The demand for impact windows is soaring each year. 2O22 was predicted to be a hurricane year, but Miami has not been hit hard. However, this does not eliminate the need to have an impact window. Yet, you might still wonder if impact windows are an added cost or maybe an investment or whether they are worth it.
You should view impact windows as an investment, not an expense or liability. The benefits of having impact windows are many, and your home’s value rises. You can save money on insurance, bills, and other damages from hurricanes. In the long run, you will expend less money than an individual without impact windows. This article will teach you why hurricane windows are a worthy investment.
1. You Increase the Value of Your Home
Generally, installing impact windows Miami increases the value of your property. New impact windows are more energy efficient and look better than standard windows. Prospective buyers will be willing to pay more for a home with hurricane windows.
Installing impact windows can increase home value since they are better at insulating a home. This results in energy saving throughout the year. Furthermore, hurricane windows are designed to withstand high winds and don’t break easily on impact. Thus, a home buyer will feel more protected against severe weather. When you sum up all these added benefits, you’ll see that impact windows appeal more to homeowners and prospective home buyers.
2. You Will Reduce the Costs of Damage
Impact windows have two categories: performance grade (PG) and design pressure (DP). DP rating is the ability of a window to withstand wind pressure. The rating, symbolized by a number, represents three aspects: air pressure, water penetration, and structural load. When the number is high, you get better resistance. The rating scale will assist in determining the storm protection level you expect from the window.
Impact windows undergo a design pressure test to ensure they hold up during storms. Every 10 points in the DP rating is equivalent to a hurricane level. Therefore, a DP rating of 30 means the windows can withstand a level 3 hurricane, while 40 means they can withstand a level 4 hurricane.
You get different protection levels against storm damage depending on your selected protection level. Whether it is a break-in or a storm, the repair cost is reduced significantly by impact windows. When the windows get damaged, they have the added advantage of reducing possible injury.
3. You Can Benefit from PACE Financing
PACE is short for Property Assessed Clean Energy Program. It is a unique way of financing your home upgrades that are energy efficient to encourage the use of renewable energy. Impact windows are energy efficient, and thus they are included in the program.
With PACE financing, you will spread the cost of your upgrades across your home’s tax assessment, which is assessed annually. The good thing is that you will not have to pay anything upfront. Also, the debt is tied to the home and not you, meaning it can be transferred if you sell the property.
This type of financing also has low-interest rates because it is secure by being tied to the home. You save money compared to a situation where you’d have paid for a private loan. These benefits, plus the easy financing, show why impact windows are more of an investment than an expense.
4. You Get Insurance Benefits
Impact windows reduce the risk of storm damage to your home. Many insurance companies give incentives and significant policy discounts to homeowners installing impact windows. This is because most insurance companies see hurricane windows as a beneficial safety measure in the event of a storm. It translates to substantial your homeowner’s insurance. Of course, the charges will vary depending on where you live.
5. Lower Energy Costs
Impact windows are efficient in managing extreme temperature changes. Even when temperatures rise or drop drastically, the impact windows have insulating properties that help maintain a constant temperature inside the house. That is why most of these windows are rated as Low-E, meaning they have low emissivity.
Your HVAC system does not have to put in much work when you have impact windows. This results in lower electricity and gas costs and improved energy savings. According to Energy Star, a homeowner can save up to $101 – $ 583 from single-pane windows and $27 – $ 197 by replacing double-pane windows with star-rated windows. So, your investment in impact windows starts to pay dividends in the first year.
Wrapping Up
As the demand for impact windows continuously rises, so do the benefits of having one. So, installing an impact window as early as now would be best since you will almost start saving immediately. You will also improve the chances of selling your home at a good valuation rate as the value will rise exponentially.
When you consider the saving, insurance, and tax benefits of having impact windows, you see that it is an investment rather than an expense. You will have peace of mind since you are safe and reaping dividends from installing windows. The best part is that you can install hurricane windows without using your money at low rates that will be passed on to the next buyer. So, why don’t you get an impact-resistant window today?