2018 Hurricane Season | Storm Windows and Preparedness

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2018 Hurricane Preparedness Update

Fortunately, the one thing about a hurricanes is that we now have advanced notice and can be prepared well in advance of an approaching significant hurricane.  This provides us with adequate time to board up our windows, purchase fuel, stock up on groceries and water and do any last minute preparations. However, many people simply wait to the last minute and often times find themselves scrabbling for plywood at Home Depot or Lowes.  It doesn’t have to be this way.

Hurricane and Flood Concerns

There are many concerns that a hurricane brings to South Florida.  Whether it is flooding in areas of Dade-County, Miami, washing away of the beach in Fort Lauderdale or causing structural damage in Palm Beach County we need to take all of these possibilities into account when planning.  The proper planning can make a big difference in protecting both property and wellness.  We often don’t worry about floods causing more than structural damage but floods are actually the cause of many deaths throughout the United States.  Floods cause a mean of 100 deaths every year in the U.S. alone. Unfortunately, there is not much we can do to prevent rising water.  The South Florida Water Management District does all it can to control the tide of flood water. However, there is only so much they can do since there is only so many places you can direct the water. We have all seen the images of other parts of our Country were people have had to take refuge on the roof of their homes.

Loss of Power during Hurricanes

The significant effects of hurricanes are high winds and a lot of rain.  We all see that our power distribution system that is provided by Florida Power Light (FPL) are vulnerable to falling tree.   We have lost power from tropical storms so it isn’t unusual to be without power for a couple days do to a category 2 or greater hurricane.  Call Rapid Construction at 954-324-2390 and ask us about installing a whole house generator. This type of generators have come way down in price and can provide you with continuous power during and more importantly after the hurricane has dissipated.  Being without power when our temperatures can reach 90 plus Fahrenheit can endanger the lives of both humans and pets.  We have unfortunately witnessed the tragic results of people incorrectly wiring their own generators or placing their generators inside their home.  Always remember to place your generator outside your home at least 15 feet from any window, door, or opening that might cause the deadly exhaust to seep into your home.  Again, it is never acceptable to run a generator inside your home or garage!

Flood damage from a storm or hurricane

The very low price of expert flood restoration service is much less than the general price tag of long-term moisture in a building. Don’t let the water sit in your house for long!  Call an expert company like Rapid Construction to remove the water and start the repair process immediately.  You are causing exponentially more damage to your home the longer you let the water rest and “wick” up the walls, furniture, insulation and structural components that will mold or rust.

Hurricane Shutters and Impact Windows

You really only have four choices to protect your windows in South Florida.

  1. You can purchase plywood and secure it by screws or nails onto your house.
  2. You can purchase hurricane shutters. In general, you must keep in mind that rolling hurricane shutters have the greatest initial cost, but offer the very best protection that can be found on the market. Then let’s look at the entire cost for repairs versus the sum of your insurance deductible. Storm shutters are another means to protect glass windows.
  3. You can upgrade your windows to impact windows. We recently did a full review that you can watch here, it was entitled “The Benefits of Impact Windows“.
  4. Do nothing and hope that the storm doesn’t damage your house.  We don’t recommend this option!

There are many ways you can prepare your home in advance of a hurricane.  Removing debris or objects that fly into your home is a great start.  We recommend that you talk with your neighbors to see how you can collectively help each other.  We have even issued portable “walkie talkie” two way radios to friends and family in the area so that they could communicate with each other during the storm.  Being able to communicate during the storm is vital and having two way radios is an excellent method of communicating with each other even when cell phone service goes down.

Feel free to contact us if you have questions or recommendations for our upcoming hurricane season.

Thank you,

Rapid Construction
12240 SW 53 St, Suite 502
Cooper City, Fl
954-324-2930

 

Benefits of PGT impact windows | Rapid Construction of South Florida

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Benefits of impact windows in South Florida

 

PGT does a fantastic job, they’ve been in Florida  for a very long time.

The windows that they offer in the hurricane series, they make two different lines  of impact windows, the one I’m showing here today  is an aluminum frame that’s called  “The WinGuard Aluminum”  and they also make a vinyl window, the vinyl windows they’re offered  with a lifetime warranty  completely cover the glass, the frame  and all the mechanisms  for the lifetime of the window.

Different type of impact windows – Impact and Impact insulated windows

The aluminum series window  come with two different variations of warranty, they come with a simple  – a standard impact window comes with  a one year warranty  covers the mechanisms and the glass  and this window that I’m showing you today  is actually an insulated glass window, this window comes with a ten year warranty.

The reason they give you  a longer warranty on these windows, this window is very popular up north, it’s a duo pane style window, what that means is  it has an impact piece of glass, in front of that impact piece of glass  is a space filled with argon, argon displaces oxygen and also moisture  and argon is a poor transmitter of heat  and they sandwich that in between  an additional piece of glass on the outside.

