While most of the year Floridians enjoy sunshine and lovely weather, we all know that Hurricane Season can bring powerful storms and the subsequent damage. Having a plan for protecting your home is vital for all South Florida residents, but especially for seasonal residents who need to ensure either to protect their Florida homes before they leave for the summer or have a reliable person available to deploy protection at a moment’s notice.

For both full-time and part-time residents, window and door protection is one of the first priorities for home protection, but that does not mean that the process of doing so is the same for both. For seasonal residents looking to make window and door protection as simple as possible, upgrading to impact windows and doors are a great choice of an investment.

Simplicity is not the only reason upgrading is a good idea to consider, and below we outline several of those benefits.

Effortless Storm Protection

There is a reason that impact windows and doors are often referred to as hurricane windows and doors. That is because protection from damaging wind and debris during hurricanes is their main purpose and function. Since the Atlantic Hurricane Season corresponds with the most common months for seasonal residents to be living outside Florida, the likelihood is you will not be available to protect your Florida property when a storm strikes.

If you do not have the 24/7 protection of impact windows and doors, this leaves you with just a few options. First, you may need to deploy your hurricane measures (i.e. close your shutters) before you leave for the Summer, have an arrangement with someone to deploy your shutters for you, or risk major damage to your home. While the first 2 options may protect against wind-borne debris, they can create other issues of their own, which are detailed further below.

Continuous Intruder Protection

Aside from storm protection, impact windows and doors offer 24/7 protection from intruders. The biggest part of that is the impact-resistant glass, making it virtually impossible for burglars to get into a home by smashing windows or doors to gain entry.

According to Security Systems of America, it is best practice for home security to make it appear as if someone is still home when you are out of town, whether it is for a few days or an entire summer. Closed shutters on all the windows is a very clear indicator of absence, so having impact windows that can remain uncovered coupled with timers on indoor lights can create the illusion of an occupied home.

Improved Climate Control

When preparing your Florida home for your Summer absence, climate considerations are a huge part of the preparation. It becomes a balance of keeping your home’s climate dry and cool enough to prevent mold while not overtaxing your home’s cooling system and electric bills. Hurricane windows and doors can help with that. Impact products offer many options to improve your home’s energy efficiency and indoor climate, like glass coatings and frame material options.

No matter which impact window and door options you choose, you will get better results from these products than metal shutters, whether they are manual, accordion, or roll down style. Both steel and aluminum, the 2 most common materials used to make hurricane shutters, and heat conductors. The heated air generated can also get trapped between the shutter and window, and with the shutters closed for long periods of time means there is no way for this hot air to efficiently vent away from the home. 

Improved Resale Value

While selling your Florida home may not be in the immediate future, investing in an upgrade to impact windows and doors has proven to get a large return on investment when the property is sold.

Possible Insurance Savings

When owning multiple properties, trying to reduce costs like homeowner’s insurance is likely a top concern. In Florida’s marketplace, many people try to get every discount possible on homeowner’s insurance, and impact windows and doors may help with that. Many Florida insurance providers may offer a discount on your premium for properties with upgraded hurricane protection, like impact products and improved roofing.

Ongoing Benefits for Many Years to Come

For those who may start as seasonal residents but also hope to or plan to make the move to Florida permanent, the benefits of upgrading are two-fold. First, you can take advantage of all the benefits of impact products for seasonal residents during that time in your life, then you can enjoy the benefits full-time for many more years once you make the move to your Florida residence permanent.