When hurricane season rolls around, many homeowner’s begin making several preparations to ensure their home will experience minimal damages in the event of severe weather, storms, and hurricane force winds and rains.
This year’s, 2021, hurricane season is expected to be quite active, with The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicting the following:
- 60% Chance of an above-normal season
- 30% Chance of a near-normal season
- 10% Chance of a below-normal season
Though not as severe as the 2020 hurricane season, there are 13-20 named storms ranging from category 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s. With quite a substantial amount of named, high-speed wind storms projected, many homeowners and even contractors begin to contemplate making a few upgrades, such as installing impact windows and doors.
However, a few shortages in the supply chain may make last minute upgrades like these challenging.
For example, Polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is a durable thermoplastic used to create laminated glass and is currently in short supply. This material is used to design a safer, stronger window or door structure for families and buildings allowing the structural integrity of the window or door to remain intact upon impact, so you won’t have to worry about stepping on or picking up any shattered small, sharp glass fragments.
How PVB Shortages Can Affect Upgrading to Impact Windows
Laminated glass, or impact glass, uses innovative technology and processes to fuse two pieces of glass together for a stronger design that does not shatter to pieces upon impact. However, the polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer is a key material that makes this possible.
This durable plastic is fused between the glass panes through a laminating process involving pressure and heat resulting in a more durable glass unit.
The current supply chain for PVB material is presenting a few challenges for impact window manufacturers to fulfill last minute orders and consumers to have them installed on such short notice. For residential impact windows, you should begin ordering them at least six months in advance as these challenges remain present throughout the supply chain.
Pro Tips to Ordering Impact Glass Windows or Doors:
- Avoid waiting until last minute to place your order (ideally at least 6 months in advance)
- Diligently follow-up with your purchase orders to stay updated on their schedule and delivery times.
- Use our Dealer Locator Tool to find the nearest EAS impact window and door solutions for your home.
The supply chain hiccups of PVB material have been challenging for manufacturers and consumers alike. At Eastern Architectural Systems, we are committed to providing our customers with quality window and door solutions, ensuring complete transparency and education to our customers throughout the process.
You can learn more about some of our more frequently asked questions by clicking the button below. Or, click here to find an EAS window and door dealer near you to learn and shop our comprehensive solutions for your home.
