It’s important to take many considerations into account when choosing replacement windows for your home. How will they affect your curb appeal? Will they help to lower your utility bills? Can they withstand heavy rain and storms? As a Mid-Atlantic resident, you’re no stranger to harsh weather. Hurricanes and tornadoes may not strike every season, but some recent storms – namely Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Irene in 2011 – prove the greater DC area isn’t immune to severe weather.
Heavy rain and windy conditions can whip around debris and shatter ordinary windows. For extra protection during storms, rely on Quality Window & Door to install impact glass or storm windows.
Also known as laminated glass or hurricane windows, impact glass is comprised of two panes bonded together with a clear plastic interlayer. Then a third pane is added on the interior side with airspace in between for insulation. The laminated section facing the exterior is incredibly durable, resisting impacts from flying debris at incredibly high speeds. If the glass is hit hard enough to break, it splinters in a spider web pattern but still holds together rather than shattering.
Building codes in DC and inland Maryland don’t require homes to have impact glass windows, but some Mid-Atlantic communities closer to the coast do. Regardless of where you live, impact glass is a great way to protect your home from heavy rain and storms, however infrequently they may occur.
As an added benefit, impact glass is a great burglar deterrent. Not even throwing a brick at impact glass is enough to break it! This gives you tremendous peace of mind and may even qualify you for lower homeowner’s insurance premiums.
At Quality Window & Door, we supply our customers with the best window and door products from today’s top manufacturers. Weather Shield is one such manufacturer.
The LifeGuard product line from Weather Shield offers superior durability for windows that must withstand severe weather on a regular basis. These windows are made with impact glass to protect against heavy rain, high wind, hail, blizzards, and any other storms Mother Nature can throw at them.
LifeGuard Weather Shield windows come in many different varieties to suit your preferences. Choose from:
If you’re not ready to invest in replacement impact glass windows, a more affordable alternative is to install storm windows or exterior shutters.
Storm windows are meant to be installed for months at a time. Like storm doors, they fit on the outside of your windows and provide another layer of protection during stormy weather. You can leave storm windows on year-round, or you can remove them during the off-season.
Shutters can serve as a decorative addition to your home. Then when a storm approaches, simply close them over the windows to protect against rain, wind, and flying debris. Shutters are a faster, easier, and more aesthetically pleasing solution than board up services.
Storm windows and shutters alike can also prevent your windows from being shattered by a fly ball while your kids are playing catch in the yard. They also improve energy efficiency by increasing window insulation.
If these rainy weather solutions interest you, please contact Quality Window & Door today at 1-800-370-8751 or contact us online for a free window replacement estimate. We also invite you to visit one of our local Maryland or Virginia showrooms to see impact windows in action.
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