Hurricane Screens vs. Impact Windows
May 4, 2026Impact windows or hurricane screens: which is right for your commercial building?
Both protect against storms and both meet Florida building code. The difference that matters for a business is what each one does to your operations. This covers the parts that affect your bottom line: how disruptive each is to install, what happens when a window breaks, and what a single broken pane can cost you in deductibles and downtime, so you can decide which fits a building that needs to stay open.
Key Takeaways
- Your business stays open. Fortress Screens install over your existing windows from the outside, with no glass removal and no closure.
- A broken window can shut you down. The screen takes the impact so your glass stays intact, which means no repair and no downtime.
- Even insured, a broken commercial window is expensive. The hurricane deductible alone is a percentage of your building's value, often six figures.
- One screen does three jobs. Hurricane protection, break-in security, and lower energy costs for your building, in a single permanent installation.
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We bring samples to your building, take measurements, and deliver a quote the same day on most projects.
What are hurricane security screens?
Hurricane security screens mount over your existing windows and doors from the outside. Fortress Screens are stainless steel mesh in a structural aluminum frame with 120,000 lbs of tensile strength, rated for Category 5 hurricanes. One product covers hurricane protection, break-in security, and energy savings, and it installs without tearing out your glass or closing your doors.
Installed without closing your business
This is the difference that matters most for a commercial building. Installing impact windows is a replacement job. The old glass comes out, the new units go in, and that work happens at the opening and often inside your space, which can mean dust, noise, and sections shut down until the crew is finished.
Fortress Screens mount over your existing opening from the outside. Your glass stays in place. Your doors stay open. Your team keeps working and your customers keep coming in. Once the screens are up, they look clean and let you see straight out, much like a standard window screen.
A broken window can shut your business down
Glass breaks for more than one reason. A hurricane drives debris into it. A break-in shatters it. Something hits it. Whatever the cause, a broken commercial window usually means closing while you wait on a repair, and after a major storm those repairs back up for weeks because everyone needs glass at the same time.
Fortress Screens take the impact so the glass behind them stays intact. The screen is rated for Category 5 winds and blocks up to 90% of hurricane wind pressure on your glass. It is also cut-proof and resists forced entry, so the same screen that handles a storm handles a smash-and-grab. That protection works year-round, not just in hurricane season.
The real cost of a broken commercial window
Most owners assume insurance covers a broken window, so it is not a big deal. The numbers say otherwise.
The deductible comes first
Commercial hurricane deductibles are a percentage of the insured value, not a flat fee. A 5% deductible on a $2 million building is $100,000 out of pocket before your policy pays anything.
The payout takes time
Florida law gives insurers 60 to 90 days to approve or deny a claim. A clean claim can pay in weeks. A disputed or underpaid one can take a year or more to resolve.
Your downtime may not be covered right away
Business interruption coverage usually has a waiting period, so the first stretch of lost revenue often comes out of your pocket.
Your rate can go up
Commercial premiums in Florida are already climbing, and filing claims can raise your long-term cost.
Put it together and a single broken window can mean six figures and weeks of closed doors, even when you are insured. Avoiding the break in the first place avoids all of it.
If you lease your space, this is your problem too
Plenty of commercial tenants assume building repairs are the landlord's job. Depending on your lease, they are not. In a triple-net (NNN) lease, common in retail and commercial space, the tenant pays a share of taxes, insurance, and maintenance, and often covers repairs directly. So the cost of a broken window can land on you, the tenant. And the downtime hits you no matter who pays for the glass, because it is your business that is closed.
If you rent and you cannot afford to be shut down, you have a reason to push ownership to install a permanent solution now. It protects their building and keeps your business running. Check your specific lease to see who carries repair and insurance costs.
What about impact windows?
Impact windows are the other common choice, and they work. They replace your glass with laminated panes that crack but hold together on impact. For a business, the tradeoffs are the install, which is a full window replacement, and the fact that once the glass cracks it needs replacing. If you want the full head-to-head on protection, cost, and security, read our complete hurricane screens vs. impact windows comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Do hurricane screens require closing my business to install?
No. They mount over your existing windows from the outside, so your business stays open during installation.
How are screens different from impact windows?
Impact windows replace your glass, which is a construction job. Hurricane screens install over your existing windows without removing the glass.
Do screens protect against break-ins, not just storms?
Yes. The stainless steel mesh is cut-proof and resists forced entry, so it protects against break-ins all year, not only during hurricane season.
Can they lower my insurance premium?
They are impact-rated, which may improve insurability. Actual savings depend on your carrier and policy, so check with your insurer.
I lease my commercial space. Can I still get them?
Yes. Talk to your building owner. Many commercial leases put repair and insurance costs on the tenant, so a permanent solution can protect you both.
The bottom line
For a commercial building, impact windows are a construction project to install, they crack when they do their job, and a single cracked window can mean a six-figure deductible and weeks of closed doors.
Hurricane security screens from Fortress install over your existing windows without closing your business, absorb impacts so the glass stays intact, block up to 90% of wind pressure, stop forced entry, and lower cooling costs. Category 5 rated. Florida Building Code certified (FL32125.1-R2 / FL32125.2-R2). Permanently installed.
One screen. Three solutions.
Get a Free Estimate
We bring samples to your building, take measurements, and deliver a quote the same day on most projects.
