Great forum and my thanks ahead of time. I am building a 2 story house that sits SW on a bay in the panhandle of Florida. As such I would appreciate suggestions on: impact resistant windows and sliders SHGC U-factor other factors like durability This home will have a lot of south facing windows that are large and a number of sliders that are large as well. We have some shade from patios on the second floor to help the first floor and the second floor roof helps the windows and sliders on the second floor again some. Given the added issue of impact resistant I know that I am looking at tempered glass with the impact film sandwiched between and an air or gas gap with another internal pane. I am looking for any input from you experts regarding what windows to look at. I have used no name built vinyl double panes in Florida in a previous home and have Anderson sliders and windows in my current home which have held up very well. However I don't really know what is the best overall window and slider company that gives good performance across the factors I am looking at. I have looked at the Efficientwindows.org site and it helps but experience counts. Your help appreciated. I cannot give window and slider sizes as the plans are not complete but it is a 10 ft ceiling for 1st and 2nd floors with ICF and maximum south exposure to take advantage of the view. Also they bay is brackish salt water and I get no salt spray corrosion at all so it is not a factor. Thanks all...

As an update to this thread I will post what I discover regarding the manufacturers that can meet the Florida impact requirement.

I contacted Alpen and of this date they do not have products that meet that requirement.
Will post others as I get them.

Posted By fun2drive on 08 Sep 2014 12:37 PM
As an update to this thread I will post what I discover regarding the manufacturers that can meet the Florida impact requirement.

I contacted Alpen and of this date they do not have products that meet that requirement.
Will post others as I get them.

Have you looked into Intus Windows? They have triple pane windows that are Florida/Miami-Dade Hurricane Certified windows.

I plan to send my plans to Joe Martin once I get the final engineering drawing done and see what he can do. I also plan to visit a site that has the windows in my area. I think Intus is an excellent window need to see what the cost data is too.
I have 23 fixed pane/ 4 sliders or French windows/ 4 outward opening single doors and 1 double doors for the entrance so I have a large bill coming once I place an order...
Thanks

Posted By Lbear on 08 Sep 2014 04:57 PM

Posted By fun2drive on 08 Sep 2014 12:37 PM
As an update to this thread I will post what I discover regarding the manufacturers that can meet the Florida impact requirement.

I contacted Alpen and of this date they do not have products that meet that requirement.
Will post others as I get them.

Have you looked into Intus Windows? They have triple pane windows that are Florida/Miami-Dade Hurricane Certified windows.

Lbear,

So have you placed your order for your Intus windows?  Your floorplan looks to be done, so you must know your window schedule by now.  With the long lead time, you should be ordering them soon.  Why don't you tell us which Intus window you are using, and how much they cost per sq ft?

Posted By fun2drive on 08 Sep 2014 08:25 PM
I plan to send my plans to Joe Martin once I get the final engineering drawing done and see what he can do. I also plan to visit a site that has the windows in my area. I think Intus is an excellent window need to see what the cost data is too.
I have 23 fixed pane/ 4 sliders or French windows/ 4 outward opening single doors and 1 double doors for the entrance so I have a large bill coming once I place an order...
Thanks

are you planning to use normal sliding doors or the ones that lift and slide?  when you say fixed pane, do you mean non-functioning?  I don't think you would be at $100k for that unless your windows are super huge.  For my windows, fixed cost was way less than moving windows.

My folding door was about $1k per linear foot, and mine is 9' tall.

My fixed panes are 12 ft long and most likely 8 ft high. My engineering drawings will be a little late in coming because my general contractor and a couple of subs are attending a meeting with the architect firm and myself.
I plan to check as many glass and door companies that I can that meet the Florida standard. I have the luxury of tweaking my plans if the architects specs a strange size window. These guys have been in business 46 years and have done a lot of Hebel, SIP, ICF and stick frame homes so I am hoping that the vertical dimensions are close to standard. The large slider or French door needs to meet the Florida spec and the lift and slide is a consideration. Trying to decide what panels should be fixed and the other moveable if going sliders. I have seen French doors that fold and store at one or both ends of the frame so looking at those too.

