When you compare impact windows vs hurricane shutters, you’re looking at two approved ways to protect the same openings. It’s possible to install both. With advancements in laminated glass technology, the best hurricane windows may be sufficient with or without the storm shutters, though usually not the other way around.
Shutters protect an opening only after someone closes them, so impact windows are usually the better investment on a second home, a seasonal residence, or a rental. If your windows are newer, or a full replacement isn’t in the budget this year, shutters do the job for less.
|
Impact windows |
Hurricane shutters |
|
|
Protection active |
Always |
Only when closed |
|
Action before a storm |
None |
Yes, need to be closed |
|
Glass behind |
Laminated, impact-rated |
Standard glass |
|
Daylight when protected |
Yes |
Blocked on most types |
|
Off-season storage |
None |
Yes, for panel systems |
|
Upfront cost |
Higher |
Lower |
|
Replaces the window |
Yes |
No |
Benefits of Impact Windows
Impact-resistant windows are essentially made with the same technology behind automobile windshields. The entire glass becomes much stronger by layering dual panes of glass over a resilient laminate interlayer. Even if flying projectiles crack the storm glass, it won’t shatter and bust apart like regular glass, which creates countless shards of glass by comparison. Instead, broken storm glass stays connected by the internal laminate membrane, which keeps the glass in place. It stays intact even under the large missile test used to certify these products, which fires a nine-pound 2×4 at roughly 50 feet per second.
The two most common laminate materials for hurricane windows are polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). Approved by Miami-Dade County, the impact windows we install are built with laminated glass and set deeply into a reinforced aluminum frame.
CGI windows are also unobtrusive, lending nothing unusual to the character of the home. CGI produces six different varieties, all customizable and available with a wide range of options:
With CGI’s time-tested hurricane windows, you’ll get certified opening protection in a frame and profile that match the rest of the house.
Additionally, CGI hurricane windows provide these other benefits:
- Protection from intruders and vandals
- UV-ray filtering
- Greater insulation
- Increased energy efficiency
- Visibility during a storm
Are Hurricane Shutters Worth It?
Hurricane shutters are usually more affordable than impact windows, and some think they add to the curb appeal, adding a depth of charm and character to the house. Shutter types differ in how they operate. Accordion and roll-down systems stay mounted and close along a track. Storm panels mount and come off each season. Motorized roll shutters close from a switch, and newer models connect to a home network so you can close them from your phone while you’re away.
Shutters make particular sense in a few situations:
- Your windows are relatively new and you would rather protect them than replace them
- Wide or unusually shaped openings are impractical to replace
- Bahama and colonial styles stay mounted year-round and provide shade
- Roll-downs offer light and privacy control on ordinary days
- The budget rules out full window replacement this year
They ask something in return, and it’s worth knowing before you buy. Removable panels take time to install across a whole house. Panel systems need dry storage for the other eleven months of the year. Tracks, hinges, motors, and fasteners are exposed to salt air and need periodic service to stay operable. And the glass behind a shutter is still ordinary glass, so a shutter that was never closed protects nothing.
Shutters can also be used in conjunction with storm windows. That combination covers the weakness in each. The shutter takes the strike, and the laminated glass behind it keeps the opening sealed even if the shutter fails or was never closed.
Hurricane Shutters vs Impact Windows: Which Option Is Better?
Compared to regular windows, there’s no question that either option will vastly improve your safety and protect your property. But if you’re trying to maximize your level of storm protection, line up the benefits side by side and judge for yourself.
Effectiveness
Impact glass is rated by design pressure, and a low-rated product on a high-exposure opening performs closer to a shuttered standard window than to a properly specified one. Matched to the opening, impact-resistant windows are usually the stronger single system for a whole house.
Even if shutters alone seem sufficient for your property, the glass behind them still has to tolerate the shaking and banging of the panels under load. Even excellent hurricane shutters, without impact-resistant glass behind, might break and scatter glass into the property anyway.
There’s nothing wrong with having both impact-resistant glass and hurricane shutters installed together. Hurricane shutters without impact-resistant glass are less functional, although still much better than nothing.
Preparedness and Ease of Use
As with any emergency preparedness, it’s important to periodically look at your plan of action in the event of a storm. Here, the advantage also goes to hurricane windows, which require no action before a storm and none after it. Shutters must be closed and locked to be useful, and that raises a practical question if you aren’t home to close and latch them. Unsecured hurricane shutters can also become a hazard during extreme winds.
This matters most for any sliding glass door or French doors in the house. Their larger dimensions make them more vulnerable to breakage, and a failed door lets far more wind and water into the house than a failed window. We install impact doors in the same rated systems for exactly that reason.
Are Impact Windows Required in Florida?
Not specifically. Florida’s building code requires that exterior glazed openings be protected in wind-borne debris regions, which cover most of coastal Florida. It does not name impact windows as the only way to do that.
