There is nothing else in the market that can compete with the windows and doors used by CATEGORY FIVE HOMES. Quality, appearance and performance are unmatched, protecting the buildings occupants from the elements. All window and door elements in CATEGORY FIVE HOMES are Miami-Dade County Approved and available as Large Missile Impact Resistant at very high design pressures. Our product ratings are as high as 220 PSF that equals a 300 MPH wind. No other manufacturer is able to match this performance.
STRUCTURE PROTECTION DURING A HURRICANE
The biggest cause of devastation in a hurricane is the ability of wind to enter a structure through a broken window or door. The wind entering the building through the opening allows an enormous pressure to build up inside the structure, while air traveling at high velocities over the house causes pressure to drop on the outside. This difference in pressure creates a blast effect on the structure that can blow the roof and walls off.
- NO SHUTTER COMPONENTS NECESSARY
- SUPERIOR SOUND REDUCTION FROM EXTERIOR NOISE
- FILTERING OF HARMFUL UV SUNLIGHT
- YEAR ROUND PROTECTION FROM HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS
- UNIQUE LAMINATED GLASS CONSTRUCTION COMPLIES WITH SAFETY SPECIFICATIONS OF TEMPERED GLASS
CATEGORY FIVE HOMES windows and doors are available in a wide range of sizes and styles to suit any taste or design.
THE IMPACT RESISTANCE TEST
In 1994, Dade County adopted an Impact standard which has been picked up by numerous other building departments to prevent this devastation. This standard requires window and door openings in a structure to resist impact of either Large Missiles (for the lower floors, usually the first 3 floors) and Small Missiles (for the upper floors, generally applicable to buildings only).
Products that are rated for Large Missile compliance automatically qualify for Small Missile since the Large Missile test is much more difficult to pass. The Large Missile Test is conducted as follows:
- Three window or door specimens are impacted twice by a 2x4 piece of lumber weighing 9 pounds. One impact is made at the center and the other impact at a corner.
- After all three specimens have been impacted successfully, they are subjected to 9,000 cycles of wind pressures that simulates the vibrating or gust effects of hurricanes. These cycles are conducted at a specific design pressure or wind speed as directed by the manufacturer. Remember the phrase "design pressure". (Shutters systems are only required to pass 671 cycles as opposed to 9,000)
- If all three specimens pass, the product is considered as acceptable and is rated at the specific design pressure that the manufacturer selected.
Not all products that pass the Impact Requirements are equal in strength. All products that pass are rated at a specific design pressure based on PSF, (pounds per square foot). The higher the PSF, the stronger the product and the better able it is to resist hurricane winds after being impacted.
EVALUATING WINDOW DESIGN
DESIGN PRESSURE
The most important performance rating in any impact resistant fenestration product is its Design Pressure. The Design Pressure or "Design Load" is a value (documented as PSF, pounds per square foot) that indicates the ability of a product to resist winds after it has been impacted by the missile portion of the test. The higher the Design Load value the stronger the product. Two different pressures are always specified. Positive Pressure is created when the static pressure on the outside is larger than on the inside. Positive Pressures push the windows towards the inside of a building. When the pressure on the inside is larger than that on the outside, Negative Pressure is created and this pressure pulls the window away from the opening. Oddly as it may seem, numerous studies have clearly indicated that during a hurricane, negative design pressures are greater than positive pressures. It is for this reason that almost all codes require windows and doors to resist greater Negative Pressures than Positive Pressures.
WHY IS DESIGN PRESSURE SO IMPORTANT?
All impact resistant windows and doors that are tested and approved must first resist penetration from the missile (or impact) portion of the test. This is a Pass or Fail type test. Once the impact test is passed, the windows and doors are subjected to 9,000 cycles of Positive and Negative loads. It is during this test that the strength of a product is clearly documented. Not all products are able to resist the same Design Pressure. Comparing the Design Pressure rating of an impact resistant product allows a consumer to differentiate the strength of these products.