I have a lot of homework to do but I have some time before I need to order them. From what I have seen the delivery times for some of the windows can be well over 3 months so timing is a factor too.

All input appreciated.
I tried to locate Cometal but all I came up with was a company in OZ. Is that the company of is there a US location?

The house orientation of southwest in Florida is the worst orientation for energy conservation. I would think that shading is MUCH more important than window U-values for reducing cooling loads. You will not have extreme temperature differentials between indoors and outdoors, so a low U-value for windows and doors is not that critical, and certainly not worth spending a lot of extra money for triple-pane windows. Obviously a low SHGC is mandatory, and a low VT (visual transmission) might be desirable, so tinted windows should be a consideration. Of course, you need to meet the applicable hurricane codes in terms of impact resistance.

Posted By fun2drive on 09 Sep 2014 11:27 AM
My fixed panes are 12 ft long and most likely 8 ft high. My engineering drawings will be a little late in coming because my general contractor and a couple of subs are attending a meeting with the architect firm and myself.
I plan to check as many glass and door companies that I can that meet the Florida standard. I have the luxury of tweaking my plans if the architects specs a strange size window. These guys have been in business 46 years and have done a lot of Hebel, SIP, ICF and stick frame homes so I am hoping that the vertical dimensions are close to standard. The large slider or French door needs to meet the Florida spec and the lift and slide is a consideration. Trying to decide what panels should be fixed and the other moveable if going sliders. I have seen French doors that fold and store at one or both ends of the frame so looking at those too.

I have a lot of homework to do but I have some time before I need to order them. From what I have seen the delivery times for some of the windows can be well over 3 months so timing is a factor too.

All input appreciated.
I tried to locate Cometal but all I came up with was a company in OZ. Is that the company of is there a US location?

I guess at your window panel size, $100k is on the low side.  When I was getting laminated quotes versus tempered, it was big upcharge.  One thing good about the european companies that I encountered is that there isn't a big upcharge when going to a large window.  It was more proportional to glass area.  When I tried to do my folding door above 8', nanawall, lacantina, and some others had a huge upcharge over 8'.

This link is in Italian, but I used google to translate it.  I am not sure if they have anyone representing them in Florida, but I know that my dealer sells across the country.  I bought my stuff from a company who only deals in Italian items, and Cometal is one of the window brands that he carries.  He probably carries 5-6 brands, but I only seriously considered Cometal because I wanted aluminum exterior, and most of the other brands that were wood clad aluminum ended up being more costly. 

http://www.cometalserramenti.it/

http://americaitaliana.com/index.html

Thanks for the web site. My window heights are unknown but I expect them to be 8 ft tall, 7 ft minimum thus the reason I expect the window to be expensive since I have a lot of them.
I lived in Italy for almost 3 years and have seen good windows and doors there as well as other places in Europe. Much more robust than what I have seen in homes here.
The windows are very key to this house design since the whole point in the design is to maximize the water views. Not happy with all the glass area but I am putting in overhangs on both floors to control solar gain as much as possible.

Off to investigate the site you provided.

fun2drive, i sent you a pm.

Well it is looking like over 1400 sq ft of windows and doors. 360 sq ft facing SW.
Here is my plan.

Use the best performance SHGC I can afford with impact glass on the SW side.
The rest of the windows don't receive a lot of direct solar gain so not so concerned about my SHGC on those but still need impact glass and as good U-factor as I can afford.

Design incorporates roof overhang 2nd floor and patio shading for the 1st floor.

I know full well SW facing home is going to get a lot of solar so planning to do the best I can.

This isn't a vacation home but our residence except summer when we head north.

Window covering will be part of the plan as well.

