Impact glass or shutters?
Pick the building and what matters to you, and get a side-by-side comparison in plain words. There are no prices here: an installer measures your openings and quotes them.
How this works
The table compares the two on what they actually do: during a storm, every other day of the year, for light and view, security, upkeep, the approvals each needs in your county, and how a wind mitigation inspection records them.
The points under 'for your situation' come from what you ticked. They are the trade-offs an installer walks through at the measure; the installer's quote is where the product, the approval and the price come from.
It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. It is a guide, not a quote or a professional assessment — products, openings and associations differ, so follow the maker's instructions where they disagree, and the installer confirms what the job needs when they measure it.
Questions people ask
- Are impact windows better than shutters?
- They do different things. Impact windows are always in place and keep the house bright; shutters protect the opening once closed and leave the existing windows as they are. Many homes mix the two.
- Do I still need shutters if I have impact windows?
- Not over an opening that has an approved impact window or door. Any opening without one still needs its own protection.
- Which does the wind mitigation inspector prefer?
- Neither. Opening protection is recorded from the approvals on every opening, impact glass or approved shutters alike. The weakest opening sets the result.
- What approval does each need?
- In Miami-Dade and Broward (the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone) both carry a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance; in Palm Beach County a Florida Product Approval. Both are permitted work; the building department inspects.
- Can a condo owner choose?
- Within the association's rules. Most buildings have one window specification and limit shutter types on balconies, so ask the board before quoting either.
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