Blog: Impact Glass

Florida homeowners sometimes hear a sudden pop, click, creak, or cracking sound coming from their impact windows and immediately worry that the glass is breaking. In many cases, however, a sound coming from a window does not necessarily mean the impact glass has cracked or the window has failed.

Florida homeowners sometimes notice moisture, fog, or a hazy appearance on their impact windows and immediately assume something is wrong with the glass. However, not all window condensation means the window has failed.

Windows and doors are an important part of any commercial property in Florida. For retail stores, offices, restaurants, shopping centers, and other commercial buildings, exterior glazing affects much more than appearance.

Many Florida homeowners know that their home has newer windows, but they may not know whether those windows are actually impact-rated. This is especially common when someone purchases a home after the windows were installed by a previous owner.

Florida homeowners have several options when preparing their homes for hurricane season, and two of the most commonly researched are impact windows and hurricane shutters.

Impact windows are designed to provide long-term protection for Florida homes, but like other building products, they contain multiple components that can perform differently over time.

Florida homeowners replacing their windows often expect new impact windows to improve hurricane protection, comfort, energy performance, and the overall condition of their home.

When comparing impact window quotes in Florida, homeowners may come across terms such as argon gas, insulated glass, Low-E glass, laminated glass, and double-pane impact windows.

Florida homeowners comparing impact windows often focus on hurricane protection first, but glass options can also affect comfort, appearance, natural light, privacy, and energy performance. Two options homeowners may encounter while comparing impact window quotes are tinted glass and Low-E glass.

When Florida homeowners shop for impact windows, one of the most confusing parts of comparing products can be the glass. Terms such as laminated glass, insulated glass, impact glass, Low-E glass, and double-pane glass are often used during the buying process, but they do not all mean the same thing.