FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

In short, it means nothing special and is often used by some to describe a protection product's capabilities.

If you are living in South Florida and are looking for the absolute best impact protection you can get, make sure the product you choose is rated for HVHZ.

The High Velocity Hurricane Zone or HVHZ is an established geographic area encompassing Broward and Miami-Dade counties.  You can rest assured that any impact product that is HVHZ compliant has passed the most stringent testing available.

You may have heard when discussing impact products that brand A is stronger that brand B, etc.  The reality is all HVHZ impact products must pass the same testing.

• LARGE-MISSILE DEBRIS TEST: THE WINDOW MUST BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE IMPACT OF A 9-POUND 2×4 LUMBER MISSILE STRIKING END ON AT 50 FEET PER SECOND (34 MPH). THE PRODUCT MUST THEN PASS POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE WIND LOADS FOR 9,000 CYCLES, WITH THE IMPACT CREATING NO HOLE LARGER THAN 1/16 X 5″ IN THE INTERLAYER OF THE GLASS.  see DP ratings below

• SMALL-MISSILE DEBRIS TEST: THE WINDOW MUST BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND VARIOUS IMPACTS WITH 10 BALL BEARINGS TRAVELLING AT A SPEED OF 80 FEET PER SECOND (50 MPH). THE PRODUCT IS THEN SUBJECTED TO WIND LOADS FOR 9,000 CYCLES.  see DP ratings below

Shutters, windows, and doors that have been proven to resist the hurricane impact testing from large windborne debris are referred to as impact rated products.

There are major differences in the criteria for impact rated windows and doors and storm shutter performance between the HVHZ and non-HVHZ.

HVHZ Standard does not allow the test missile (9-pound 2×4 at 34 mph) to penetrate the unit or protective system and does not allow it to break the glass behind the protective system.

The non-HVHZ standards allow the test missile to penetrate the protective system provided the opening does not increase in size as it is subjected to wind pressures and so long as after all the testing is completed, the hole is small enough so that a 3-inch diameter sphere will not pass through the hole.

The only protection differences between impact products are their Design Pressures (DP) ratings.  During the 9000 wind load cycles applied to a product AFTER IT HAS BEEN IMPACTED, air pressure is gradually reduced on the inside of the window, which increases the pressure on the outside until the window or door fails. The test pressure must reach 1.5 times the design pressure for 10 seconds without the window suffering permanent damage.  So, a higher DP rating equals a stronger impact product.

When glass window manufacturing first developed, limited technology made it impossible to craft large glass panes. To make window openings bigger, small panes were joined together with muntin bars and set into a frame. True muntin bars are hard to find these days because this technology is outdated and makes windows leaky and inefficient.

Still, many homes look their best with divided-light windows. This is where the concept of simulated muntin bars comes in. Windows are manufactured as a single sheet of glass, but muntins (grids) are also included to simulate the appearance of a divided-light window purely for aesthetic reasons - these components do not make a window or door stronger.

One of our team members will visit your home and answer any questions you may have regarding impact protection, noise reduction, and energy savings.  They will evaluate your home, take preliminary measurements, and discuss options with you.

Quotes are often emailed to you the day after our initial visit.  We do not want you to feel any pressure and will never sign a contract with you upon our first meeting.

Included in your quote will be a footprint of your home showing the location, size, style, and price of each individual opening in your home.  We encourage our customers to evaluate this footprint in detail and decide which openings are a priority and requiring immediate protection.

We strive to have every job completed and passed final inspections within an 8-10 week period.  However, there are many variables that come into play when doing a large home renovation project such as this.

Delays in your project can come from untimely HOA approval, issues in obtaining the building permit,  and manufacturer back-orders.

All workmanship is warrantied for a full year from the date of install.   All products are warrantied from their respective manufacturers and these warranties vary.  You will receive a copy of the warranty for each product you purchase from us for installation.

We do not offer price matching because we offer extremely low pricing from the start.   We do not inflate our prices and offer you "discounts" or "factory incentives".   We do welcome competition and get great satisfaction in being the last quote you get, knowing that we have helped you save money while getting great protection and energy saving products.

This is the easiest part of the process and a great first step for you!  Simply call our office at 561-281-2999 and request an in home visit or go to our Contact Us page and fill out the form.  Its that easy!