Category

Storm Mitigation Window Film

Nov 26
Love0
hurricane cyclone showing the impossibility of hurricane proof buildings and windows

Hurricane Proof Buildings and Windows – Fact vs. Fiction

By Safety & Security Films, Storm Mitigation Window Film No Comments

Disclaimer: There is no such thing as “stormproof windows,” “hurricane-proof windows,” “hurricane-proof buildings,” or “hurricane-proof window film.” If you find yourself in the path of a hurricane, please evacuate the area and stay away from windows.

 

You may have heard that the Florida Attorney General’s office is calling window film “a scam” when used to protect against hurricanes or windstorms – but is it? Hurricane season is here, so it’s time to get to the bottom of this question.

When it comes to window film, let’s start separating fact from fiction.

Here are a few statements you may have heard:

In the state of Florida, it is illegal to sell or market window film solutions as “hurricane, windstorm, or impact-resistant.”

This is a fact. Florida HB 849 (2011) makes it a violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act to “advertise, sell, offer, provide, distribute or market any product as hurricane, windstorm or impact-resistant” unless it is in compliance with the provisions for product approval in the Florida Building Code.

Since the Florida Building Commission only approves products that are part of a complete window system and assembly, the retrofit solution of window film does NOT meet the criteria for building code compliance. According to the state of Florida, window film is NOT a form of hurricane window protection.

Window films can make your building or windows “hurricane-proof.”

This is fiction. Florida is correct. Though high-quality commercial window film strengthens your building’s glass windows, doors, and architectural features against a range of safety and security events, it does not make your glass unbreakable. Nothing can make glass unbreakable.

In fact, there’s actually no way to make your building truly 100% hurricane-proof because hurricanes are unpredictable, often resulting in roof destruction, uprooted trees, and flood or fire damage. However, many building managers turn to security film solutions such as 3M shatter resistant film to reduce the damage from many of the side effects of hurricanes.

Window films can help protect your property from dangerous weather conditions.

This is a fact. According to a statement made by the International Window Film Association, which is an educational organization, “Safety/security window films applied to glass are tested to the same break-safe standards required of tempered glass, heat-strengthened glass, and laminated glass. Window film manufacturers have copies of the actual laboratory test reports validating that their products do, in fact, meet specific impact testing.”

In practice, this means that, although window films are NOT part of a complete window system, like tempered glass, heat-strengthened glass, and laminated glass – and are, therefore, NOT approved for hurricane protection per the Florida Building Code — window films have been tested and shown to provide added protection against many storm-related events.

Considering the high average cost of hurricane-proof windows and window systems, building managers who supplement their safety plans with the added support of films often find that they can increase their building and tenants’ safety, cost-effectively, with products such as 3M window film. Hurricane protection isn’t complete with window films, of course, but it is stronger – and in a destructive natural weather event, every extra bit of safety matters.

Florida building managers must rely on steel storm shutters for adequate hurricane protection.

This is fiction. Since the Florida Attorney General’s office has deemed window films inadequate for truly hurricane proof windows, you may think that your only option for storm safety is those ugly, cumbersome storm shutters that require pre-storm installation by you or your building management staff. Thank goodness, storm shutters are only one of your many options for adequate hurricane protection.

Instead of troublesome storm shutters, many building managers choose to use thick polycarbonate panels to ensure that they have shatterproof windows for approved hurricane protection. Plus, in addition to storm safety, polycarbonate windows such as Riot Glass offer enhanced protection from thieves, smash-and-grab opportunists, and explosions – and they can provide additional security in an active shooter scenario.

How to Investigate Further

Though it may be difficult right now for you to determine what your best option is for protecting your building and windows against a hurricane, windstorm, explosion, or other destructive impact event, it’s important to understand that you have a wide range of safety solutions.

Explore all your options for storm, blast, and impact safety when you get in touch with NGS, the #1 Commercial Window Film Company in the U.S.

NGS’s team of nationally recognized experts can help you understand all your options for window film, polycarbonate storm protection, and other methods of strengthening your building’s envelope. And, once you’ve decided on the right safety solution for your buildings and tenants, NGS can also help you achieve the fastest, easiest installation you’ve ever experienced.

 

Start the conversation with NGS today, so you can get the facts – and only the facts – on how to hurricane-proof buildings and windows.

