The Science Behind Hurricane Impact Doors: How They Protect Your Home

The United States gets hit with an average of 5 hurricane grade storms a year, with the majority of them being along the coast of Florida. According to NOAA the average hurricane causes $22.8 billion worth of damage. Hurricane impact doors can help protect your home and your family from the damage a tropical storm can cause.

Just because you need to protect your home doesn’t mean you have to compromise on its aesthetic look. Hurricane impact doors come in a variety of styles and can be customized to suit your needs. There are additional benefits to having them installed in your home, including making your home safer from break-ins, making it easier to keep your home hot or cool, as well as improving its resale value.

Join us as we explore the science behind hurricane impact doors and how they protect your home.

What are Hurricane Impact Doors?

Hurricanes, also known as tropical cyclones are storms that form over tropical or subtropical waters. A hurricane is a type of tropical cyclone that reaches a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 74 miles per hour or more. With these wind speeds, hurricanes are incredibly dangerous and can cause significant harm to you and your home.

One of the biggest dangers when it comes to a hurricane is the change in air pressure from the outside of your house to the inside of your house. What this means is that, when a hurricane is in your area, there is a build up of air pressure outside your home. If your home is entirely closed up then the air pressure inside stays the same, while the pressure outside grows. Normally this is fine as long as you keep all your windows and doors closed.

However, if there is a breach in your home, then the difference in air pressure causes a violent reaction, which can cause significant damage to you and your home. These breaches can be caused by debris being carried by the storm and hitting your doors and windows, causing them to break. Hurricane impact doors are made to be incredibly sturdy and are built into the frames of your home, which allows them to handle any kind of impact from debris, as well as the air pressure from high winds. Additionally, if the door has glass, it is designed to chip and crack, but it will not shatter, keeping you and your family safe from flying pieces of glass.

Hurricane impact doors are made with wind locks which helps prevent the door from rattling at high winds, reducing the damage that can be done during these times, and maintaining a consistent air pressure. They are also made with weather seals that stop any gaps between the door and the frame, making it difficult for air to travel through when closed, which again helps maintain the internal air pressure of your home, and keeps you and your loved ones safe.

Hurricane Impact Doors do more than keep you safe

There are more benefits than just simply protecting your home from hurricanes. With hurricane impact doors being made so sturdy, as well as the fact that they are built into the frames of your home, it means that they make excellent anti-burglar doors as well. These doors are made to withstand high winds and huge impacts, meaning that burglars are not going to be able to break through your front door.

You also get a variety of styles to choose from – if you want to maintain the natural lighting in your home, you can get impact sliding glass doors that are made of high-grade materials and have damage-resistance coating. This means you can have the exact aesthetic look you want for your home without compromising on safety. Also, because the glass used in these doors is designed to withstand impact, they are ideal for insulating your home from the South Florida heat- reducing our monthly energy bill.

Hurricane impact doors can also help keep your home insurance premiums low, as insurance companies know how effective they are in preventing damage, and factor them into their assessment of your home. Because these doors are also incredibly valuable, they can help improve the resale value of your home as well.

Get your Hurricane Impact Door installed professionally

Getting your hurricane impact door installed correctly is crucial – working with industry professionals in this regard can make your home all that safer, and give you peace of mind going into hurricane season.

STS Impact Windows & Doors has been in business for more than 25 years, and is South Florida’s leading provider of hurricane impact doors and windows, with a 5 year installation guarantee.

If you are looking to improve your home’s safety, get in touch with us for a free quote, or give us a call at 561-725-8354 to talk to a team member.