What that does is, it actually increases the insulating value of your impact windows, so you’re getting your round benefits  when you upgrade to not only an impact window  but an insulated glass impact window.

Generally, when we order these windows  what we’ll do is we’ll have them  coat the outside of the window  with Low-E coating, it’s maybe hard to tell on camera  but if you’d look at this window from the outside, it actually has a slight green tint to it.

Energy Efficiency in impact insulated windows

PGT offers this coating, it’s their highest level of Low-E coating, it’s called Solar Pane 70, that offers ultraviolet reflectivity, so very popular, your home in south Florida, we weren’t thinking about  not only upgrading for hurricane purposes  but you also want to consider  the daily benefits of impact windows.

So what are those daily benefits? Again with a standard impact window, you’re getting security, you’re getting sound reduction, you’re getting a slight thermal value  which means you don’t get the heat transferred  through the glass as you would  a standard non-impact window.

You’re also getting a higher strength  wind resistance which is how impact windows, one of the ways impact windows are rated.

So you may ask, so what does that all boil down to? Well, we all understand impact windows  but I think a large majority of people  don’t understand the benefits  that they offer every day.

If you have a standard window  and a burglar wants to break in, it’s very simple, they crack the glass, stick their hand and open the lock and in they are.

With our impact glass window, not the case, they may be able to  break the window but the likelihood  of them getting in is significantly reduced, the way the glass attached to the frame, it’s not going to separate, they’re not going to be able to  simply push it in because of the lamination  of the impact window.

However, like I said, one of the biggest benefits to go into  an impact window with insulated glass  which is what this window is, is it offers you an insulation value.

So up north they were very popular, people that are from up north  know that they have duo pane windows, what that does is when it’s cold outside, it keeps the cold from coming in  through the window and in to your house  and increasing your energy bill, the heating bill while works exactly  the opposite in south Florida, we have such a high level of heat  and ultraviolet rays from the sun  being so close to the Equator  that we actually get ultraviolet rays  that penetrate the window  and heat up the inside of your house.

When you upgrade your window  to an impact window, that’s an insulated glass  and has this additional coating  of Low-E on the outside, those ultraviolet rays reflect  so you don’t get the heating  of the material inside your house, the heat doesn’t transmit  through the window as well, it actually has an R value  for people that are up on what R value is, that’s an insulation value, like we put insulation in your attic, they’re rated R-9, R-19, R-30.

This window is so good at reducing heat, it actually equivalents to an R-value.

One of the biggest benefits , fringe benefits, I like to say, is the amount it reduces inside your house.

When you put these windows in, the sound just like the ultraviolet light  is often reflected, it doesn’t transmit, reverberate through the piece of glass, through the dead space of the argon  and then through the impact glass  on the inside into your house, make sure home much much quitter.

So you get all those benefits, security, temperature,  hurricane resistance impact, there is no need to  cover these windows with shutters, with accordions, with panels, with wood, they meet the same standard  that all of those products do, that’s how they’re tested, they shoot a 2 × 4 at this window, very similarly the way they shoot it  at a standard accordion awning  or at aluminum panel shutter  that goes over your window, they meet the same test, that’s what qualifies them.

So they’re great products, well worth the investment in your home, if you’re planning on being their a long time, I would not only recommend  upgrading to an impact window  but also an insulated glass window with a Low-E, get the highest efficiency, make your home as efficient as you can.

They do qualify for tax rebates  based on their energy efficiency rating, they’re a great product, PGT happens to be the brand that I like the most, I’ve had a lot of experience with them, the quality, the warranty, the reputation all hold through with the product.

But there are other brands out there, some people prefer different lines  and that’s okay as well, sometimes that boils down to price  and we all understand price is important  but sometimes you get what you pay for  and the quality, the craftsmanship of this product  is one of my favorites  that I’ve seen on the market.

The do like I want to show you, they do make the windows in two different qualities, this is an aluminum frame window, the other available style is a vinyl frame window, the vinyl frame window will actually  also increase your energy efficiency rating  because the vinyl doesn’t transmit heat  quite as much as the aluminum.

 

Impact windows that match every style of home and decor.

They’re beautiful for whatever  décor matches your home.

So something to consider  if you’re a south Florida resident, you’ve been through any of the recent storms, you know what a hassle it is, if you don’t have impact windows, putting up shutters and putting up panels  and climbing on ladders and screws  and all the problems that come along with that, this is priceless protection right here  and you have nothing to worry about  and you don’t have a dark home, during the storm you can see what’s going on  and know that you and your family  are going to be safe once these are installed.

Rapid Construction
12240 SW 53st, Suite 502
Cooper City, Fl 33330
954-324-2390