The 鈥淓verything Building Envelope鈥 podcast brought back guest Will Smith for a third time on a recent episode, this time for more .
Will Smith works alongside podcast host Paul Beers at GCI Consultants and has a vast store of knowledge about glazing systems and the building envelope. For this post-Irma episode, Paul and Will engaged in an engrossing discussion about how 鈥渉urricane windows鈥 performed against the prolonged battering of wind and rain that accompanied Irma on her journey through Florida.
Ordeal by Duration
Will Smith noted that hurricane winds in the range of 90 miles an hour 鈥 such as those of Hurricane Irma 鈥 aren鈥檛 the factor that intimidates residents living in hurricane zones. It鈥檚 the length of time that the winds blow, along with the deluge of heavy rains occurring at the same time, that takes the toll.
But Irma brought some good news for Florida residents 鈥 the state鈥檚 hurricane codes are working, creating a well-built environment that resulted in less catastrophic outcomes than would have been the case 20 or 30 years ago. That can be credited to some of the strongest building codes in the United States, in both Paul鈥檚 view and early findings of investigators.
Hurricane Windows
Among the improvements brought about by new building codes are 鈥渉urricane windows.鈥 These are actually hurricane-resistant, tested to prescribed standards of wind and water pressures.
Hurricane-resistant doesn鈥檛 mean hurricane-proof 鈥 the tested ability of the window may be exceeded by hurricane forces. For example, laboratory tests put windows under pressure for periods of 15 minutes, but the winds of Hurricane Irma lasted for 16 hours. There鈥檚 also a disparity between the amounts of wind pressure and water pressure the window is required to withstand.
A totally hurricane-proof window precludes other desirable characteristics of windows, such as being able to open them for ventilation or allowing for an emergency exit, as required by code.
Performance of Hurricane Windows
Many hurricane windows leaked as a result of the protracted winds and rains of Irma, typically occurring as spurts of water bubbling around the bottom of a window and sometimes overflowing the track. Those spurts are propelled by gusts of wind and can add up to significant amounts of water when the gusts are frequent.
The accumulation of water might damage finish materials next to the window if it isn鈥檛 cleaned up. But the hurricane-resistant windows rarely sustained irreparable damage and are expected to last for many more years, through the normal weather patterns of Florida, which include intense storm events.
But hurricane-resistant windows should be checked to ensure they鈥檙e as functional as they need to be to make it through another hurricane that approaches Irma鈥檚 intensity.
Investigating Water Intrusion
Accessories that make the windows watertight, such as gaskets, weather strips and perimeter sealants, are subject to stress from movement of the structure during a storm, especially if they鈥檙e aging and already undergoing degradation from ultraviolet light and drying out.
Components may have started leaking before Hurricane Irma, and now is the time to determine whether leakage is a one-time event or has been ongoing, but undetected. Damaged drywall or wood trim can point to water intrusion that started earlier than Irma, whether from sealant failure or other construction and maintenance issues.
If an investigation suggests that water infiltration has been occurring for a while, it鈥檚 time to develop a water-testing program, to follow the path of intrusion and, ultimately, eliminate the cause.
Hear the complete between Paul and Will at the 鈥淓verything Building Envelope鈥 podcast and subscribe while you鈥檙e there so you don鈥檛 miss any vital information about construction.
For a deeper understanding of this episode鈥檚 issues, you can find Will Smith鈥檚 鈥淗urricane Windows: Fact or Fiction鈥 at the GCI Consultants website and check out Paul鈥檚 new 鈥淗urricane Leaks During Hurricane Irma鈥 at the GCI channel on YouTube.
Comments
Hurricanes cause a lot of damage to life and property.
Investing in installing hurricane products keeps the house and business safe from the hurricane.
to the house and business from the storm and hurricanes.
The impact resistant windows and doors are durable and can withstand high wind.
Take the help of professionals who can guide you in installing them in your home.
The use of hurricane film on the windows and doors and foam insulation on the roof can be also used to make the house safe and insulated.