 | Bob Crager of Lewis Street Glass is a 26 year veteran in the glass business. Lewis Street Glass is a leading Wichita Glass company, serving the entire Wichita/Sedgwick County area since 1919. They do anything and everything having to do with glass, both residential and commercial. They also do Auto glass. They are located at 743 South Market, facing Kellogg on the South, and you can reach them by phone at (316) 263-8259. You can email Bob Crager at bcrager@lewisstreetglass.com |
Glass
2006-07-01 09:38:00
Window protection in windstorms?
Question: Can glass windows be kept intact during windstorms?
ANSWER: Hurricanes? Tornados? Hurricane window protection is on the mind of just about every homeowner in the Florida area and all other states that touch the Gulf of Mexico, as well as those who live in tornado alley in the plains states like Kansas. The fierce winds of a hurricane can pick up all kinds of objects which become projectiles. Imagine a piece of 2x4 flying through the air at 130 miles per hour. Think what happens when that 2x4 smashes into an unprotected patio door or window of your home. Not a pretty thought, huh? Once the glass is shattered, wind-blown rain is driven right on into the interior of the home. This water will cause all sorts of damage to the house and any possessions it saturates. The inside of the home also becomes pressurized by the sustained and gusty wind blasts, and this can actually tear a house apart. Once inside a building, wind is brutal.For these reasons, you can see why it is vitally important to keep window glass intact during hurricanes and tornados, where possible. There are several ways to do this. Hurricane shutters, hurricane screens, laminated glass, 7/16-inch thick or thicker plywood, screwed into place covering the windows, tempered glass, security window films, miscellaneous other window films and annealed glass. The cost to install these different systems varies, as well as the level of protection each offers. But the security window films are some of the most effective. These films can offer some distinct advantages. Security window films are crystal clear, and certain types can offer great ultraviolet light protection, as well as blocking solar heat gain. The films adhere to the inside of the window glass, and are a passive protection system. They allow the glass to shatter, but the window film then holds the broken glass in position. The window film continues to work until the storm is over, when new glass can be installed. During the storm, however, the window film provides the needed weather barrier so wind and rain stay outdoors, protecting your personal possessions from water and wind damage.Another big advantage to security window films is their much lower cost. They are very affordable when compared to durable and discrete hurricane shutters. Hurricane shutters and other devices that cover over a window often are not as aesthetically pleasing as one might like. Security window films offer invisible protection once installed. You simply do not see them, yet they are protecting your home from storms and even burglars who try to break glass to gain entry into a home. So in summary, though window films, properly installed, don't guarantee that no water or wind will intrude into your home, they do offer some measure of protection for this...When glass shatters absent the film, the opening is there for wind and water to enter.
