If you are a homeowner who lives in an area where storms, hurricanes, high winds, and tornadoes are common then you might be worried about your windows on your home. High winds and intense storms have been known to break windows, but this doesn’t mean that you should be worried about it. There are precautions that homeowners can take to give extra protection to their windows when it comes to high winds and storms. Homeowners should consider wind proofing their windows if they live in areas where high winds and severe storms take place quite often.
If you have questions or if you have broken windows then you should call a residential window replacement company. Click here for more information on residential window replacement.
Can Wind Break A Window?
Some homeowners might be worried about winds breaking windows, especially if you are new to an area where high winds and severe storms are common. The short and simple answer to this question is yes, wind can break a window. This doesn’t mean that just because it seems quite windy that it will break your window. There have to be certain circumstances for the only wind to be able to bust your window.
While it’s hard to pinpoint a specific speed of the wind that can break windows, it is said that winds over 70mph can technically break windows, but this isn’t always the case. Sharp gusts of wind are more likely to break a window than steady flowing high winds. This is because gusts of wind can be thrown at the window at extremely high speeds and at a very fast rate. Typically hurricanes are known for wind gusts of a high speed that can break windows. Windows that are older and have weaker window seals are more likely to be affected by these high wind gusts.
Also, winds that are carrying debris can break windows. This is more of an obvious one but the winds don’t necessarily have to be very strong or at a high speed, but if they are strong enough to pick up debris and toss it towards your window then you still have a chance of breakage. Also, it is important to note that some older windows or windows that aren’t quite secure do have more of a chance of breaking in slower wind gusts.
How Can I Protect My Windows From Breaking Into High WInds?
There are many different measures that homeowners can take to ensure that their windows withstand high winds. Some of these are permanent fixes and precautions while others are more for in a pinch if you have a heavy storm coming your way but you aren’t quite prepared. Here are a few precautions that homeowners can take to protect their windows from strong wind gusts.
Remove Debris- If you know that a storm with high winds is headed your way then it’s important to make sure you remove any debris or items from your yard and surrounding areas that could possibly be picked up by the wind and thrown into the direction of your home. This will help prevent things from flying to your window and breaking through it.
Storm Shutters- Shutters are the most common type of wind protection for windows. These are typically preinstalled in most homes and they are easy to close up when a storm with high winds is brewing. Some shudders are remote controlled which adds lots of conveniences, but either way, this is a precaution that is easy to take for most homeowners because it’s convenient.
Hurricane Film- Hurricane film is a clear laminate that can be applied directly to the glass of the window. The purpose of this is to prevent the glass from shattering if it did happen to break in the event of a wind storm. Hurricane film is quite inexpensive and easy to apply so it is a common and easy extra precaution for homeowners to take. It’s important to note that this doesn’t prevent the window from breaking, but it ensures more safety if the window does break.
Plywood- This is something we’ve seen in movies and we’ve seen in areas where a huge storm is supposed to hit. This is the route that a lot of homeowners go when they hear a wind storm is brewing. This concept just means that plywood is cut to the window size and placed over the glass. This gives extra protection for the windows and ensures that the wind does not directly hit the windows.
High Impact Glass- High impact glass is a stronger glass that is meant for high winds. This type of glass should replace the existing glass in your windows to ensure that if winds do come at high speeds and hard gusts then your window has much more of a chance of surviving.
The Bottom Line
Winds can definitely break windows, but it is more wind gusts that are able to break them. Steady winds typically don’t cause damage to windows. Hurricanes are the main concern when it comes to windows breaking from wind gusts because they typically have high winds. Although winds can break windows, there are many different options to prevent windows from breaking during a storm. There are easy to do methods for homeowners such as storm shutters, plywood, and hurricane film, which are perfect for in a pinch or used for added protection on top of other methods. There are also high-impact glass options that are made to withstand much higher winds than regular windows.
No matter what options or options you go with for your windows, it is important to be prepared. Remember to always pick up debris from your yard and do as many preventative methods as possible when you know there is a hurricane or severe storm headed your way. Residential window replacement companies do a great job at installing high-impact windows if you live in an area where high winds, hurricanes, or severe storms are common. Even if you don’t live in an area where these things are common you may still want to consider getting some preventative measures for your windows in the case that something ever does happen. It’s best to be safe when it comes to window damage during storms.
