If there’s one thing we harp about here at FLASH, it’s the importance of protecting your home’s windows and doors from severe winds. Why? Because these openings are easily penetrated by wind-borne debris often generated by windstorms. And once those high winds are inside your house, your chances of extreme roof damage or even roof loss quickly rise. While we’ve already discussed your options for protecting your home’s openings from severe winds in this blog (see 2/8/06 and 6/26/07 entries), and the importance of choosing only tested and approved products, today I want to explain those test standards a bit more. For the best protection, your choices are to choose products that have been tested and approved to:
•SSTD 12, ASTM E 1886 and ASTME E 1996, which are testing standards for impact-resistant glass and shutters;
•OR you can choose products tested and approved to Miami-Dade Protocols TAS 201, TAS 202, and TAS 203, which are the most stringent testing standards in the nation for impact-resistant glass and shutters.
Look for these standards on the labels of the products you choose to ensure you’ve got the best protection available.
Credit: Federal Alliance for Safe Homes – FLASH, Inc.
