What You Should Know About Protecting Your Home With Impact Windows If you plan to install new windows in your home, you should think about getting impact windows for greater security. These windows are ideal if you live in an area prone to hurricanes or tornadoes. They are also suitable for increasing home security if you want to make it more difficult for someone to break in your house. They are called impact or impact-resistant windows because they can withstand the impact of wind driven debris being hurled against the glass. Here are a few things you should know. Glass Doesn't Shatter Impact windows are very similar to the windshield in your car. If the glass breaks, it doesn't shatter and send shards flying through your home. Instead, the glass may crack, but it clings together because of film between the panes of glass. This protects the inside of your home from flying glass, and it also keeps wind from rushing inside. A sudden rush of hurricane-strength wind in your home can create a pressure change that destabilizes the structure of your house. That could lead to walls failing and your roof collapsing. For that reason, some areas of the country have enacted building codes that require hurricane shutters or impact windows on new construction homes. If you're installing new windows anyway, it's a good time …show more content…
The film is sandwiched between two layers of glass, which gives the glass added strength. Some manufacturers also glaze the glass, which means it is subjected to high temperatures to make it stronger. Impact windows come at different price points depending on the thickness of the protective film and other features. Just like traditional windows, impact windows have varying degrees of energy efficiency depending on how they're made. You'll get the same choice of features when it comes to color shading, multiple panes for insulation, UV blocking, and frame