Hurricane Protection: What Every Condominium Buyer Should Know About Windows

Understanding Your Building — A Building Code Evolution Series

Article 1

This article is part of the Understanding Your Building series, which explains how changing building codes, construction practices, and technology have shaped South Florida condominiums.

Start here: Why Your Condominium's Construction Year Matters

Many condominium buyers assume that newer buildings have impact windows and older buildings do not. The truth is more complicated. A building's construction year provides clues about the hurricane-protection rules in effect when it was built, but it does not prove what type of windows or protection the building has today. Some older buildings have been fully upgraded, while some buildings rely on shutters rather than impact-resistant glass. Buyers need to look beyond the construction year and ask how each opening is actually protected.

Why Windows Matter During a Hurricane

Windows and exterior doors are part of the building's outer protective shell.

If a window or door fails during a severe storm, wind and rain may enter the unit. That can cause damage inside the unit and may also place additional pressure on other parts of the building.

For that reason, hurricane protection is not only about preventing broken glass. It is also about helping the building remain closed against wind and water.

What Older Condominiums May Have

Many older South Florida condominiums were constructed before today's hurricane-protection requirements were in place.

Their original windows may have included:

• Ordinary window glass
• Safety glass in locations where reducing injury was important
• Non-impact windows protected by shutters
• Windows that were later replaced with impact-resistant products

Safety glass and impact-resistant glass are not the same thing.

Safety glass is designed to reduce the risk of injury when it breaks. Impact-resistant glass is part of a tested window or door system intended to resist objects carried by hurricane winds and the pressure created by the storm.

What Changed After Hurricane Andrew

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 exposed major weaknesses in Florida's building-code system, construction practices, product testing, inspections, and enforcement.

Florida subsequently moved toward stronger hurricane-resistant construction rules and a statewide building code.

The first statewide Florida Building Code took effect in 2002. It created a more consistent framework for construction throughout Florida, although South Florida continues to have especially demanding hurricane requirements.

This makes 2002 an important reference point, but it should not be treated as a simple dividing line between buildings with and without impact windows.

Impact Windows Are Not the Only Form of Protection

Modern hurricane rules generally require vulnerable windows and doors to resist wind-carried debris or to be protected by an approved covering.

That protection may be provided by:

• Impact-resistant windows
• Impact-resistant sliding-glass doors
• Accordion shutters
• Roll-down shutters
• Removable storm panels
• Other approved protective systems

A building can therefore comply with applicable hurricane-protection requirements without having impact glass in every opening.

This is why the question should not simply be:

Does the building have impact windows?

A better question is:

How is every exterior window and door protected?

Do Not Assume Every Unit Is the Same

In some condominiums, the association completed a building-wide window replacement project.

In others, individual owners replaced their windows at different times.

That can result in a building with:

• Impact windows in some units
• Older windows with shutters in other units
• Different manufacturers and window styles
• Balcony doors that differ from the other windows
• Replacement work completed under different permits

A buyer should not assume that the windows in one unit represent the entire building.

Your Unit Can Have Impact Windows While the Building Remains Mixed

Impact windows provide valuable protection where they are installed.

However, the building's overall hurricane protection may still be inconsistent if other units or common areas contain older, unprotected openings.

If a window or exterior door fails elsewhere in the building during a major storm, wind and water may enter that area. Depending on the location and severity of the failure, the resulting damage may extend beyond the individual unit where it began.

This does not mean that your impact windows stop protecting your unit. It means that hurricane protection should be considered at both the unit level and the building level.

A building-wide upgrade generally provides a more consistent level of protection than a mixture of impact windows, older windows, and shutters.

Who Is Responsible for the Windows?

Responsibility for windows and exterior doors varies among condominiums.

The condominium declaration may assign responsibility to:

• The condominium association
• The individual unit owner
• The association for certain parts and the owner for others

Responsibility may also differ for:

• Glass
• Window frames
• Sliding-glass doors
• Sealants
• Shutters
• Maintenance
• Repair
• Replacement

Owners should review the governing documents rather than assume that responsibility is determined solely by where the window is located.

Florida condominium law also requires boards to adopt specifications for hurricane protection. Those specifications may address appearance, style, color, and other factors, while still requiring compliance with the applicable building code.

Questions Buyers Should Ask

Before purchasing a condominium, buyers should ask:

• Does this unit have impact-resistant windows?
• Are the balcony doors also impact resistant?
• If the windows are not impact resistant, what type of shutters or protection is provided?
• Does every unit in the building have the same protection?
• Were the windows replaced building-wide or by individual owners?
• Were the replacements permitted and inspected?
• Who is responsible for maintaining and replacing the windows?
• Who is responsible for maintaining and installing shutters?
• Does the association have approved window specifications?
• Are any additional window or hurricane-protection projects being considered?

Buyers should also request supporting records when available rather than relying only on statements made in a listing.

Construction Year Is Only the Starting Point

A building's construction year can help identify the general code era in which it was built.

It cannot tell you with certainty:

• Whether the original windows remain
• Whether the building was later upgraded
• Whether every unit has matching protection
• Whether shutters are required
• Whether replacement work was properly approved
• Who is responsible for future replacement

The most useful information comes from combining the building's age with its maintenance history, permit records, association documents, and current physical condition.

Looking Beyond the Glass

Windows are only one part of a condominium's hurricane resistance.

Other important areas include:

• Exterior doors
• Roof systems
• Exterior walls
• Balconies
• Waterproofing
• Mechanical equipment
• Emergency power
• Drainage

Future articles in this series will explain how changing building requirements affected these systems and what those changes may mean for today's condominium owners and buyers.

The Bottom Line

A newer construction date does not automatically guarantee impact windows, and an older construction date does not automatically mean a building lacks them.

The better question is whether every exterior opening has appropriate protection today, whether that protection has been properly installed and maintained, and whether the condominium has a consistent long-term plan for its windows and doors.

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• Introduction — Why Your Condominium's Construction Year Matters

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• Article 2 — Wind Design: How Hurricane Andrew Changed Condominium Construction (Coming Soon)

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This article is intended for general educational purposes and is not legal, engineering, insurance, or building-code advice. Requirements may vary based on location, permit date, building design, governing documents, and the code in effect when work is performed. Buyers and associations should consult qualified professionals regarding a specific property.