches
* Minimum net clear opening of 5.0 square feet at grade floor and 5.7 square feet otherwise.

It is very important that your window contractor takes into account this rule to avoid installing a window style that will not pass inspection. For example, a single-hung which is 37 inches wide by 50 5/8 inches tall does NOT pass egress. However, a casement window of the same dimensions does pass egress.

Visit Astor Impact Windows for information about purchasing impact windows and doors. You can also email us at sales@astorwindows.com or call us at 1-800-573-1780.

What's the Wind-Borne Debris Region?

Wind-borne debris regions are defined as areas along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts where the design wind speed is 120 mph or above, or within one mile of the coastal mean high water line where the wind speed is 110 mph or above. In these regions, the standard requires the designer, either an engineer or an architect, to assume that the windows and doors will be broken by wind-borne debris unless those openings are protected against such items. Protection can be achieved through the use of hurricane shutters or impact-resistant glass.

The wind-borne debris region extends about five miles inland in most cases and considerably further in others. But, in the Panhandle region (sections of northern Florida from the Walkula/Franklin County line to the western edge of Escambia County), the legislature designated the wind-borne region as the land within one-mile of the Gulf Coast.


After Hurricane Andrew, in 1992, Miami-Dade County established the first requirements for wind-borne debris protection and developed test requirements that shutter and impact-resistant glazing systems must pass, under the code (Fla. Building Code § 1626). Since then, the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) has developed testing standards. Products must pass one of these tests to be accepted for use where protection is required. The exception is plywood panels that conform to a set of prescribed specifications, according to Rick Dixon of the Florida Department of Community Affairs. Today, the Florida Building Code uses the America Society of Civil Engineers Standard (ASCE) Standard 7 as the basis for establishing wind-borne debris regions and wind-borne debris protection. The standard requires builders either to (1) construct buildings that can withstand the additional pressure that results when wind gets into a building through a hole in the wall or broken door or window and pressurizes it (like blowing air into a balloon) or (2) protect glazed openings in walls (e. g. , windows and glass doors) from debris borne by high winds (refer to Florida Building Code, Chapter 16).

Visit Astor Impact Windows for information about purchasing impact windows and doors. You can also email us at sales@astorusa.com or call us at 1-800-573-1780.