Hurricane windows are impact-rated windows built to stay in one piece when wind-driven debris hits them. The glass may crack, but a laminated layer holds the fragments together and the frame keeps the opening closed, so wind and rain stay outside.
That matters because a broken window does more damage than the hole itself. The Building America Solution Center, a U.S. Department of Energy resource, explains that wind entering through a broken window can pressurize a house and blow out other windows, doors or walls.
If you’re weighing hurricane windows for your home, TurnKey Window can walk you through the options for each opening. Reach out for a free estimate or call (504) 226-6201.
Key takeaways
- Hurricane windows, also called impact windows, use laminated glass in a heavy-duty frame so the opening holds even if the glass cracks.
- They’re tested under ASTM E1886 and ASTM E1996, which combine a missile impact with cycles of wind pressure.
- Storm windows are a different product. They add insulation and cut noise but don’t protect against flying debris.
- Impact windows need no action before a storm, which is their big advantage over shutters and panels.
- Your local building department can tell you whether your home sits in a windborne debris region with its own requirements.
What makes a window a hurricane window
A standard window uses annealed glass, which the Building America Solution Center describes as the softer glass most windows are made of. When it breaks, it breaks into shards and leaves the opening wide open.
A hurricane window changes three parts of that picture: the glass, the frame and how the whole unit is anchored to the house.
The glass
Laminated glass is made by bonding two or more panes together with a thin layer of film or vinyl in between. That inner layer acts as an adhesive, holding the glass together if it cracks.
Some impact units pair an exterior pane of standard glass with an interior pane of laminated glass. On impact, the outer pane may break while the inner laminated pane cracks into small pieces that stay stuck to the vinyl layer.
The Solution Center notes that impact-rated glass cracks in a spider web pattern instead of shattering into the house. Impact windows may also use tempered glass, which it says can be up to five times stronger than ordinary glass and breaks into small pebble-sized bits.
The frame
According to the same resource, impact panes are often set in stronger, heavy-duty frames. They come in aluminum, vinyl or wood, the same frame materials you’d see on a standard window.
The frame matters as much as the glass. A laminated pane that stays intact is only useful if the frame holds it in the opening while the storm pushes and pulls on the house.
The installation
The Solution Center calls for windows and glass doors to be properly flashed and structurally attached to withstand wind pressure, and installed per the manufacturer’s instructions and all applicable codes. An impact window with the wrong fasteners or anchoring won’t perform like the one that passed the test.
How hurricane windows are tested
A hurricane window earns its rating in a lab, not from a marketing claim. The Solution Center says impact-resistant products must be rated and labeled under ASTM E1996 and ASTM E1886, or AAMA 506.
Here’s how the two ASTM standards work together, based on the explanation published by Engineering Express:
- ASTM E1996 sets the rules: which missile is fired and at what speed, based on the building and its wind zone.
- The window is struck with the specified missile. The large missile used for many hurricane-prone zones is a 9-pound 2×4 fired at 50 feet per second.
- The damaged window then goes through cycles of positive and negative air pressure that mimic the gusts and suction of a hurricane.
- To pass, the unit has to keep the missile out and stay intact through the pressure cycles. The glass is allowed to crack.
Engineering Express lists a heavier requirement for critical facilities like hospitals and emergency centers: the same 9-pound 2×4 fired at 80 feet per second. It also notes that the version referenced in current codes is ASTM E1996-17, adopted in the 2021 International Building Code.
The FORTIFIED Home program from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety sets the bar at large missile “D.” Per the Solution Center, FORTIFIED requires that windows, exterior doors and skylights in hurricane zones be impact rated or protected by systems that pass ASTM E1996 and E1886 at that level.
Storm windows vs hurricane windows
These two names get mixed up constantly, and they’re not the same product. HomeGuide describes a storm window as a unit that fits over your existing window to reduce noise, add insulation and improve energy efficiency.
HomeGuide is clear that, unlike impact windows, storm windows don’t protect from flying debris or hurricane-force winds. The Solution Center adds that older “clamshell” awning-style shutters may not be rated for impact resistance either.
| Feature | Hurricane (impact) window | Storm window |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A complete replacement window with impact-rated glass and frame | An extra unit mounted over an existing window |
| Debris protection | Tested under ASTM E1886 and E1996 | Not designed to stop flying debris |
| Main benefit | Keeps the opening closed in a storm | Insulation, noise reduction, efficiency |
| HomeGuide installed cost | $400 to $1,200 per window | $150 to $400 per window |
Hurricane windows compared with shutters and panels
Impact glass isn’t the only way to protect an opening. The Solution Center lists three approaches: impact-resistant windows, permanently installed hurricane shutters and removable storm panels.
- Impact windows: need no action before or after a storm and suit hard-to-reach windows or homes where you’ll be away during a storm.
- Permanent shutters: always in place and ready to close. Common styles include rolldown, accordion, Bahama or Bermuda, and colonial.
- Storm panels: put up as needed and stored between storms, usually