By September, hurricane season tends to feel a lot more real for Florida homeowners. The checklists come out—plywood, sandbags, batteries, bottled water—but one important line of defense is often hiding in plain sight. Your windows are one of the most exposed parts of your home when conditions turn rough. They’re a critical barrier between your family and Florida’s harshest weather — and a significant contributor to cooling costs. Whether you’re living with basic single-pane glass or planning a custom buil...
By September, hurricane season tends to feel a lot more real for Florida homeowners. The checklists come out—plywood, sandbags, batteries, bottled water—but one important line of defense is often hiding in plain sight. Your windows are one of the most exposed parts of your home when conditions turn rough. They’re a critical barrier between your family and Florida’s harshest weather — and a significant contributor to cooling costs. Whether you’re living with basic single-pane glass or planning a custom build, the windows you choose can play a role in how well your home weathers the next storm.
Senior Project Consultants at Simply Windows & Doors, Lyndsay Mijal and Scott Wyler, see it often. Windows are often the last thing on a homeowner’s mind until there’s a problem. “If you’re seeing an issue, you definitely waited too long. You want to jump on it before that happens,” explained Mijal.
Windows can help fortify a home while adding light and aesthetic appeal. The right windows can also improve energy efficiency, comfort and security. “Homeowners are scared of what they perceive the cost to be. There’s more competition in the Florida market, and in many cases there’s alternatives that have given us the ability to get people a price that is market competitive,” shared Wyler.
That focus on the customer experience extends to the sales process. Simply Windows & Doors takes pride in a no high-pressure environment for customers. “We provide information. We don't hold customers hostage in their house for three hours and try to get them signed right now. We find out what they're looking to accomplish. Get our measurements, build the project, get all the information together, and email it so they can review the estimate as a family. We work with them through the process,” explained Mijal.
Modern insulated windows feature two or more panes separated by an insulating air or gas space that reduces heat transfer, while low-E coatings can further reduce heat transfer and solar heat gain. Impact windows take that a step further with a PVB layer designed to hold the glass together if debris strikes it. “What you have to worry about is the projectiles. If something flies at your window mid-hurricane, impact windows will break, but it’s still going to be protecting the inside of your home. Your family is going to be safe,” said Mijal. Impact-resistant windows are designed to resist windborne debris and help keep the opening protected if the glass is damaged.
Those building custom homes can get their windows right from the beginning. “Many deciding to build a custom home are going to do this once in their life. We work with them from the design phase, so they have the outcome they want at the end,” explained Wyler. For the contractor, that process begins with the plans. “We’re a turnkey solution. They send us their plans. We give them options based on the budget and project, and we do everything. We order all the products to stay on schedule. Our expert team does the installation all the way through to the finishing closeout,” Wyler added.
As Florida heads into the heart of hurricane season, it’s easy to focus on spaghetti models and supply runs. But protection starts much earlier — with windows that can help safeguard your home and improve energy efficiency. For Mijal and Wyler, the goal is to give homeowners and builders clear options, detailed information and room to make a decision — confident that the products and the people behind them will still stand up long after storm season has passed.