When Considering storm protection, many people debate between hurricane shutters and impact glass windows/doors. While there are certainly places for impact windows, there are many negatives to impact windows that make hurricane shutters a better option for most people.
Cost: Impact Windows are vastly more expensive Replacement: In the event of an impact on the window, if the outer glass is shattered (not even the entire window) the whole opening must be replaced, leading to another costly install.Water Penetration: Impact windows, at their core, are still windows. When Florence drove hurricane force rain into the seams of windows across Southeastern NC, many windows- impact and regular- leaked heavily damaging the interiors of these homes. While hurricane shutters are not rated to stop water penetration, they do block the force of driving rain from directly impacting the window seams and this usually results in a lower chance of leaks.