HURRICANE RESISTANT TESTING                                                                             "Plus", Window Tinting Pays For Itself....... FAST!
                                                              
TEST TYPE       TEST NAME   WIND LOAD  DEBRIS SIMULATION        FEET PER SECOND            POUNDS PER SQ. FT.             PASS/FAIL  FILM TO USE

LARGE MISSILE IMPACT -- required for structures with glass located
between ground level to 30 feet -- this test involves launching various 
2 x 4 lumber sizes at glass samples, at various speeds simulating the
effects of large debris resulting from hurricane force winds.


SMALL INITIAL IMPACT -- required for buildings with glass located 30 feet
above ground level -- this test involves 10, 2-gram ball bearings
shot at glass samples, at various feet simulating the effects of roof                         ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
gravel and other small debris being blown by hurricane force winds.


CYCLICAL PRESSURE (performed after initial impact testing) this simulates
hurricane force winds up to 175 miles per hour, applying 9000 cycles of
negative and positive pressure at various levels.  It determines whether             _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
the impacted sample will withstand severe winds.
MIAMI -- DADE COUNTY       150 MPH 9 pound 2X450 ft./sec.N/A    N/A There's not a window film in the
Protocol PA 201 & PA 203              35 MPH          industry that can pass this criteria.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Southern Building Code Congress      90-100 MPH4 pound 2X4        40 ft./sec.N/A  PASS     Armourcoat 8 Mil or thicker with  1/2" wet 
International (SBCCI) SSTD 12-99    30 MPH   glaze attachment welds film to window frame.

MIAMI -- DADE COUNTY       150 MPH          10, 2-gram       130 ft./sec.    80 PSF       PASS     Armourcoat 8 Mil or thicker with  1/2" wet
Protocol PA 201 & PA 203     ball bearings      85 MPH   glaze attachment welds film to window frame.
     
Southern Building Code Congress        >110 MPH   10, 2-gram130 ft./sec.   +70 PSF      PASS     Armourcoat 8 Mil or thicker with  1/2" wet
International (SBCCI) SSTD 12-99          ball bearings85 MPH-70 PSF     glaze attachment welds film to window frame.

MIAMI -- DADE COUNTY       175 MPH        N/A N/A             80 PSF             PASSSame film as tested with
Protocol PA 201 & PA 203  missile impact.

Southern Building Code Congress         175 MPH N/A N/A      50 PSF     PASSSame film as tested with
International (SBCCI) SSTD 12-99       missile impact.
Armorcoat  testing supports performance claims and you're expectations!

  To help you make sense of the key testing measures Armorcoat has passed, so 
that you can better understand them, here are some brief explanations of there window film.

HUMAN IMPACT STANDARDS
 To increase public safety, lawmakers developed human impact standards mandating specific
strength levels for glass. To reach required levels, glass said to be tempered or heat strengthened, 
however annealed glass needs window film or other enhancements to achieve
compliance. The two most commonly accepted human impact standards are:

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z97.1 -  testing involves glass impact of 100
and 150 foot pounds, the standard most commonly used for residential applications.
Armorcoat films 4 mil or thicker passed!

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)  Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)  1201,
Category 11 -- testing involves glass impact of 400  foot  pounds, this standard more 
commonly useed for commercial applications, Armorcoat films 7 mil or thicker passed!
(compliance sheets available upon request)

HURRICANE RESISTANCE
The destruction hurricane Andrew caused in 1972 is largely responsible for the new construction 
code changes at county and state levels for most coastal states. These codes require
that glazing and glazed structures pass small and large missile impact, and cyclic pressure
testing.  We put safety films 8 mil or thicker, with a 1/2" thick wet glaze attachment
system (silicone sealant/adhesive) and it passed with flying colors.

Miami-Dade County Protocol PA 201 & PA 203 -- represents the Miami-Dade County Florida
area and is the most recognized and stringent of all storm simulation tests -- it's missile
speed is the fastest and cyclic pressure is the toughest.  Armorcoat 8 mil (anchored) 
passed the small impact and cyclic pressure tests (no retrofit film currently on the market is able
to pass the large missile impact test).

Southern Building Code Congress, International (SBCCI)  SSTD 12-99, 90-100 MPH Wind Zone
represents various inland hurricane prone areas with some testing criteria meeting the same 
standards as the Miami--Dade County Protocol.  Armorcoat 8 mil (anchored) passed all three test!

(referred to the chart above to see how these film tests differ)
HURRICANE PROTECTION
In a hurricane, glasses are broken by flying debre due to the your neighbors roofing tiles or other items left outside. If the window is unprotected, the glass will break catastrophically shooting glass shards into the building and possibly injuring occupants.  
Armorcoat 8 Mil or thicker reduces the possibility of injury eye helping to hold the shards in the frame -- offering sufficient hurricane protection, with thicker films offering greater protection.

THEFT AND INTRUSION
Armorcoat 4 to 8 mil deters most theft attempts by withstanding blows that would normally breakthrough unprotected glass.  
By anchoring thicker films 8 to 14 Mil, you can assure prospective inhabitants a significant level of protection from a persistent intruder attempting to cut through film or pushed out from a corner to gain entry.

BOMB BLAST
The General Services Administration (GSA) test for Air Blast Loading on Glazing and Glazing Structure is the most accepted test determining the performance of window film in a bomb blast environment. It produces specific levels of pressure that simulate those produced in a bomb blast. Armorcoat 4 Mil (daylight application) meets the minimum GSA requirement at a blast pressure of 4 PSI-keep in mind airborne glass fragments will occur, traveling up to 10 feet, and have yhe sufficient velocity to cause serious injury.  Armorcoat 8 Mil (anchored) will reduce the amount and distance of flying glass.  However, we suggest the thicker gauge films for government and high-risk building installation -- Armorcoat12 to14 Mil (with mechanical anchoring on all four sides) offers the greatest protection at the 10 PSI level with charge remaining in the frame.

You Have Found The Best Window Film Protection In The World!
Protect your family, home 
and save your money.
Tell a friend about this page
"We Are Approved"
Home        About Us   Local Projects          Completed Projects