If you live in Hollywood, you’ve got it made. Hollywood, Florida, that is. It’s a city in South Florida in Broward County with a population of about 150,000, and it’s fun in the sun. There are beaches with the accompanying water activities – jet skis, cruiseboats and charter rentals, fishing, and sunbathing. There are golf courses, museums and parks, nightclubs, and many other things to do. Hollywood life is fun in the sun, but if you live there or are thinking of moving there, you should know one thing: Sooner or later, you’re going to be hit or brushed by a hurricane or tropical storm. Preparing for hurricanes is just part of Florida life.
The state of Florida recommends that every Florida resident have a hurricane plan. Part of that plan is, of course, preparing and protecting your home. One of things you can do to protect your Hollywood home is install hurricane impact windows. In fact, in some cities in Florida, when you replace windows you are required by local ordinance to replace them with impact hurricane windows. Impact resistant windows are some of the best protection money can buy, and they can save you money in surprising ways.
Insurance companies often give you a premium reduction when these windows are installed. Contact your insurance provider to find out the amount your monthly premiums will go down; the average savings on wind protection with installed impact resistant windows on Florida insurance is about 20%.
They can make your utility bills go down; because of the heavy duty aluminum framing, tight seal, and double paned specially coated glass with an inner layer sandwiched between them, the heat and cold transfer from inside and outside your home is reduced significantly. That means you use less energy in heating and cooling your home, and not only does it mean that your energy efficiency is good for the environment, that means less money for you in utility bills every month. That’s invaluable in the hot, humid weather of South Florida.
There’s a tax credit available for replacing your current windows or doors with impact hurricane windows. You can take up to $500 dollars off your taxes, just for making your home safer from the storm. That is a win-win for you – not only do you protect your Hollywood home, you get paid for doing so.
Impact hurricane windows make your home safer, and save you money. The initial cost of the windows can be weighed against the savings and protection that you receive, and they’ll come out the winner.
