How to tell if you have hurricane windows

Impact-resistant windows are highly durable and offer enhanced performance features for your home. Many homeowners throughout Florida who need replacement windows opt to invest in impact windows to help keep their homes protected each hurricane season. However, if your home has a durable set of house windows in place already, you may be wondering whether or not they’re impact-resistant. Short of taking a hammer to the glass, here are a few ways to tell if you have impact-resistant windows at your home.

Look for old paperwork or labels on the windows.

Hurricane impact windows are built differently from your traditional set of replacement windows. They typically feature numerous reinforcements throughout the frame and sash, along with laminated, break-resistant glass. Impact windows must undergo rigorous testing against sudden impact and wind pressure. In many cases, these features are labeled somewhere on the window. Check the corners of the glass and other inconspicuous areas of the window to see if there’s a label indicating that the glass is tempered or that the window is specifically impact-resistant.

If you have any paperwork from the previous homeowner, this is a great place to find information about your windows as well. If the hurricane windows came with a transferrable warranty that you acquired with the house, this information may tell you if impact-resistant windows were installed.

Consider some of the observable performance and design features of the windows.

Thinking about the appearance and performance of your windows can give you a sense of whether they’re impact-resistant as well. Certain tell-tale signs may indicate that your windows are definitively not impact resistant. For instance, if your windows feature only a single pane of glass, are hot or cold to the touch based on the temperatures outside, or simply look outdated or worn down, these are signs that you have traditional windows on your home. In fact, these are also signs that indicate it’s time to consider having your windows replaced. Because impact-resistant windows are so durably built, they also feature great energy efficiency, noise reduction capabilities, and more for your home.

Another small test you can try is checking the reflection from the glass. If you hold an object up to the glass, impact-resistant glass will create two reflections. This is because impact windows feature two panes of glass. Each piece of glass creates its own reflection. If you see only a single reflection, you likely don’t have impact-resistant windows installed.

Get a professional opinion.

A trusted and reputable window company can provide the expertise you need to better understand your windows. The window company can inspect your windows and determine if they’re up to current building code. Depending on where you live, impact-resistant windows may be required by your local building code. A window company is a great resource for determining if your existing windows adhere to current building standards.

At Max Guard Hurricane Windows, we specialize in offering and installing impact-resistant windows. If you’re interested in having hurricane impact windows installed on your home or would like to know if you already have impact-resistant windows installed on your home, contact Max Guard Hurricane Windows today.