There are many advantages to building with impact windows and doors
As a contractor or real estate developer, you are often tasked with choosing the best window and door styles for various properties. This can become challenging when needing to stick to tight budgets, building regulations, and the demand for quality products.
For this reason, real estate developers must become more serious about using products built with impact-resistant glass. Impact windows and doors are a one-time investment into functional, superior products that provide long-term rewards.
How do impact windows and doors differ from traditional products? And how can they provide cost-saving benefits for years to come? These are the types of questions I’ll aim to answer below.
How Does Impact Glass Work?
When you see windows and doors listed as impact-resistant, this means the products can endure heavy impact without shattering or breaking into pieces.
Instead, when an object or severe storms strike impact windows and doors, the glass forms a contained spider-web pattern. The magic of impact glass comes from its uniquely designed and layered materials.
Materials commonly found in impact products and their benefits are outlined below.
Aluminum, Vinyl, or Steel Frames
The sturdy, heavy-duty material that makes up the glass frame is very difficult to crack or rust. As a result, it is able to withstand strong forces even after years of being installed.
Tempered Glass (Exterior Layer)
The main value of tempered glass, aside from durability, is its ability to make properties more energy-efficient. It has an accelerated cooling process and a higher surface compression that keeps a home cool even in the hottest of temperatures.
Heat Strengthened Glass (Interior Layer)
Like tempered glass, this interior layer of impact products is compressed with cold and heat during production. Doing so gives it much greater power and shatter-resistant qualities compared to traditional glass.
Glass Film (Inside the Heat Strengthened Glass)
The glass film incorporated into impact products is made with SGP and PVB materials. This is the same material found in car windshields. It has a tear strength five times greater than cheaper window options to prevent the glass from breaking into a home, office, establishments, etc.
The Bottom Line: How Impact Products Deliver Long-Term ROI
By now, you know impact windows and doors are different from traditional counterparts because they protect properties from severe storms, wind damage, invasions, and more.
But how do these benefits deliver long-term ROI? Here are a few reasons impact products assist in cost-savings over time and impact a property’s value and marketability.
Reduced Energy Costs
For residents of tropical climates, air conditioning is essential. It cools a home or building on their many hot days. However, property owners struggle to keep their establishments cool for long.
This is a result of cool air escaping and warm air entering through their seemingly closed windows. Utility bills skyrocket because air conditioning can’t keep up with the extreme climates.
On the contrary, impact windows and doors with laminated glass are compact with material that keeps homes cooler in the summer, with less effort from HVAC systems. The laminated glass also includes UV filtration to eliminate hot air from entering through the panes of a property’s windows and doors.
Extend the Lifetime of Heating and Cooling Systems
Due to impact products being more energy-efficient than traditional windows and doors, it will save you even more money than just reduced electrical bills. Air conditioning units typically last 5 to 10 years, depending on how often they are used – with cheaper units breaking even before then.
However, when you install impact windows and doors with extreme insulation, your HVAC units will not need to work as hard to keep a room at the desired temperature. This lessens the strain on air conditioning and heating units, therefore extending their lifetime. This saves you money from continuing to purchase these units time and time again.
Keep Up with Changing House Codes and Regulations
Over the years, housing developments will be subject to many new regulations, codes, and industry standards to protect residents’ and homeowners’ safety. This is why installing impact windows and doors is recommended for use in housing developments.
As well as being energy efficient, impact products are nearly impossible to break through. Hurricane speeds struggle to break the shatter-proof glass, let alone an intruder. This helps improve a property’s safety and security, giving them a seal of approval from all housing developments.
Discounts on Insurance Premiums
Many states across the country provide reduced insurance premiums for property owners that have installed impact windows and doors. Insurance companies reward homes or commercial buildings with impact products because of the heightened security and lowered risk of property damage. On average, monthly insurance premiums will be reduced by 45% with proof of risk mitigation alternatives such as impact windows and doors.
Additional Benefits of Impact Products
As we’ve discussed, impact products differ from traditional windows and doors highly based on the materials they are made from. Because impact-resistant products are made of both tempered and laminated glass, they serve contractors many benefits outside of cost savings. Here are a few additional selling points of impact windows and doors.
Minimal Maintenance or Replacements
By investing in a quality product, you will not have to replace windows often. For context, if an insulated glass window is slightly cracked, property owners must replace the entire unit. If the window is not replaced, fog appears on the glass and cannot be removed. This is not the case for impact products.
Easily Customizable
Impact windows and doors have a wide array of color and style options to choose from. There are many products available that will match or even enhance a property’s exterior. This helps improve marketability and curb appeal.
Sound Reduction
Impact windows and doors are built with sound dampening technology to reduce noise from a property’s exterior. This is extremely beneficial for contractors or real estate developers building in urban areas prone to traffic, construction, and sirens.
Final Thoughts
Different types of developers experience varying pressures when choosing components of a property’s exterior. However, it almost always comes down to cost savings and creating attractive, long-lasting homes or property buildings. Luckily, impact windows and doors provide you with both.
Learn more about the benefits of impact glass for your next commercial or residential project by checking out the following resources:
About the Author:
Luis Alvarez is the founder and owner of Alco Windows and Doors. Coming from a family with more than 15 years of experience in the glass and glazing industry, Luis used his background knowledge to found a company dedicated to providing quality service and support for those looking to protect their loved ones from severe weather.
A retired veteran who served in the Marine Corps, Luis uses his military experience to effectively run Alco. His attention to timeliness guarantees efficient installations focused on meeting planned deadlines. His background in preparation and organization ensures flawless window and door projects, no matter the job size. His leadership experience promises a “job well done” mindset from every member of the Alco team – from salespeople to installation professionals.
A graduate of Florida International University with a degree in Mathematics, Luis takes time to give back to the community by serving as an adjunct professor at Miami Dade College. He believes homes are built around people supporting one another, and his dedication to his home in South Florida ensures Alco Windows and Doors will always put the customer’s safety and satisfaction first.
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