 

Oct 07
Love0
Hurricane wind and waves crashing on a shore

Storm and Hurricane Preparedness Tips for Businesses

By Storm Mitigation Window Film, Window Film No Comments

Disclaimer: There is no such thing as “stormproof windows,” “hurricane-proof windows,” “hurricane-proof buildings,” or “hurricane-proof window film.” If you find yourself in the path of a hurricane, please evacuate the area and stay away from windows. Learn more about what window film can and can’t do for hurricanes in our: “Hurricane Proof Buildings and Windows – Fact vs. Fiction.”

 

You’ve been watching the forecasts, reading the news, and checking all the updates. You know what the path of the next hurricane is… and you know that it’s coming your way. It’s time to take action immediately, so you can protect your business. 

But then panic sets in: What do you protect first? What’s the most important thing to take care of? What’s the best way to prepare for the worst? 

Typically, experts suggest that when you’re preparing for storms, floods, hurricanes, and other dangerous weather events, that you focus on the safety of the three most critical parts of your business: your people, your assets, and your location. 

Protect the most important parts of your company using this hurricane preparedness list, and please continue your research into hurricane and storm safety by tapping into other free resources, such as FEMA. 

Protect Your People

If your employees are caught inside your location during a storm, hurricane, or other weather emergency, it’s up to you to keep them safe. Flying debris is one of the biggest direct causes of injury and death during a wind-related weather event, so your first safety priority should be to limit the risk that flying debris will impact your location. 

To help protect your people: 

  • Use hurricane shutters or impact-resistant polycarbonate, such as Riot Glass, to shatterproof windows and prevent flying debris from breaking your glass storefronts. Add more protection with 3M shatter-resistant film for windows, which uses powerful adhesive to prevent glass from shattering, even if it does get hit by debris.

(As an added bonus, shatter-resistant security window film such as 3M Ultra and solutions such as Riot Glass can also stop thieves, burglars, and post-storm looters in their tracks.)

  • Get on the phone with your contact lists. Explicitly inform employees, vendors, scheduled maintenance professionals, and clients expecting meetings that no one should come to your location until the storm danger is cleared. If you have online customers, let them know that their shipments may be delayed. 
  • Stock your store with an emergency supply kit that contains food and water, first aid equipment, and other survival essentials, so that you and your employees can wait out the storm if need be. 

Safeguard Your Assets

Every weather event, from hurricanes to flooding and from fires to blizzards, is likely to severely damage your business assets. In a hurricane, inventory is subject to water and mud damage, fixtures can wash away in a sea of sewage sludge, and electrical hazards can cause smoke or fire damage. 

Protect your assets by preparing in advance: 

  • Look carefully through your insurance records, as well as through the paperwork for your assets. Check to see how your assets are insured, get the facts on what you’re leasing versus what you own, and figure out what your responsibilities are regarding assets that you’re leasing. 
  • Document all your inventory and assets with photos and videos and make sure you have a secure duplicate backup of your inventory records, including asset valuations. 
  • Ensure you have a backup generator (and that you know how to use it), and keep it topped off with fuel, so you can rely on it when you need it. 

Secure Your Location

Of course, natural disasters are extremely unpredictable, so nothing is ever 100% hurricane proof – but when you use the right window security solutions, you can trust that you’ll have done your best to mitigate the worst of the storm. 

Here are other ways you can secure your location:

  • Turn off and unplug all electrical devices at your store. Severe storms have a tendency to break gas lines, and it just takes one small spark from an electric device turning on to ignite a location filled with natural gas. 
  • Anchor large furniture and fixtures to wall studs. This helps prevent additional damage caused by flooding and can help reassure you that your location is more secure when you’re able to return to it. 

Keep Your Business Hurricane Savvy

These tips will get you started securing your people, assets, and location from storm-related disaster, but there’s a lot more you can do to protect your retail location. There are many resources online that can help you create a hurricane storm preparedness list for businesses and stay storm-ready in other ways, but one of the best ways to protect your location is to prepare in advance. 

Become a “hurricane savvy” leader, starting today, by taking a few minutes every day to focus on storm and emergency safety procedures. Look around your location to identify large fixtures you need to secure or electric devices you’ll want to turn off. Pick up an emergency supply kit next time you’re driving back from a meeting. Ensure your contact lists are up to date. 

And, of course, start investigating window and glass safety options by looking into your options for 3M shatter-resistant film and shatterproof windows. While none of these options are stormproof or hurricane-proof, they will help you mitigate the damage that severe weather events can cause. 

For that last one, NGS has got you covered. 

As the nation’s #1 Commercial Window Film Company and the team behind some of today’s top window security innovations including TRI-SHIELD and Invisicade, NGS has the expertise to help you determine the best window and storm security solutions for your store. 