Approved options include impact-rated windows and doors, code-compliant shutters over standard glazing, and other tested opening protection systems. Any of them satisfies the requirement as long as the specific product is approved and passes local permitting.
Miami-Dade and Broward are inside the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, where approval standards are stricter than the rest of the state. Products there receive a Notice of Acceptance from the Miami-Dade Building Product Control Division after passing large and small missile impact testing, followed by pressure load cycling. Elsewhere in Florida, Florida Product Approval covers the same ground. Either way, the approval document lists the sizes, configurations, and design pressures the product is rated for, and its number goes on your permit application.
Existing homes are generally not required to upgrade until you replace the windows. Once you do, they’ll have to meet the current code for your location.
How Much Do Hurricane Shutters Cost in Florida?
The two systems put their costs in different places, which matters more than any single number.
Shutter pricing depends on the number of openings, the shutter type, and installation. Storm panels are the least expensive, accordion and roll-down systems cost more, and motorized roll-downs add electrical work. Impact window pricing depends on the number of openings, their sizes, frame finish, glass package, and the design pressure each opening requires. Replacing a wide sliding door assembly costs considerably more than a small bathroom window.
The costs that arrive later differ too. Shutters cost you deployment labor every time a storm threatens, plus storage and hardware service over their life. Impact windows have none of those costs and reduce cooling costs year-round, because laminated glass in insulated units slows heat transfer. Impact windows also replace the window itself, so an aging window you’d have had to replace anyway comes off the future budget.
Both qualify for wind mitigation insurance credits when approved products are properly installed, which offsets part of either investment. We provide free in-home estimates with exact measurements, so you can compare a real quote against real shutter bids rather than averages.
Daylight and Noise During a Storm
If you’re dependent only on storm shutters, you’ll be blocking every natural light source and unable to see outside. Some homeowners find a fully shuttered house harder to sit through than a lit one, particularly with children or pets in the room.
The same properties that make hurricane windows highly insulative also reduce external sound levels. That lowers the volume of the wind and provides a greater sense of calm when you need it most.
The Best Impact Hurricane Windows and Shutters in Miami
Regular windows can be hazardous even with storm shutters. All it would take is one blowout, and you’d have shards of glass everywhere that could endanger you, your family, and your pets. There is a third option for the highest level of protection: installing both impact windows and hurricane shutters. The choice is yours.
Since 1992, CGI Windows has manufactured hurricane-rated windows, and with a variety of colors and styles to choose from, you won’t have to compromise on style for safety. With Elite Impact Glass, you’ll also receive installation from a company with more than 100 five-star reviews. Voted “Miami’s Best Hurricane Impact Windows,” we’re proud to keep families and businesses in our community as safe as possible during even the most dangerous conditions.
If you’re ready to purchase impact glass, contact Elite today. You can also look through the full range of impact windows and doors we install. We offer free estimates and financing options, so you don’t need to wait to obtain the security you and your loved ones deserve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are impact windows better than hurricane shutters?
They protect differently, rather than one being universally better. Impact windows are always active and need nothing from you before a storm. That makes them the stronger choice for a second home, a seasonal residence, or a rental. Shutters cost less upfront and let you keep windows that are still in good shape. If your windows are due for replacement anyway, impact windows usually come out ahead on total value. If they aren’t, shutters can be a more sensible way to go.
How do I check whether a product is approved for my area?
Every approved product has a documented approval you can look up. In Miami-Dade and Broward, that’s a Notice of Acceptance from the Miami-Dade Building Product Control Division. Elsewhere in Florida, it’s a Florida Product Approval number. The document lists approved sizes, configurations, and design pressures, so it tells you whether the product is rated for your specific opening rather than just the category. Ask any contractor for the approval number before you sign, and confirm that the sizes on it cover your openings.
Do you need shutters if you have impact windows?
Impact-rated windows satisfy opening protection requirements on their own, as long as they have the correct approval for the opening and are installed to specification. Code does not require both. Some owners on exposed coastal sites add shutters over impact glass for an extra layer, and there’s nothing wrong with doing so.
Which lasts longer, impact windows or hurricane shutters?
Impact windows generally last longer with less attention. Well-installed impact windows commonly last 20 to 30 years, and the maintenance is rinsing salt off the frames and checking seals and hardware once or twice a year. Shutters have more moving parts exposed to salt air, so tracks, hinges, motors, and fasteners need periodic service to stay operable. A shutter that hasn’t been cycled in three seasons may not close when you need it.
Do hurricane shutters or impact windows save more on insurance?
Both can qualify. Florida law requires carriers to offer wind mitigation discounts on properties with certified opening protection. Approved shutters and approved impact windows both count on the wind mitigation inspection. Your credit depends on your carrier, your inspection results, and how much of the property is protected. To reach the maximum discount, every opening has to be covered, including entry doors, sliding glass doors, and garage doors. Check with your carrier for the specific credit before budgeting around it.