Updated August 2026. Impact windows and hurricane shutters can both be approved opening protection. Statewide Windows & Doors bids both. This page is the safety version: egress, deployment, and what actually fails. For the spec table, see impact vs shutters.

Quick answer

Impact glass stays in place and still opens. Shutters only protect the opening if they are closed, and some types block a bedroom exit while they are down. That is not a reason to call shutters illegal or useless. It is a reason to plan egress and deployment before you buy.

Do not use a round wind-speed number from a blog. The tested assembly has a design pressure and an approval for that opening. Ask for the NOA or FL#.

Impact windows

  • Laminated glass in a tested frame. It can crack and still hold the opening.
  • You can open the window or door for a fire exit.
  • Low-E and noise are everyday extras, not the storm rating.

Hurricane shutters

  • Accordion, roll-down, colonial, and panels can all be approved products. Confirm the system, not the category name.
  • They work when deployed. If you are out of town, they do not deploy themselves unless they are motorized and you actually use that.
  • Closed shutters over a sleeping-room window are an egress problem. Ask how you get out.

When we still spec shutters

  • Budget cannot do glass on every opening this year
  • The product is approved and you have a real close-up plan
  • A mixed job: impact on the big lites, approved shutters on the rest

FAQ

Are shutters a fire hazard?

They can block an exit if they stay closed. That is a planning issue, not a reason to invent a scare. Impact glass still opens. If you use shutters, keep a clear exit path.

Are impact windows always safer?

They are safer on the “someone has to close it” problem. A non-rated window with no shutter is worse than either.

Will this lower insurance?

Carriers care about protected openings on the wind-mitigation form. Both can count. Get the spec in writing. Do not promise a discount.

Get both quoted

Call Statewide Windows & Doors at (561) 816-4010 or request a free estimate. We will mark which openings should be glass and which can be an approved shutter.