If you and your family are suffering from outside noise penetrating your home, then you’re likely looking for any solution that will stop it instantly. Things like neighbors mowing their lawns, dogs barking, and traffic passing by can really damper your quality of life in your own home.
One solution that we get asked about all the time is impact windows for sound-proofing their home. The reality is: impact windows don’t cancel out noise completely from the outside world, but they do make a significant difference in the amount of ambient and distracting noise that tends to seep in.
Why Is So Much Noise Coming From Outside?
The main reason you’re likely hearing so much noise from outside is due to your windows. Older windows have a hard time deflecting sound pollution, allowing sounds to easily penetrate through and disrupt your day to day live.
While we would love to enjoy the benefits of noise-canceling windows, they simply don’t exist yet. Instead, all windows abide by a sound transmission class, or STC. STC measures the amount of noise that’s able to pass through a window. Standard windows typically have an STC of around 25-29. Impact windows have an STC of 45 or higher due to their construction.
STC and What Can Be Heard At Each Level
25: soft speech can be clearly heard and interpreted 30: normal speech can be clearly heard and interpreted 35: loud speech can be clearly heard and interpreted 40: loud speech can be heard but not interpreted 45: privacy threshold 50: loud sounds can be faintly heard 60+: true soundproofing
How Do Impact Windows Soundproof Your Home?
While standard windows are typically constructed from a wood frame and a single pane of glass, impact windows offer significant upgrades. The frame is usually constructed from either aluminum or vinyl which prevents cracking, splintering, or rusting. The outer layer of glass is tempered, providing a significant boost in energy efficiency, and the interior heat strengthened impact glass helps to dampen the noise outside and thus raises its STC dramatically.
In addition to its ability to lower ambient noise from outside, impact windows:
Improve HVAC efficiency
Reduces UV and heat entering home
Defends home against high winds, storm pressure, flying debris, and intruders
Insulates your home
What Noises Do Impact Windows Reduce?
When it comes to impact windows installed in your home, you can expect them to significantly reduce:
Street traffic
Car alarms
Construction
Planes
Trains
Loud music
Neighbors talking
Dogs barking
Enjoy Peace With The Window Guys
If you’re looking to enjoy some peace and quiet in your home, then the Window Guys have your back. To learn more about impact windows and receive a complimentary consultation with our experts, simply contact us online or give us a call at (561) 598-6295.
You’ve purchased your new impact windows and scheduled an appointment with The Window Guys, so you’re all set! Actually, that’s not the case. There are actually a few steps involved in ensuring that your home is prepared for our installation team during their visit. If your impact window installation appointment is coming up soon, you should consider the following steps to ensuring a perfect installation.
Trim Landscaping
Landscaping directly in front of your windows can be an immediate barrier to the window installation team getting your home’s impact windows placed. While you don’t have to fully remove them, you will need to clear space so that they can navigate through towards your window sill. Things like bushes, trees, and shrubs will need to be trimmed and cleared.
Clean Inside & Out
Anything directly inside and outside of the window space should be cleared out. Things like planters, wall art, exterior and interior furniture, tables, etc will need to be removed from the general area of your windows, as our team will be in and around the area very frequently. That way, you can rest assured knowing that our team won’t cause an accident with some of your belongings, as careful and experienced as they are.
Cover Furniture
Placing blankets or sheets over your furniture will keep them safe from any dust or debris that may be produced from the installation. Furniture should be about four-six feet away from your windows to ensure they’ll be safe.
Remove Window Covers
Window covers such as blinds and drapes will need to be momentarily removed, as they will also get in the way of the installation and will slow down the process. Cover Floors
Deactivate Alarms
Our installation teams will be in and out of your home, as well as constantly working on your existing windows. As such, leaving your alarms active will have them beeping nonstop. For the sake of the installation, please disable all alarms until our team’s work is complete.
Create Workspace
Our window installation team will need to work frequently on your windows, making adjustments as needed. If possible, setting up a small workspace for our team will be a tremendous help, as they’re able to set up their equipment and get to work in an efficient and organized manner.
Keep Kids and Pets Away
For the safety of everyone involved, including you and your loved ones we recommend that during an installation period access to work areas be restricted. If there is something specific needing attention while this process goes on then just let us know so it can get done right away for all parties involved!
With these steps in place, you’re ready for your impact window installation! Have a question about preparing for an impact window installation that you don’t see listed above? No problem! Contact the Window Guys online or give us a call at (561) 598-6295.
