hurricane season 2022

5 Reasons To Get Impact Windows Over Aluminum Shutters

Posted on by brandon

Hurricane season is right around the corner, which is why it’s as critical as ever to consider your home’s hurricane defense capabilities. Many South Florida homeowners have heavily relied on traditional methods like aluminum shutters to protect their home’s weak points: their windows. Today, you can cruise through nearly any South Florida neighborhood and you’re likely to see most, if not all, homes with aluminum shutters installed. However, just because it’s the go-to solution doesn’t mean it’s the best one.

Impact windows dramatically increase your home’s defenses against hurricane force winds and rains, among a multitude of other additional benefits your home wouldn’t receive from aluminum shutters. These include but aren’t limited to:

Significant Storm Defense

First and foremost, residential impact windows offer a major upgrade over aluminum shutters—and any other storm defense system for that matter. Residential impact windows are rated for wind speeds upwards of 160+ miles per hour, far exceeding that of the most powerful hurricanes to ever exist.

In addition, they also defend your home against thrown debris. During a major storm, large branches, pieces of metal, and more can be flung at your home at high speeds. Residential impact windows stop them right in their tracks, where aluminum shutters and other home defense options will begin to fail and deteriorate.

Aesthetic Upgrade

When initially installed, aluminum shutters are permanently affixed to the area surrounding all of your windows. What you’re left with is a large, unsightly frame that detracts from your home’s overall appearance. That’s not the case with residential impact windows. Instead, they replace your current windows, creating seamless, full framed viewpoints across your home.

Doesn’t Require Active Deployment

When a tropical storm or hurricane is detected to be pathing towards South Florida, everyone rushes to make their preparations, rushing to the stores to stock up on key essentials. Unfortunately, you lose that opportunity as you have to spend hours manually closing each and every aluminum shutter you have installed on your home. By the time everything’s closed up, you’ve likely lost an entire day depending on the number of windows your home has.

With impact windows, they immediately provide storm defense the moment they’re installed. There’s no need for additional setup ever again!

You Aren’t Trapped Inside

The key functional design of aluminum shutters is that they completely enclose your home’s windows. As such, when closed they completely engulf your windows, blocking the outside world. You have no way of seeing what’s going on outside, and practically no natural light can enter.

With residential impact windows installed, that feeling of being trapped inside goes away instantly. You’ll be able to keep an eye on the outside world without being completely locked inside during a storm, having the peace of mind to continue about your day without fear of Mother Nature affecting your home.

Tremendous Auxiliary Benefits

Aluminum shutters have one sole purpose: encase your windows in the event of a storm. Impact windows, on the other hand, carry a multitude of additional defenses and benefits you wouldn’t find elsewhere. These include:

  • Noise Reduction
  • Intruder Defense
  • Lowered Energy Bill
  • UV Ray Protection

If you’re considering whether it’s time to make the switch to impact windows for your home, we’re here to tell you it is! Eurotech Industries manufactures and installs its own high-quality impact windows for your home. Contact us today either online or give us a call (954) 630-9967.

Lifecycle Of A Hurricane

Posted on by brandon

With hurricane season 2022 less than two months away, South Floridians should begin preparing for the potential of an active season. Unfortunately, we’ve found new homeowners and people who’ve lived here for decades underestimate the power of these storms. They write them off since there’s been so few the last few years, however make no mistake: Atlantic hurricanes can and will strike—it’s just a matter of time. 

To prepare properly for hurricane season is to know what you’re going up against, and to do so you’ll need to have a proper understanding of the hurricane lifecycle and its categories. Hurricanes are categorized by their sustained wind speeds, as their winds are what can and will cause the most damage in their path. These hurricane categories are: 

Tropical Disturbance

Wind Speeds: less than or equal to 23 miles per hour

A tropical disturbance is a pack of clouds that start to become dense, yet are still too loosely packed to have any shape. There is little damage possible during a tropical disturbance and is only the first stage towards a hurricane’s true potential. There will be well over 100 tropical disturbances every year, and only a small fraction of those will become a hurricane. 

Tropical Depression

Wind Speeds: between 23-38 miles per hour

The next stage from a tropical disturbance, a tropical depression will reach sustained wind speeds anywhere between 23-38 miles per hour. Some semblance of structure will begin to form, however it’s still far from that of a hurricane.

Tropical Storm

Wind Speeds: between 39-73 miles per hour

A storm reaches “tropical storm” status once it reaches 39 miles per hour. It has a clear structure and pattern. Many south Floridians are quick to write off tropical storms, but make no mistake: these storms can cause serious damage. There will be heavy rainfall and thunderstorms. 

Category 1

Wind Speeds: between 74-95 miles per hour

A category 1 hurricane is the first time a hurricane is truly a hurricane. It’s crossed the 74 mile per hour sustained wind speed threshold, and has become a “minor” hurricane—however it’s anything but minor. Wind speeds are considered dangerous and will cause some damage to your roof, fences, shrubbery, trees, and more. 

Category 2

Wind Speeds: between 96-110 miles per hour

Category 2 hurricanes have wind speeds between 96-110 miles per hour. There will be significant damage to your roof and the surrounding area, as well as power outages that last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Hurricane Wilma in 2005 made landfall in South Florida as a category 2 storm, causing 3.2 million people to be without power, and roughly $19 billion dollars in damage throughout the entire state.

Category 3

Wind Speeds: between 111-129 miles per hour 

A category 3 hurricane is considered the first “major” hurricane. With wind speeds between 111-129 miles per hour, there will be a devastating amount of damage all around. You’ll see roofs completely lifted off the frame, and trees entirely uprooted and thrown about. You can expect to be without power for a few weeks.

Category 4

Wind Speeds: between 130-156 miles per hour

One category short of being the strongest, category 4 storms are catastrophic. There will be unbelievable amounts of damage in its path, with the land being nearly uninhabitable for months.

Category 5

Wind Speeds: greater than or equal to 157 miles per hour

A category 5 hurricane will have the power to destroy everything in its path. The land will be uninhabitable for months. 

As hurricane season 2022 gears up once again, it’s critical that your home is prepared to defend you and your family. By installing hurricane windows, you can rest assured that your home has the defense necessary to protect you and your loved ones against whatever Mother Nature throws its way. To learn more, contact us today and get the defense you deserve with ETI!

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