Hurricane Resistant Sliding Glass Doors

Our 4+ sliding door system is a certified hurricane resistant sliding glass door A hurricane is a tropical storm that has taken a cyclonic form and has reached wind speeds of 74mph or higher. Strong hurricanes can cause moderate to severe damage to surrounding buildings and can also cause flooding in coastal areas. Testing windows and doors for hurricane resistance means making sure that they will be able to withstand strong winds as well as making sure that the doors are manufactured correctly to prevent any water leaking through the frames. Preventing a water leak means less damage to the home during a hurricane or coastal storm. The resulting systems can be classed as hurricane resistant sliding glass doors. What is hurricane testing and how are sliding glass doors tested for hurricane resistance? Hurricane Testing for Glazing Glazing used in hurricane prone areas should be tested for hurricane resistance. These tests include various steps to simulate environmental challenges associated with turbulent hurricane conditions. Hurricane resistant sliding glass doors must be designed to protect the inside of a building from the extreme winds of hurricanes as well as rain and storm thrown objects. A hurricane’s longevity is part of what makes it dangerous – they tend to last much longer than a tornado, for instance. Therefore, when testing sliding glass doors for hurricane resistance, they need to stay in place throughout the storm. The main intention of hurricane proof sliding glass doors is that they remain in situ throughout the storm and can stand up against all windborne debris. Under hurricane testing, the sliding glass doors undergo impact testing to see if glass and framing profiles are resistant to strong storms and heavy rains. Hard elements are thrown at the sliding glass doors to mimic storm thrown objects during a hurricane. The test requires different conditions, but basically random, hard-hitting items are thrown powerfully to see if the glass and frames will remain in place during a storm. The sliding glass doors are also subjected to a test recreating the rain and winds generated by hurricanes. minimal windows 4+ Hurricane Resistance Testing Results Our oversized sliding glass door system – minimal windows® 4+ – has been tested under TAS testing guidelines to demonstrate that it is a hurricane resistant sliding glass door and was tested to show compliance with the Miami Dade codes. Hurricane-resistant testing was completed with cyclic wind pressure loading tested to 3510Pa in agreement with TAS 203. KELLER minimal windows® typical sightlines were chosen with its 26mm interlocking profiles. Although the standard high performance sliding glass door was tested, different types of technical architectural glazing solutions, such as solar control coating, low iron glazing or heated glass, are available to use in a range of architectural design projects. The sliding panes are tested in sized of up to 12m2 per pane with a typical glass specification of up to 56mm thick. Hurricane Resistant Sliding Door Applications Floor to ceiling triple glazed minimal windows® 4+ sliding glass doors in Cornwall are located by the ocean. The beach house had a pocket configuration on the coastal face elevation to provide a wider area to travel between the spaces. This contemporary new build house is completed with minimal windows sliding glass doors in various locations around the house. Movable glass facades by sliding doors included a timber shading system externally. Although it isn’t very common for the UK to experience hurricanes, it is prudent to be fully prepared for severe storms. minimal windows® 4+ are tested for their wind resistance against wind pressures equal to that of a hurricane. Contact our glazing experts now to install minimal windows 4+ hurricane resistant glazing solutions into your project!

For more information on Hurricane Resistant Sliding Glass Doors talk to Minimal Windows® by Keller