Did you know that impact windows and doors will not just protect your home in the event of a hurricane, but they can also make your home more difficult to burgle? It’s true! The primary design characteristics of impact windows and doors are the shatter resistant glass that’s securely fastened to a heavy-duty aluminium frame, creating a barrier to anyone who attempts to break into your home.
How can this glass stay strong in the face of hurricanes and intruders? The impact-resistant glazing is a big part of that; it consists of two layers of annealed or tempered glass, which is bonded to an intermediate layer of a shatter-proof membrane. This membrane is usually made of a substance called Polyvinyl Butyral, or PVB. What’s PVB? Well, it’s a type of resin that varies in thickness, ranging between .015 to .090 inches, dependent on the design pressure required.
When the outer glass is broken, rather than falling to the ground, the glass pieces adhere to the PVB film instead. When a standard-glass window breaks, the pieces will fracture into large, sharp shards that can be quickly bypassed by a determined thief. It’s much more difficult for an intruder to get through the impact-resistant glass; in fact, many burglars would be deterred by the amount of time it would take to penetrate the glass. The longer the break-in takes, the more likely the chances are of them being caught in the act by a curious neighbor or perhaps a random police officer.
How can this glass stay strong in the face of hurricanes and intruders? The impact-resistant glazing is a big part of that; it consists of two layers of annealed or tempered glass, which is bonded to an intermediate layer of a shatter-proof membrane. This membrane is usually made of a substance called Polyvinyl Butyral, or PVB. What’s PVB? Well, it’s a type of resin that varies in thickness, ranging between .015 to .090 inches, dependent on the design pressure required.
When the outer glass is broken, rather than falling to the ground, the glass pieces adhere to the PVB film instead. When a standard-glass window breaks, the pieces will fracture into large, sharp shards that can be quickly bypassed by a determined thief. It’s much more difficult for an intruder to get through the impact-resistant glass; in fact, many burglars would be deterred by the amount of time it would take to penetrate the glass. The longer the break-in takes, the more likely the chances are of them being caught in the act by a curious neighbor or perhaps a random police officer.