Why You Shouldn’t DIY Impact Resistant Glass Windows
Upgrading your windows to impact resistant glass is a great way to enhance your home’s curb appeal and defense. Your home shouldn’t have to suffer from subpar windows any longer. When purchasing impact resistant glass for your home, you’ve probably been considering if you can save and skip on the installation services provided by an impact windows supplier. While you certainly could DIY your impact windows, we strongly recommend against it. Even if you’re a highly experienced DIY-er, impact windows require significant technical know-how to install properly. Three of the main reasons why you should never DIY your impact resistant glass are:
You Can Only Size Them Once
Projects like building a wood deck for your backyard are great for both the emerging and seasoned DIY-er. If you make a mistake, you can drive over to your local hardware store, pick up the necessary supplies, make the necessary repairs/updates, and continue on. That’s not the case with impact windows. Despite its name, impact glass is still glass, and an improper measurement or cut could spell disaster. You’ll find yourself spending more on new pieces of impact glass than you would if you had just trusted in an experienced installation team.
Poor Installation Can Ruin Their Effectiveness
When you decided to upgrade to impact windows, you probably made the decision with the idea in mind that your current windows just weren’t cutting it. Whether your home was too hot/cold when it shouldn’t have been, or exterior noise was just constantly seeping in, you knew it was time to make a switch. An improper installation could lead to impact resistant glass that is just as underperforming as your current standard windows.
Incredibly Difficult And Dangerous For One Person
Make no mistake: impact windows are remarkably difficult to install, and can be very dangerous if installed incorrectly. Impact window installation is, at minimum, a two-person job. It’s practically impossible for even one highly skilled DIY-er to accomplish alone, and can lead to dangerous situations. When placing the impact window in its frame, if not sealed properly it can potentially fall out of its frame at any given time.
Impact window installation becomes even more difficult with multi-story homes, as you’ll likely have to have someone on the roof to help install it correctly.
Count On The Impact Window Installation Experts At The Window Guys
The expert installation team at The Window Guys has the knowledge, experience, and tools necessary to provide you with a flawless installation. Improper installation can lead to your windows voiding warranty—our team makes sure that isn’t the case. Contact the Window Guys team today for a free quote and see how easy working with our installation team can be!
When deciding on hurricane defense options for your home, there are certainly some choices that are beyond subpar. These are solutions that you should avoid at all costs, yet they still seem to persist even to this day. Forget what you’ve heard others say, and trust us when we say that you should never rely on the following hurricane defense options for your home.
Tape
The idea that you can stop a window from breaking during a massive storm like a hurricane by placing an “X” pattern on it with tape is completely false. No matter the type of tape you use, applying tape to your windows for hurricane defense is a dangerous idea. Should a window break due to thrown debris from outside or the immense pressure of the storm, the tape may cause larger pieces of glass to break off, which could seriously hurt someone inside. This concept of home defense does not work whatsoever and only provides zero positive benefits during a hurricane.
Wood Boards
Wood boards are an affordable, but temporary solution for protecting your windows. Nailing these onto the frame will provide some defense against weaker winds until they are ripped away by stronger storms that turn them into dangerous debris themselves. Your windows are thus defenseless, leaving them exposed to the elements throughout the remaining duration of the storm. In addition, installing these wood panels can be a nightmare, as going shopping for them once a storm is announced can be very time consuming as other south Floridians rush to buy them as well. You’ll also have to go window by window nailing them in, which eats away more time you could spend securing other essentials.
Nothing At All
Many South Floridians, especially residents who have lived through their fair share of hurricanes, throw caution to the wind when it comes to hurricanes. Many of them have become desensitized to the destructive power of hurricanes as so many come and go without leaving a devastating impact. What they don’t realize is that it only takes one storm to pass over South Florida to feel the devastating power of a hurricane. We strongly advise against leaving your windows unprotected during a storm, as it only endangers you and your family.
It’s Time To Upgrade Your Home’s Windows
Hurricane Season 2022 is underway, which means it’s time to defend your home from the upcoming barrage of storms. Don’t get stuck with subpar hurricane protection and upgrade to impact windows with The Window Guys. Simply contact the Window Guys online or give us a call at (561) 598-6295 and a representative will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!
When a large storm makes its way for South Florida, there’s only so much you can do to properly defend your home as you hunker down. South Florida storms can be anything from a brief sun shower to the infamous category 5 hurricane. However make no mistake: every kind of storm can actually cause damage to your home. There’s a variety of ways a storm can affect your home, including:
Storm Damage Types
Rain Damage
One of the most common storm damage types that occurs to homes is, of course, rain damage. Constant heavy downpours can lead to rainwater seeping through cracks in your roof and walls. Rainwater that enters your home can become stagnant, pooling on certain parts of your ceilings. It will eventually form cracks allowing the rainwater to reach the ground, before bursting completely. Water that makes it inside your walls can damage the frame and rot the wood.
Wind Damage
Wind, depending on the strength of the storm, can be severely damaging. While mild gusts may knock over exterior furniture or decorations, hurricane force gales can uproot large trees, flip cars, and even rip your roof off completely.
