Impact-Resistant Windows Withstand Hurricane Charley

Weather Shield Windows and Doors says its LifeGuardÒ line of impact-resistant windows and doors helped protect many homes from flying debris and wind damage associated with Hurricane Charley. While many homes were demolished WeatherShield says its windows, which feature an interlayer system, reduced the likelihood of damage and impact penetration.

"Until now, the benefits of impact-resistant window and door systems, could only be illustrated in the test lab," said Val Rogers, certification and testing project team leader at Weather Shield. "Hurricane Charley provided the ultimate test, and we are very pleased to see the level of protection this technology is able to provide in both the residential and commercial sectors."

"We are particularly gratified that we are not aware of one single building or home built with LifeGuard products that experienced any window or door failure," said Todd Fittro, window specialist with Forest Products, a LifeGuard dealer in Sarasota. "We visited many neighborhoods where homes with LifeGuard impact-resistant window and door systems remained untouched by the storm and houses just down the street were demolished.

Peter Hayes, president of Tandem Construction, whose company has both commercial and residential products in the storm's path, stressed that installation is critical.

"I've seen some fine products fail because they were installed incorrectly," said Hayes. "We need more education in this area to make sure we don't see failures from good products being installed improperly."

For more information visit www.weathershield.com