 

Check out additional tips for securing your business from a wide variety of modern dangers.  

Oct 07
Love0
Strong blowing wind showing hurricane window film

Storm and Hurricane Preparedness Checklist for Offices

By Storm Mitigation Window Film, Window Film No Comments

Disclaimer: There is no such thing as “stormproof windows,” “hurricane proof windows,” “hurricane proof buildings,” or “hurricane proof window film.” If you find yourself in the path of a hurricane, please evacuate the area and stay away from windows. Learn more about what window film can and can’t do for hurricanes in our blog: “Hurricane Proof Buildings and Windows – Fact vs. Fiction.”

 

Hurricane season extends from June 1 to November 30, and leading weather forecasting service, AccuWeather, has predicted a near- to slightly-above-normal hurricane season for 2019. Hurricane Dorian was only one of the 12-14 storms weather experts are calling for; according to AccuWeather’s estimation, we could be in for another 3 major hurricanes before the season is through. 

It’s a stormy year ahead of us and that means it’s up to you to protect your commercial buildings from hurricanes and natural disasters – starting now. 

Not sure where to begin? With this brief checklist, you’ll be well on your way to mitigating storm impacts on your building. However, this storm preparedness checklist for offices should be only the first step in your preparation process. Once you’ve read this article, check out more in-depth emergency planning recommendations from trusted online sources like FEMA. 

Start Your Checklist with These 5 Storm and Hurricane Preparedness Activities

As a commercial building owner or manager, your top focus will be to ensure your tenants’ safety and continued business operations. Stay on top of your responsibilities when you start with these 5 top tasks: 

Secure your building’s windows

Flying debris is one of the biggest dangers during a hurricane, which is why you have a supply of hurricane shutters in the basement. But hurricane shutters are a hassle because they have to be installed just barely before the storm hits. Shatterproof windows such as Riot Glass are a better solution for hurricane window protection because they keep your tenants and building emergency-ready at all times. They also have the added benefit of keeping out thieves, burglars, and post-storm looters.

3M shatter-resistant film is another option for storm protection that you may want to consider. Though it’s important to understand that no window film can be classified as “hurricane proof,” shatter-resistant films use a powerful adhesive, strengthened plastic films, and window anchoring systems to keep your windows from shattering in dangerous situations. 

Plan for pre-storm emergency service

Windows aren’t the only things that break during a hurricane. To prepare for dangerous high winds, make sure you shut off pipes for gas and flammable liquids to protect your building and tenants’ assets if the pipes break. In addition, it’s a good idea to check for weak areas on the roof and ensure your fire safety equipment is up to date and properly functioning. While you’re at it, check your sump pump too. 

Call in the professionals

Hurricanes and natural disasters are destructive, so it’s unlikely your commercial building will escape a major storm scot-free. You may need to take care of flooding damage or fire damage, and you’ll usually have to handle some wind damage too, so it’s a smart idea to create your preferred list of maintenance and repair people in advance. That way you can be ready to mobilize your repairs instantly, so your tenants can get back on their feet fast.

Educate your tenants

You may assume everyone in your building understands what to do to mitigate storm damage, but you know what they say about assumptions… 

It’s a good idea to remind tenants to turn off electric devices, backup their data, and stay home. While you’re at it, make sure your tenants understand your building’s emergency escape routes. (A good way to reinforce this information is to use reflective, waterproof wayfinding signage throughout your building, which tells tenants and their customers where building safe zones are located.) 

Check over your records

Not 100% sure what your responsibilities are before, during, and after a natural disaster? Double-check all your paperwork to make sure you’re meeting your obligations. Look over insurance policies and contracts – and while you’re at it, take care of some common-sense emergency precautions, such as cutting down trees that are too close to your building; setting up sandbags; and moving portable outdoor features, like planters and benches, inside.

Start Here for Better Natural Disaster and Hurricane Protection 

While there’s no such thing as “hurricane proof buildings” or “stormproof buildings,” you can certainly make your commercial building as hurricane resistant as possible. As you saw in the checklist above, most items focused on getting your building and tenants back to work as fast as possible after a storm hits. 

Only one item on the list helped you actually prevent damage from occurring in the first place: securing your building’s windows. 

Few commercial building managers realize the wide range of benefits that effective glass film installation can provide, including everything from storm mitigation with anti-theft capabilities to increased energy efficiency to happier tenants with more lucrative contracts for you. 

But to get all these benefits, you’ll need to work with an experienced, nationally recognized window film installer with a focus on security window film and storm-mitigation solutions.