I don't think there is a window/ door company out there that can provide the variety of windows and doors I will need but the search continues.

why do you think one company can't solve your problems.  are you doing some really custom things?  in your earlier descriptions, you mentioned some very large sizes, but i think many companies can solve that issue.

With really big impact windows you want to look at the make-up of whatever IGU your window manufacturer uses, as well. Tempered glass without any lami or plastic tends to fall entirely out of the stops all at once according to Cardinal. I notice some window fabricators pass the Dade certification with one lami pane facing the outside and two plys of tempered to the inside of the unit. In a 8x8 size window, that could be 400 pounds of glass coming down all at once from 2 -3 stories up. Something to think about if you are really worried about impacts and blasts. I had one glass installer remind me that it only takes 1 BB to completely shatter a large tempered non-lami pane. I have had tempered lami glass shatter onto me, and the plastic held some of it, while the tempered pieces that got loose didn't cut me, but like they say: YMMV. -N

Windows for a New Florida Home High Velocity Impact Zone
What I have learned so far is below and what I need are opinions from our experts, owners and knowledgeable.
Florida code requires that you protect your windows if you are in the high velocity zone. You have the option to use plywood or metal shutters or impact glass.

Impact glass windows are my choice based on experience with both plywood, metal shutters both manual and electric, horizontal and vertical closing.
To that end I am leaning heavily for windows that meet these specs
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) (0.22 or less)
U-factor (0.20 or less)
Visible Transmissivity (VT) (0.40 or higher)
Air Infiltration (cfm/ft2) this one is typically listed as 0.3 if you can find it at all since NFRC doesn’t require it to be published.

My house faces 240 degrees thus it is very much WestSouthWest facing. I am planning on using the best SHGC I can locate-afford on that side of the house which has a significant amount of glass (670 sq ft not 360 which I posted before I must have been thinking of just the 2nd floor) and on the West side of the house which has very modest amount of glass. On the North which is the front door area and East which is the backside of the house I plan to relax the SHGC control while keeping the rest of the factors as high performing as possible.
Living area of this 2 story house is around 6100 sq ft (this is still be adjusted some but will not change plus/ minus 100 sq ft) total around 7100 sq ft.

WSW side of the house will have:
2- 12 X 8 ft fixed panel(s)
2-12 X 8 ft sliders or French doors
2- 6 X 8 ft sliders or French doors
3- outward opening doors (3 X 8 ft and 3 X 7 ft)
A few smaller fixed panes all 8 ft tall 2 or 3 ft wide

From reading online here and other areas I understand that the impact glass will typically be two panes of laminated glass with a layer of Polyvinyl Butral (PVB) or Sentry Guard Plus (SGP) and another pane of glass which can be either on the inside or outside of the window. I am guessing that this is where the U-factor and maybe VT is improved.

I have read online about so many window manufactures and many never post their performance information except to state they meet this spec or standard. I appreciate the opinions that have been provided so far and I am leaning toward lift and slide if I use sliders because they are reported to seal better. For the 2 large windows/ doors that move I am thinking OXXO but am open to a stacked or folding door arrangement.
If you have experience or own sliders like this you opinion would be helpful.

The other 2 sliders will be either OX, French opening out or maybe a stacking or folding there too.
Fixed pane will most likely consist of a couple panels since a 144 X 96” is pretty large. I think this might be smart from a replacement and installation perspective.

I appreciate the education, suggestions from forum members and look forward to gaining insight and yes I do think I am looking north of $100K for windows...

Did you contact Intus Window, if so, what did they say?

Posted By Lbear on 22 Sep 2014 05:59 PM
Did you contact Intus Window, if so, what did they say?

when are you going to tell us which windows that you bought and how much they cost from Intus?  Again, you constantly and repeatedly push them.  What is your agenda?

Posted By fun2drive on 21 Sep 2014 05:57 PM
Windows for a New Florida Home High Velocity Impact Zone
What I have learned so far is below and what I need are opinions from our experts, owners and knowledgeable.
Florida code requires that you protect your windows if you are in the high velocity zone. You have the option to use plywood or metal shutters or impact glass.

