Hurricane season begins June 1, and for the first time ever, PGT Innovations, the nation’s largest manufacturer of impact-resistant windows and doors, is allowing an inside look at the independent testing lab to see the stringent protocol testing that its products undergo. Multiple demonstrations will be on display, including an impact test, cyclic pressure differential test and water test, and hear about Florida’s strict codes and certifications. During the impact test, a 9-pound, 8-foot-long two-by-four lumber missile will be shot out of a compressed-air cannon at 50 feet per second (34 mph) at a window. The cyclic pressure differential test subjects the window to 4,500 cycles of varying positive wind pressure, which is simulated with a vacuum chamber, and is flipped around and subjected to another 4,500 cycles of varying negative wind pressure. The water test subjects the window to air pressure that is equivalent to 15 percent of the structural design pressure rating. While the air pressure is applied, a water-spray rack uniformly delivers water to the window at a minimum rate of five gallons per square foot per hour. The air pressure and water are applied for a period of 15 minutes.

PGT Innovations