When you reside in an area that is prone to hurricanes, one of the most important things you can do to protect your property is to install hurricane windows. Unlike standard windows, hurricane impact windows are designed to better withstand the forces of a hurricane. Knowing this, with hurricane windows, your property and belongings will be better protected when a hurricane is near. This, however, is not to say that your windows and your home or building will not suffer damage by the hurricane. This also doesn’t mean that the windows are hurricane-proof. Hurricane impact windows simply give you the best protection against a hurricane.

Hurricane windows are made of two sheets of heavy-duty glass, which sandwich a laminated interlayer. With this type of glass, the window holds up against flying debris and strong hurricane forces better than a normal window. This design also makes it more difficult for the glass to break. It will take extreme circumstances for the glass to break. If hurricane windows do break, the glass will not shatter into numerous pieces that pose as a safety hazard like a standard window will. Instead, without shattering, the glass breaks into a spider web-like design.

When it comes to windows and hurricanes, there are numerous misconceptions people have. For example, no matter what you do to your standard windows, you should replace them with hurricane windows if you want thorough protection during a hurricane. Considering the amount of damage that hurricanes can cause, it’s important to know the truth behind window-related hurricane myths.

Continue reading to learn more about three common myths regarding hurricane windows and hurricane precautions.

Myth 1: Only the doors and windows that face the ocean need protection.

Many homeowners think that you only need to protect doors and windows that face or are closest to the ocean, but this is false. Even though one would think those spots would be the most prone to flooding and water damage, this isn’t necessarily the case. Hurricanes can change direction, so the precipitation and winds that are present during a hurricane can come from any direction and penetrate any openings they find. That said, the hurricane may or may not first impact the windows and doors facing the ocean. Even if they do, the other doors and windows in your property can still be damaged.

Knowing this, you should make sure that all of your windows are hurricane impact windows. If not, spend the money to install them. The cost for them will be worth the protection they serve against the strong forces of the hurricane.

Myth 2: Cracking windows open will relieve pressure from the inside.

When there’s a hurricane, it produces very strong winds and has a high atmospheric pressure. This then causes interior pressure. Some people want to relieve this pressure from their home or building, so they’ll crack open windows thinking it’ll relieve the pressure. But this actually does the opposite. By opening windows, you allow the outside winds to easily enter your property, increasing the interior pressure.

With hurricane windows properly installed, you won’t need to worry about any hurricane winds entering your home and increasing the pressure and potential for property damage. These windows also prevent rain, floodwater, and any debris from coming into your property.

Myth 3: Taping windows will prevent them from breaking.

Taping up your windows and glass doors does not do anything to protect them or keep the glass intact when there’s a hurricane. The natural disaster will still be powerful enough to harm and break the glass, and the tape will not do anything for it. That said, there’s no need to take such action when preparing for an impending hurricane.

In fact, when you tape window glass, it makes it easier for the glass, if it does break, to shatter into bigger pieces. This is concerning, because then the large shards pose as a significant safety hazard.

Instead of taping your windows, install hurricane impact windows because they can withstand high winds and immense pressure and they are less likely to break. In the event they do break, there’s a lesser chance for it to cause any injuries, because the glass won’t shatter into pieces.

Getting Hurricane Impact Windows

At the least, a hurricane will feature 74 mile-per-hour winds. That alone can cause your home or building a significant amount of damage. If your property only has standard windows, then there’s a high chance for property damage. Standard windows simply cannot withstand the power of a hurricane — not even the weakest one — and the aforementioned myths are proof of that. The best thing you can do to protect your home or business from a hurricane is to get hurricane impact windows. With that in mind, spend the money to purchase hurricane windows, and take the time to have them properly installed. They are your best chance at protection against the devastating forces of a hurricane.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.