Impact glass windows are my choice based on experience with both plywood, metal shutters both manual and electric, horizontal and vertical closing.
To that end I am leaning heavily for windows that meet these specs
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) (0.22 or less)
U-factor (0.20 or less)
Visible Transmissivity (VT) (0.40 or higher)
Air Infiltration (cfm/ft2) this one is typically listed as 0.3 if you can find it at all since NFRC doesn’t require it to be published.

My house faces 240 degrees thus it is very much WestSouthWest facing. I am planning on using the best SHGC I can locate-afford on that side of the house which has a significant amount of glass (670 sq ft not 360 which I posted before I must have been thinking of just the 2nd floor) and on the West side of the house which has very modest amount of glass. On the North which is the front door area and East which is the backside of the house I plan to relax the SHGC control while keeping the rest of the factors as high performing as possible.
Living area of this 2 story house is around 6100 sq ft (this is still be adjusted some but will not change plus/ minus 100 sq ft) total around 7100 sq ft.

WSW side of the house will have:
2- 12 X 8 ft fixed panel(s)
2-12 X 8 ft sliders or French doors
2- 6 X 8 ft sliders or French doors
3- outward opening doors (3 X 8 ft and 3 X 7 ft)
A few smaller fixed panes all 8 ft tall 2 or 3 ft wide

From reading online here and other areas I understand that the impact glass will typically be two panes of laminated glass with a layer of Polyvinyl Butral (PVB) or Sentry Guard Plus (SGP) and another pane of glass which can be either on the inside or outside of the window. I am guessing that this is where the U-factor and maybe VT is improved.

I have read online about so many window manufactures and many never post their performance information except to state they meet this spec or standard. I appreciate the opinions that have been provided so far and I am leaning toward lift and slide if I use sliders because they are reported to seal better. For the 2 large windows/ doors that move I am thinking OXXO but am open to a stacked or folding door arrangement.
If you have experience or own sliders like this you opinion would be helpful.

The other 2 sliders will be either OX, French opening out or maybe a stacking or folding there too.
Fixed pane will most likely consist of a couple panels since a 144 X 96” is pretty large. I think this might be smart from a replacement and installation perspective.

I appreciate the education, suggestions from forum members and look forward to gaining insight and yes I do think I am looking north of $100K for windows...

some of the window companies for 12x8 can do X0.  i saw the ones by zola which they show on their website, the orange ones.  It is the 7th picture.  It is a house on the sf peninsula up on a hill.  They are much larger than 12' wide.  Probably closer to 20', and only a single lift and slide.  I asked the Zola rep why they used a single lift and slide versus a folding door system, and the owner wanted as little frame as possible and sacrificed the opening.   With folding doors, they would've needed to use 6-8 panels.

http://www.zolawindows.com/

I did look at their web site but not in great detail. I have a number of local reps lined up once I get back and plan to visit them. I have a couple 12 ft sliders both Andersen and they are not impact glass. They are both OXO and 4 ft. They are plenty heavy just concerned how easily they can roll if 6 ft. The lift and slide models are supposed to be easy to slide. I hope to be able to see if that is true. One sits facing South and has for 31 years since I built the house. It shows no wear issues and nothing has broken to include rollers. However that is Ohio not Florida not sure how vinyl clad wood would hold up.

I am uncomfortable buying the volume of windows and doors sight unseen so it is likely I will be making some visits to homes that have what I am looking for or the dealers if they actually have a model in stock.

I am sure you are thrilled with the Cometal units you have and they seem like a very high end good performing product...

Fibreglass windows will work great in an ICF house. If you are building a home with such an effort and not having a proper window then the whole idea of building an energy efficient home is of no use.  We too live in ICF house and have no problem rather than bed bugs. Well my friend had suggested me to call bed bug removal NYC for extermination.