NGS has got you covered. 

As a national leader in security window film and shatterproof windows, NGS, the #1 Commercial Window Film Company in the U.S., can help you choose the best storm safety solutions for your needs and budget. We can also take care of all the details and install your solutions in record time, with no interruption to your tenants. 

 

Access the guide, so you can learn more about protecting your commercial building and your tenants. 

Feb 06
Love0
Window film project

The Anatomy of a Window Film Project – What to Expect from Start to Finish

By Commercial Property Owner, Installation Services & Programs, Retail, Safety & Security Films, Smart Window Film, Solar Window Film, Storm Mitigation Window Film, Window Film No Comments

Ah, the New Year! Filled with new business plans and strategies, everything in this season revolves around improvement. It’s the time when you look back at the previous year and figure out how things can be even better.

One great way to improve is to save money on energy costs. Being the savvy business owner you are, you undoubtedly already know that window film can provide cost savings for your building, but you aren’t exactly sure how a window film project works.

To give you a better idea of what to expect in your company’s window film project, NGS Films and Graphics is here with a breakdown of every stage in the process. Let’s get to it.

  1. Consultation

The process starts with a conversation about what you want your project to achieve. This conversation will usually include a walkthrough of your space, and we’ll ask questions like:

  • What’s the desired effect of this project?
  • Do you want to lower your building’s heating and cooling costs?
  • Do you need better security?
  • Are you looking to improve the aesthetic appeal of your building or workspace?

If you’re not sure what you want, NGS’s window film professionals can help you find the proper solution for your building’s unique needs by giving you an accurate, real-life view of the beneficial effects of different films on different parts of your building. We do this using building modeling and energy modeling.

  • Building modeling creates a 3D image of your entire structure so you can view a “before” and “after” image.
  • Energy modeling calculates your cost savings over time for various energy-efficient upgrades, such as Low E film, daylight redirecting film, and solar film.

Since we want to ensure that your project turns out perfectly, this consultation will probably be the longest part of your window film project.

  1. Selection and Production

After the consultation, you’ll have all the information you need about the different types of film that make sense for your project, and how you’ll benefit when they’re applied to your building’s interiors or exteriors.

Since NGS Films and Graphics has access to industry-leading manufacturers and offers the best-in-class film solutions on the market, this means you’ll have a lot of options to choose from. You’ll need to narrow down your options to get your perfect solution.

If no off-the-shelf solution works for your specific needs, you can always have NGS design unique, customized film that meets your criteria, such as displaying your brand and graphics or matching the design of your building and workspaces. If you’d like, you can also choose different films for different floors or sides of your building, so you can maximize your efficiency and impact.

After this stage, NGS handles all the details for you so you can get back to focusing on your business. All you’ll need to do is look forward to your soon-to-be-finished film, graphics, or signage project.

  1. Coordination

For this part of the project, hiring the best in the business will demonstrate the critical difference between a success and a disaster. That’s because this phase relies heavily on effective project management; only a small handful of window film consultants are also effective project managers.

To enjoy a hassle-free project, you’ll need a window film company that plans and manages all aspects of your project so you don’t have to juggle multiple schedules for work crews. A well-coordinated project finishes on time and on budget – which is what you can expect from NGS.

  1. Installation

This is when the workers actually show up and begin working on your building. It’s okay if you thought this was the only stage to a window film project; many people don’t realize all the work that happens behind the scenes before film ever touches their windows.

During installation, window film is typically applied one floor at a time, starting from the bottom and working toward the top, or vice versa. The length of time needed for a given installation will vary according to many factors such as the type of film, the conditions for installation, the weather, coordination of schedules with other work crews on-site, and, of course, your personal preferences.

  1. Satisfaction

This is the best stage. It’s when you get to relax and fully enjoy the advantages of your upgrades and improvements. All that’s needed now is for you to sit back and watch your benefits take effect.

On most window film projects, your staff will be able to tell the difference almost immediately and your wallet will feel the difference within a few short months. Plus, since this stage lasts for years and years, you know you’ll have time to enjoy it.

Plan for Your Project’s Success

The most important part of the whole window film process is that you choose the right company to execute each stage without disrupting your business’s daily functions.

Sadly, not all window film consultants have the capability or interest in working around your schedule and your needs. NGS Films and Graphics does, which is just one of the many reasons we’ve been named the #1 Commercial Window Film Company in the nation.

We look forward to serving you.

 

Contact NGS at (866) 925-2083 to discover all the options available to help your business realize maximum cost savings and energy efficiency in the New Year.