Windstorm: Window and Door Repairs
You know you live in an area which is prone to natural calamities like hurricanes and you want to protect your home and your lives as well. It is best to protect your building investment using wind resistant windows and external doors, with impact resistant features. So before you select and install windows and doors, be it for construction or repair, there are some things you need to consider first.
Texas Counties near the Gulf of Mexico or cities located in Harris County are prone to hailstorms and hurricanes. Hence the reason for compliance to the Texas Windstorm Building Code before making specific repairs. People living in or near these areas should consult their insurance agencies prior to initiating construction or repairs. If TWBC compliance is needed, you should tell your insurance agent about the Windstorm Inspection Program. This will help you obtain windstorm and hail insurance coverage. After the repairs have been completed and it has complied with the TWBC, the Texas Department of Insurance grants a Certificate of Compliance, Form WPI-8.
The next step on repairing your doors and windows is getting the right contractor to do it for you. Get the most reliable and reputable contractor in town in order to avoid financial and legal problems that some bogus companies bring to clients. The contractor you choose should be insured or bonded, if possible. Also get at least three written bids. Review the terms of the agreement prior to signing the contract. Don’t forget to keep a personal copy of the contract for your records. The repairs for your windows and doors require a Certificate of Compliance, Form WPI-8 from TDI.
The next stage of repairing your windows and doors is the selection of window and exterior door products to be installed for your house. You can ask TDI for a list of products and manufacturers. It is important that the windows and exterior doors selected have eligible wind resistance ratings. Impact resistant windows and exterior doors are highly efficient, and to be qualified for windstorm insurance through the TWIA, installing impact resistant shutter systems could be a requirement. Installing shutters is important if you want to comply with the TWBC, especially if you have installed non-impact resistant windows or exterior doors. Impact resistant shutters are also required in the Seaward area.
Another alternative for impact resistant shutters are plywood shutters. However, this also depends on many factors such as number of stories, sizes of the windows and the safety of plywood panel installations.
Make sure that the shutters can be installed on the structure. You can contact TDI for product information at http://www.tdi.texas.gov/wind/index.html.
