Hurricane windows vs. impact windows: are they the same product?

Yes. "Hurricane windows" is the everyday homeowner term and "impact windows" (or impact-resistant glazing) is the technical term used in the Florida Building Code, Miami-Dade Notices of Acceptance, and Florida Product Approvals. Both refer to laminated glass with a PVB or SentryGlas interlayer in a reinforced frame.

Every window is engineered and laboratory-tested to specific Design Pressure (DP) limits in pounds per square foot and specific missile-impact speeds. Because extreme wind events or structural debris beyond those rated limits can crack the outer glass or exceed the frame's DP rating, building codes prohibit "hurricane proof" claims.

The outer pane of glass absorbs the strike and cracks in a spiderweb pattern, while the tough 0.090-inch PVB or SentryGlas SGP interlayer holds the broken glass firmly inside the frame. The building envelope remains sealed so wind and rain cannot enter and pressurize your home.

Standard polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is a flexible 0.090-inch interlayer that handles most residential single-hung, roller, and casement openings. SentryGlas (SGP) is an ionoplast interlayer roughly five times stiffer than PVB, used in oversized picture windows, coastal high-rises, and high-design-pressure impact doors.

Under Testing Application Standard TAS 201, windows installed up to 30 feet above grade must survive impacts from a 9-pound 2×4 lumber missile fired at 50 feet per second (34 mph). Windows installed above 30 feet are tested with 30 impacts from 2-gram steel balls at 130 feet per second (89 mph).

Immediately after surviving the TAS 201 missile strikes, the damaged window assembly is mounted on a pressure chamber under TAS 203 and subjected to 4,500 positive (inward) and 4,500 negative (outward) pressure cycles—9,000 cycles in total—simulating hours of battering gusts in an eyewall.

No. Palm Beach County, Lee County, and Collier County are in the Wind-Borne Debris Region outside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, so they require a statewide Florida Product Approval tested to ASTM E1886 and E1996. However, Miami-Dade NOA windows are accepted statewide because HVHZ testing meets or exceeds state rules.

Our installed impact windows average $800 to $1,800 per window: about $900 for a 37×50 fixed window, $1,100 for a 37×63 single-hung, $1,250 for a 53×50 horizontal roller, and $1,300 for a 37×50 casement. Oversized or high-DP units can run $3,000+, and a whole-home project typically runs $12,000–$35,000.

Fixing one sash permanently into the master frame eliminates a movable weatherstrip perimeter, which reduces water infiltration during TAS 202 wind-driven rain tests and increases structural design pressure ratings. We install single-hung, XO/XOX horizontal roller, casement, and fixed picture windows.

Yes. Under Florida Statute §627.0629 and Form OIR-B1-1802 Question 9 (Opening Protection), homes with impact-rated protection on every glazed and solid opening—including windows, entry doors, sliding doors, and the garage door—qualify for the Hurricane Opening Protection tier on the windstorm portion of the policy.

Yes. Eligible Florida homesteads can apply for up to $10,000 in state matching grants through My Safe Florida Home (§215.5586) when funding is open. We also offer financing as low as 6.99% APR for 10 years, 8.99% APR for 20 years, or a 12-month no-interest deferred-interest plan, subject to credit approval.

Every window and door we install carries a lifetime labor warranty for the original owner covering our installation workmanship. Product warranties covering the frame, insulated or laminated glass seal, and hardware come directly from the manufacturer (PGT, ES Windows, ECO, or CWS) and vary by product line.