Fortifications: Security and Storm Protection

All Swing doors come standard with throw bolts in three directions: up, down and sideways. There also exists a integral handset that is keyed and will operate the two vertical and one horizontal deadbolts with a single motion. This feature costs around $250 per panel and is highly recommended, it allows you to operate the 3-points of security from the exterior as well as the interior. If you have multiple swing doors all of your three point lock sets will be keyed alike.

All Mr. Glass laminate glass is comprised of 2 layers of heat strengthened glass, “HS”. Most competitors start with weaker, untreated, “annealed glass”, then charge to upgrade to “HS”.

Stock Glass for Horizontal Rollers and Singlehungs is 5/16 Laminated Glass written as :

1/8 CLEAR HS + 0.090 PVB + 1/8 CLEAR HS

That is, two eight inch panes of heat strengthened glass with a  one sixteenth inch thick Poly Vinyl Buteral Layer in between.

This glass can be easily upgraded to “7/16” glass, the cost is a roughly 15% increase on the particular window

Sliding doors come stock with an industry leading 9/16 glass.

1/4 CLEAR HS + 0.090 PVB + 1/4 CLEAR HS

Part of what makes a window “Impact rated” is the layer of material between the 2 pieces of laminated glass, This Layer is  .090 inches thick which translates roughly to 1/16 of an inch, This is why the standard glass written as

Is Considered  5/16 Glass. The Clear denotes the tint for that pane while the HS stands for heat strengthened. PVB stands for Poly Vinyl Buteral, this is a very strong interlayer. For larger windows or to increase pressure ratings for other reasons an even higher quality interlayer is available, this is known as SGP, Sentry Glas Plus. 

Having personally dismantled and installed hundreds of sliding glass doors, new and old, I am of the opinion that they are the single weakest link in your homes theft barrier, information not lost on professional burglars, most fixed panels and locking catches being fastened with incredibly inadequate self tapping metal screws, or sometimes even screwless alligator clips. Mr Glass has solved the age old problem of insecure sliding doors by placing the active panel, fully interlocked and latched in a concrete screw secured catch as the outside panel, while placing solid aluminum bracing at the header and base of the fixed panel inaccessible from outside. Which is to say, you can’t break in to these doors!!”

Upgrading to Impact windows represents a decreased risk value for your Home Owners Insurance. Contact your carrier to discuss how much your new windows and doors will decrease your insurance premium.

Pressure ratings describe the windows capacity to withstand applied force, it is measured in terms of PSF(Pounds per Square Foot) and listed as positive “Push” pressure and negative “Pull” pressure. The number indicates the amount of pressure, reduced by 33%, that a product can withstand. For example a window with +80/-80 PSF could withstand Push or Pull pressure of up to 120 Lbs per square Ft. Our windows come standard with industry leading pressure ratings and can be upgraded to incredible levels of strength, that being said all impact windows, by definition, offer “category 5” hurricane protection.

HVHZ: High Velocity Hurricane Zone. All of Broward county is considered to be in a HVHZ.  All windows and doors must be rated for HVHZ in order to pass inspections in this region by law. All of the products we provide exceed HVHZ standards considerably.