Why are Impact Doors in Miami Important?
South Florida living comes with many benefits–sunny days and nearby beaches, to name a couple. But one downside to living in Miami is the threat of hurricanes. Hurricane season brings heavy rains, strong winds, and the risk of damage to your home.
There are ways to protect your home from catastrophic damage, notably, impact doors and impact windows to ensure the weather stays outside. What are the benefits of impact doors? Why should you have them professionally installed in your Miami house? Let’s dig in.
Looking for a professional opinion? The expert team at USA Home Improvement provides free consultations for impact doors in Miami and the surrounding areas.
Benefits of Impact Doors in Miami
The benefits of impact doors in Florida go beyond hurricane protection. They can keep your house safe all year, lower your electricity costs, and reduce noise pollution.
Enhanced Hurricane Protection
Hurricanes bring strong winds, whipping rain, and flying debris, which cause the most damage during storm season. Impact doors are reinforced to be hurricane-resistant, protecting your home from interior devastation. If the storm is able to breach your doors, the debris can cause damage to not only your home but also injure your family.
Increased Home Security
Hurricanes aren’t the only danger to your home. Intruders often go for your front or back doors to break in during a burglary. Impact doors are strong enough to hold tight against any crowbars, and the glass is more shatter-resistant than typical door glass, so you can sleep peacefully knowing your family is protected.
Energy Efficiency
It’s no secret that Miami's summer temperatures are, well, sweltering. Energy costs soar during the warm months as families in South Florida try to keep the inside of their homes cool. One factor leading to even higher electric bills is doors that leak, allowing the heat in and the cooled air out.
Impact doors are the most energy-efficient option for your home–the insulation prevents unwanted heat exchange, acting as a seal between the indoors and out.
Noise reduction
Noise pollution is such a common occurrence in our lives that we may not even notice it anymore. Any noise from outside your home, including music and loud vehicles, begins to impact your sleep, diminishing your mental and physical health. According to data from US News, Miami is the second worst American city for sleep health, and one of the deciding factors was local noise pollution.
Impact doors keep outside noise out, providing peace and quiet in your living space.
Types of Impact Doors in Miami
There are several different types of impact doors, so you can use them around the entire outside of your home–from the front door to a sliding patio door, and even your garage door. Most options are available in many different frame colors, frame materials, and glass tints.
Hurricane Impact Doors
Impact doors go through rigorous training to ensure they stand up to the most intense of conditions. They are usually made with fiberglass over a core material that will not warp or distort during extreme weather with reinforced hinges and frames. Even impact doors made of glass are resistant to hurricane conditions. Impact doors are not only protective, but they also come in many styles and materials to fit the aesthetics of your home.
Sliding Glass Impact Doors
Sliding glass impact doors open horizontally by sliding on a track. They are available in many sizes, from 2 panels to 8–acting as a perfect patio entrance and providing expansive views of your property.
On top of being Low-E and using Argon gas as insulation, sliding glass impact doors allow natural light to flood the interior of your home. This can reduce the need for lights during daytime hours, further lowering electricity costs.
French Impact Doors
French impact doors, also known as swing doors, are a charming option for many homes. Large, modern glass panels and interestingly styled panes add to your home’s curb appeal. Like sliding glass doors, they allow natural light in while keeping all elements out. The concealed locking system provides added strength and security from potential intruders.
Choosing the Right Impact Doors in Miami
There are many different impact doors to choose from, and the consideration factors depend on your home and your goals.
- Durability and Material Quality - choosing the right brand for your needs is imperative. You should discuss your options with a professional who can guide you through the best choice for your location and home.
- Design and Style Options - In 2023, there are countless options for impact doors to fit the style of your home, allowing you the option of keeping or upgrading your curb appeal while ensuring peace of mind about safety and security.
- Energy Efficiency Ratings - Depending on how important energy efficiency is for you, there are several options to consider when choosing your impact doors. Factors like material and type of door will impact the energy efficiency ratings.
Certification and Compliance with Building Codes
- Research Reputable Impact Door Manufacturers in Miami - there are many reputable manufacturers that the team at USAHI works with. It is important that the manufacturer you choose has knowledge of local housing codes and builds impact doors to those standards. Some reliable brands are ES Windows, PGT, CGI, Lawson, Custom Windows, and Eco Windows.
- Compare prices and obtain quotes from multiple suppliers - Shopping around for the most competitive pricing is now more important than ever. With inflated prices in 2023, finding the best bang for your buck while still ensuring your home is as secure as possible is crucial.
- Seek professional guidance and installation services - if the research process feels overwhelming due to confusing safety codes and the wide range of options, a professional can help steer you in the right direction. Further, expert installation is important for impact doors. Certified impact door installers provide peace of mind that installation is completed correctly and efficiently, making your home safer as quickly as possible.
Maintenance and Care Tips for Impact Doors in Miami
To keep your impact doors strong and efficient for many years, proper care and maintenance are necessary.
Regular Cleaning and Inspection of Impact Doors
Glass impact doors should be regularly cleaned with soap and water, but that is not enough. While it will remove any dust or grime on the surface, it does nothing for the dirt that could accumulate between the frame and the glass. If that dirt is left over time, it can cause the impact glass to crack at the edges, which ruins its integrity and can cause failure from a strong impact.
Lubrication of Hinges and Moving Parts
The reinforced hinges of impact doors need extra care to maintain their structural integrity. Any squeaking or metal-on-metal creaking can wear down your hinges, impeding their effectiveness in a storm. Regular care to make sure all parts are properly lubricated and moving freely is key in caring for your impact doors.
Avoiding Excessive Force and Misuse
While we know impact doors can stand up to the strongest winds and the heaviest of flying debris, they should still be treated with care in your home. Avoiding unnecessary wear and tear from slamming is crucial for the long-term integrity of your impact doors.
Addressing Minor Issues Promptly
You may find some small cracks in the film on the glass of your impact door or other minor issues that seem inconsequential. However, these small problems can prove disastrous if left over time. The glass film reinforces the strength of the glass, so it should be regularly inspected and promptly replaced.
Get Impact Doors From USAHI
The importance of impact doors in Miami cannot be overstated. If it's time to protect your home and upgrade its aesthetic, the expert team at USA Home Improvement is standing by, ready to provide a free consultation. We offer affordable financing on all impact doors and installations, so reach out today.
