So much has changed in our product line we are updating this page. Thanks for visiting.

Question: What storm protection is best for us?

We are in the process of up dating this page. The following information is used to support our opinions as to what is the best protection for your dollar invested. Secondly how our storm protection products apply to your requirements.

There are four basic concerns for rating protection chartists of materials used to protect windows and doors on a dwelling.

First is wind. Understanding wind velocities and destruction caused at various different wind conditions.

Second repair or replacement costs in the event something would happen.

Third is the investment cost of protection with relation to insurance rebate offers.

Fourth is impact rating.

Impact rating is placed in the fourth position for the following reasons: Considering the majority of buildings and windows in the majority of location through out the world impact does not rate as important as one perceives.  Even a building in what is to be considered a hi impact area has some windows that are not venerable to damage from flying objects. Two examples: 1.  Two buildings along side of each other make it very difficult for a flying object to stop – make a direction change for a direct hit on windows. Resulting in less impact protection is needed. 2. One may never be exposed to the type of flying item destruction as seen on TV.

Only a few windows may actually be located in a position requiring high impact protection.

 More on high impact ratings will be discussed later in this section.

We address wind first as it is most likely to occur at your location. Simply stated we know there will be high winds but we don’t know when and how strong.

Referencing to the above Hurricane Strike Frequency Map*. This map provides us with some historical based data for anticipation of the future. The information is not presented in and effort to say this is the way it shall be but an indication of what one could anticipate.

With some understanding as to how often we then turn our thoughts to how strong or how powerful. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, as shown below, is the industries standard rating scale. Reading this scale one can begin to understand and then use this knowledge to make a more reasonable decision as to how much investment should be made for protection. 

In many cases the age and condition of a building does not warrant window protection above Category Three.

* Thanks to - The Weather Channel www.weather.com

The State of Florida has established a program emphasizing the importance of wind protection.If you are interested in finding out how or what  your home requires and perhaps making it qualify for a “safe home” insurance discount.  To get more information and find out who qualifies go to the following WEB site.  http://www.mysafefloridahome.com

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane's present intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall. Wind speed is the determining factor in the scale, as storm surge values are highly dependent on the slope of the continental shelf and the shape of the coastline, in the landfall region. Note that all winds are using the U.S. 1-minute average.

Category One Hurricane: Winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt or 119-153 km/hr). Storm surge generally 4-5 ft above normal. No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Some damage to poorly constructed signs. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage. Hurricane Lili of 2002 made landfall on the Louisiana coast as a Category One hurricane. Hurricane Gaston of 2004 was a Category One hurricane that made landfall along the central South Carolina coast.

Category Two Hurricane: Winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt or 154-177 km/hr). Storm surge generally 6-8 feet above normal. Some roofing material, door, and window damage of buildings. Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some trees blown down. Considerable damage to mobile homes, poorly constructed signs, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of the hurricane center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings. Hurricane Frances of 2004 made landfall over the southern end of Hutchinson Island, Florida as a Category Two hurricane. Hurricane Isabel of 2003 made landfall near Drum Inlet on the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane.

Category Three Hurricane: Winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or 178-209 km/hr). Storm surge generally 9-12 ft above normal. Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Damage to shrubbery and trees with foliage blown off trees and large trees blown down. Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by battering from floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 ft above mean sea level may be flooded inland 8 miles (13 km) or more. Evacuation of low-lying residences with several blocks of the shoreline may be required. Hurricanes Jeanne and Ivan of 2004 were Category Three hurricanes when they made landfall in Florida and in Alabama, respectively.

Category Four Hurricane: Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr). Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences. Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Extensive damage to doors and windows. Low-lying escape routes may be cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain lower than 10 ft above sea level may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas as far inland as 6 miles (10 km). Hurricane Charley of 2004 was a Category Four hurricane made landfall in Charlotte County, Florida with winds of 150 mph. Hurricane Dennis (pdf) of 2005 struck the island of Cuba as a Category Four hurricane.

Category Five Hurricane: Winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr). Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Severe and extensive window and door damage. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 ft above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles (8-16 km) of the shoreline may be required. Only 3 Category Five Hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since records began: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Camille (1969), and Hurricane Andrew in August, 1992. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane struck the Florida Keys with a minimum pressure of 892 mb--the lowest pressure ever observed in the United States. Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast causing a 25-foot storm surge, which inundated Pass Christian. Hurricane Katrina (pdf), a category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico, was still responsible for at least 81 billion dollars of property damage when it struck the U.S. Gulf Coast as a category 3. It is by far the costliest hurricane to ever strike the United States. In addition, Hurricane Wilma (pdf) of 2005 was a Category Five hurricane at peak intensity and is the strongest Atlantic tropical cyclone on record with a minimum pressure of 882 mb.



That’s all for now. FROM TIME TO TIME WE WILL BE ADDING TO THE INFORMATION TO THIS PAGE. Please check back. Thank You.