State Approved Hurricane Windows                                             Atlantic Vinyl Windows & Doors - Dunedin, FL

Florida Building Codes

Florida has very strong regulations when it comes to windows, doors, and hurricane protection. These regulations are mostly expressed in the state Building Code and insurance regulations, and enforced by the local permitting agencies and building inspectors.  Here's a basic primer on the codes and how they work.

Building Codes and You

An old TV commercial advocating use of seat belts had a Highway Patrol officer saying, "It's not just a good idea. It's the LAW!" The same can be said about the building codes as applied to hurricane protection. No place in Florida is exempt from building codes. Leaving aside legal penalties, it's also a good idea. Since the Florida Building commission adopted hurricane protection into the 2001 code, there has been a steady reduction in casualties and damage that occur in code compliant homes. It's sometimes as obvious as the fact that the code compliant home is undamaged after the storm whereas the house next door is gone.

Florida State Approvals

Any window or door product sold in Florida must be state approved. After testing, the state assigns a number to the product that specifies under what conditions it may be used. This "FL number" is the key to understanding the product and is used by building inspectors to inspect permitted projects. A Florida window will be rated for basic structural soundness and how well it resists wind and water penetration. Based on these factors the window is assigned a design pressure (DP) number which in turn is used to find out what wind zone it may be used in. Wind Zones are laid out by the state according to the conditions that might be expected to occur in a storm. There are a number of complicating factors that we have to understand as window guys, but that's the gist of it. 

A standard Florida approval does not indicate that the product is capable of dealing with flying objects that are seen in windstorms.

Florida Impact Approved Products

In addition to basic wind zones, the state specifies a Wind-Borne Debris Zone.  In this zone, one should expect to encounter flying debris (from roof tiles to lumber) in a hurricane. For this zone, impact-rated products are required by code (as well as by common sense). In the Tampa Bay Area, Pinellas County is entirely located in the zone and openings must have some sort of impact protection.  Hillsborough County is mostly out of the zone.  An impact rated product is tested to provide protection from flying objects up to state-specified sizes and speeds.

Miami-Dade Approved Products

Dade County has mandated specific tests for products used in their jurisdiction.  Miami-Dade approvals are not required anywhere else.  However, their tests are similar enough to the Florida state approval process that the state accepts them in lieu of state testing.  Companies that do business in Dade county must make the considerable investment to get Miami-Dade approvals, known as NOAs. 

What Level of Protection Do I Want?

The easy answer is "The best you can afford" but "Not less than the code requires." For instance, Florida-approved impact windows may be used anywhere in our service area, but are not required anywhere but in the wind-borne debris zone.  Even if not required, impact windows are a good idea.  For one thing, they provide enhanced protection against breakins. 

More importantly, the code is somewhat arbitrary.  Does it make sense that code requires impact protection on one side of a street, but not on the other?  Is a home less important because it is in Tampa, rather than across the bay?  The code is intended to lessen the loss from a major storm.  It is not a guarantee that you will never have to endure a major storm outside of the wind-borne debris zone.  Ask the people who were devastated when Hurricane Charley took an unexpected detour up the center of the state.

How Can I Be Sure I Get the Proper Protection?

Atlantic Windows products are state-approved for impact protection as demonstrated by documents FL12146, FL12147, FL12149, FL13134, FL13754, and FL14681.  For more information, the Florida Building Commission website has theses documents, which contain product engineering details and installation requirements. 

As part of the permitting process, we will produce these and other documents to your local building department to demonstrate that our products and installation techniques meet all state, county, and municipal code.  They will also verify that we meet all state and local requirements for contractor licensing and insurance. 

After we complete the job, it will be inspected by the building department to confirm that we did everything "by the book" right down to the number and type of screws used.  This is your assurance that your project has been executed to meet all relevant codes and qualifies for state-mandated insurance discounts.

Atlantic Vinyl Windows & Doors Inc.                      Resistant to 220 MPH winds!

  Home of America's strongest vinyl windows -  Locally Manufactured in Dunedin, Florida  -  (727) -738-0081

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                 Atlantic Vinyl Windows & Doors, Inc.   1367 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.  -  Dunedin FL  34698