Thrown Debris
As wind speeds pick up during a storm, loose debris, furniture, decorations, and more left outside can be picked up and thrown around. Flung tree branches can completely destroy standard windows, and cause tremendous damage to vehicles left outside in the driveway.
Hail Damage
While an uncommon occurrence, hail has been known to fall during storms in Florida from time to time. Large, baseball sized hail has been known to fall on occasion, causing major damage to your property. You could find things like your mailbox and car completely dented from an onslaught of hail, as well as damaged tiles on your roof.
Mold Formation
Mold formation can occur following rain damage from a heavy storm. That stagnant water creates damp, humid spots in your home that are ideal for mold formation. Mold will begin to grow exponentially, leading to potential health risks for your entire family.
Flood Damage
During heavy South Florida storms, there can be enough rainfall in a short enough period of time to cause flash floods. These fast moving, high rising waters are extremely dangerous, so it’s imperative you get to safety as soon as possible. Flash floods can rise so high that they enter your home, causing damage inside and out.
Fire Damage
An uncommon type of damage that occurs during storms, fire damage certainly is possible. Heavy storms can down power lines, causing sparks to fly. Nearby branches, trees, bushes, and grass can catch ablaze.
Additionally, lightning strikes can also cause fires to form, which can cause massive damage to the surrounding area as well.
Landscaping Damage
Landscaping and hardscaping done to your home can, unfortunately, be damaged during South Florida’s storms. Heavy rains and winds can rip trees and bushes right out of the ground, and damage tiles in your driveway and backyard patio.
Exterior Property Damage
During heavy south Florida storms such as tropical storms and hurricanes, it is highly recommended that you bring exterior furniture such as grills, patio sets, and your car inside to avoid being damaged or causing damage elsewhere to your home. Even so, heavy winds can completely destroy things like your backyard fence.
Window Damage
As major storms roll in they bring heavy pressure that puts major stress on your home. Standard windows can only bear so much before they completely shatter. This can be a major disaster, as your windows are the only barrier between your home’s interior and the outside world. When there’s a major storm raging outside, you need a home defense solution that can and will protect your family—that’s where the Window Guys come in. As the largest provider of high-quality impact windows, you can ensure your home’s interior is defended against whatever that storm may bring. Contact us to receive a free quote and ensure your home’s ready for hurricane season 2022 today!
If you’re a resident in Florida, you’ve probably thought about making the switch from storm shutters to hurricane-resistant windows or hurricane-safe doors. Before making any decision like this, it’s important to do research to make sure it’s the right move.
It’s a great idea to read comparison posts but there are some facts about these storm-ready additions that you might not learn about when analyzing their product features. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about hurricane windows and doors that should help educate you on these popular storm solutions.
1. Hurricane Windows and Doors Don’t Need to be Activated Pre-Storm
As soon as a hurricane is announced, many Floridians rush out to stock up on water, food, and every other necessity. This means the less you have to worry about, the better.
A key advantage of impact-rated windows is that they are always protecting your home, 24/7. Unlike hurricane shutters or other window treatments, impact glass is always ready while you deal with other preparations. They also provide protection from other elements so you never have to worry about your home if you are out of town.
2. Not All Laminated Glass Systems are Impact Rated
Just because a window is labeled as “laminated” doesn’t mean it has gone through the necessary testing to earn an impact rating. Laminated glass is created when two or more panes of glass are bonded together with a thin layer of film or vinyl in between, called Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB). This shatter-proof membrane is meant to catch broken glass as a fly stuck on sticky paper. While these windows can reduce the damage from an impact, they are NOT impact rated and can still shatter during a hurricane.
3. Pressure Rating Matters
A hurricane window is just a hurricane window, right? No. While windows that are impact-rated are meant to protect you and your home from winds and debris, storm-safe glass and doors have unique pressure and impact ratings that are indicative of their strength and durability.
Each storm-resistant window and door should come with a marking that shows:
Supplier’s name
Place of fabrication
Date of manufacture
Thickness
Certifications or safety standards that the glass meets
4. 15 Years Old? Time to Change
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. The same is true for impact windows. Depending on the brand and materials, impact windows can function properly for 10 to 25 years. We use the 15-year mark as a general rule but it’s still important to evaluate your windows after 10 years. This happens due to the seals starting to wear and the glass losing strength.
5. Myths About Hurrican Preparation
Impact windows will NOT protect your home if they are left open during a storm. It is a myth that leaving windows cracked open during a storm to prevent air pressure from building up is helpful. Leaving your windows cracked open will only let in wind and water enter the building.
That’s just one misunderstanding about impact windows but there are more than we can type. For example, some residents think that putting force against a door will prevent the wind from blowing it down. If the wind is strong enough, it will blow down a door regardless of what’s put behind it.
Impact Windows From The Window Guys
Impact windows and doors are a great way to protect your home from dangerous storms and other elements. If you’re ready to have impact windows and doors installed then head over to our contact page so we can get started!
