Record Tornadoes in December storm

Very strange - but we have had a record number of tornadoes the last few days - more than 30 of them from Texas to Alabama. Details at the link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/the-december-25-26-storm-tornadoes-in-the-south-heavy-snow-to-the-north-images/2012/12/26/98bed660-4f98-11e2-950a-7863a013264b_blog.html

Is your home secure from Mother Nature?

Corpus - PARENTS KICK OUT GLASS Looking for Kids

Today there was a false shooting scare at a Corpus Christi school. PARENTS arrived, panicked, and KICKED OUT the glass to get into the school. Parents!

If frightened parents find it easy to break glass to break into a school, think about how easy it is for a a killer stalking your kids, or by hurricane force winds.

No school would lock the doors with a killer INSIDE - they lock the doors to keep the Killer OUTSIDE.

Armor Glass helps keep them OUT. Any delay in entry is a big advantage for the occupants.

We have had incidents where a propane tank was used to break a bedroom window, allowing the burglars to be on top of the homeowners before they had a chance to move, call 911, get a weapon, or all of the above.

Armor Glass security film would have given them that chance to call for help and get access to a defensive weapon.

That can make all the difference.

Photos/story links coming. "Follow" to get updates.

Record Year and It Just Keeps Coming...

One of my reps just called - a guy I sent him to wants our film installed THIS WEEK. No delays. I asked the rep if he had been broken into. He said "No, but there have been four break-ins in his neighborhood recently." Ah. I knew it. It's been that way all year.

And that was before Sandy Hook.

Normally, this time of year is DEAD for our business.  Yet we have had no slake in the numbers of calls, from around the country and even overseas.

Another man called me from a western state where they are building a warehouse for expensive cars - behind HUGE panes of glass. They want our security film protecting them. Without Armor Glass, it would be pretty easy for someone to break a window and vandalize - or steal - one or more of those exotic cars. And burglar bars look so BAD. Our security film is like "invisible burglar bars." Except they know its there because we put a ADT-like sticker on the outside of the glass.

It's been a record year of sales for us - our best yet. And there seems to be no slowing down. Bigger storms, bigger threats - and no other real choice for security, not unless you want to pay a lot more for impact glass or shutters.

Stay tuned by clicking "follow"...

Newtown Killer Broke School's GLASS to Enter - Armor Glass Could Have STOPPED Him

“He forced his way into the school,” Vance said. He did not provide specifics and said that broken windows at the school (were) shattered..."

When I read that statement yesterday I was shocked, not just by the horror of the act – but the realization slapped me across the face that our technology could have prevented this awful disaster from happening.

The Newtown Shooter got in by BREAKING THROUGH ITS WINDOWS, according to this news account.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/15/15926718-newtown-gunman-forced-his-way-into-school-police-say?lite

Glass is a 5,000 year old technology that hasn't changed in 5,000 years - it's still as fragile and easily broken as it was five millennia ago. A man with a gun, or a brick, can easily break through it.

Until security film like Armor Glass sells came along. It was first developed as a result of space technology to protect people from car bomb blast waves in Northern Ireland when the IRA was killing people for not being Catholic. Remember that? It was installed in our federal buildings in DC after 9/11 for the same reason.

A bullet into tempered glass blows out the entire area -- tempered glass like that in an office or school breaks into small pieces, like a car window.

Any gun -- especially an assault style Bushmaster 223 caliber gun -- would have blown a huge hole in the school’s – any school’s -- glass wall in mere seconds.

Within two seconds this killer was into the school building after shooting out the glass.

The second the glass shattered the staff and students were totally vulnerable. Many buildings have glass for walls. All are just as vulnerable to burglars, bricks, hurricane-force winds, hail -- and shooters with assault weapons.

Even if the Sandy Hook principal had been armed she would have had little luck against an assault rifle and a man wearing body armor. She tried to run at the gunman to subdue him and paid the ultimate price defending her staff and students.

So I feel strange knowing that if my company’s security film been on that school’s windows, it would have delayed the shooters entry – giving the staff precious time to dial 911 for police and lock down the school.  Our product could have saved many if not all of them from being killed – because even shooting the film would not give immediate access.  Shooting a glass window sends dangerous glass shrapnel flying. Throw a rock at tempered glass and it leaves a gaping hole where glass once stood for anyone to walk through without getting so much as a cut.

Had our film been installed the film would have contained the glass despite numerous bullet holes. The special high tech film is anchored to the frames with a special structural sealant (made by Dow Corning and GE) which would have kept it in place, delaying the intruder. Even if it held for two minutes to give the police time to get there it would have made a lifesaving difference.  We had it keep a burglar from breaking into a lady’s house five days after we installed it. It makes a difference.

I am so sorry this happened. So many innocent women and children killed by a deranged animal masquerading as a human. It reminds me why I do this -- to PROTECT PEOPLE and their families from breach of every building’s weakest link -- its WINDOWS from intrusions.

It seems that we have come to the unfortunate time that EVERY building should armor its glass to protect our families and our schools to protect our kids from demented young men with high powered rifles. As well as windborne debris from a hotter planet generating bigger storms.  

But most importantly, from killers and burglars.

We have come to a point in America that we all need security to protect our kids and families.

Our deepest condolences to the families of Sandy Hook.

Michael Fjetland

You think WE have it Bad?

You think WE have it Bad? 

The Philippines get hit with 20 Hurricanes (called Typhoons) a YEAR...! This one just hit...

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/powerful-typhoon-kills-at-least-74-in-philippines-301164

From Pop Stars to Regular Folks - Glass is Dangerous

According to the news reports – in a fit of rage, a Papillion-La Vista South High School student put his arm through a window in the principal’s office, severing an artery in his forearm. The injury was so severe, the kid had to undergo an 8 hours long surgery.

Papillion-La Vista South High School is in Papillion, Nebraska, USA.

And pop music star Justin Bieber ran into a glass window and injured an eyebrow, but it could have been worse.

In each of these cases, Armor Glass Security Film would have prevented the glass injury, be it pop star or mad teenager smashing a window. Check us out at the link and ask for a FREE quote.

Gas Explosion in MA - Another Reason for Armor Glass

A natural gas explosion in Springfield Massachusetts blew out windows in over 40 buildings this week. An article on the explosion can be found here.

Windows were blown out for blocks. Had the buildings been "armored" with Armor Glass security film, the people inside would have been protected from flying glass (the explosion happened after hours, which prevented many injuries). After all, our security film is explosion rated (3a/3b, Level 2). That's why its on the Pentagon and the DC federal buildings!

Also, no one would be running around right now trying to "board up" empty window frames.  The film would hold it it all together until the glass was replaced.

Stay tuned! Click "Subscribe" or "Follow" for updates.

SuperStorm Sandy - How Hurricanes Blow You Away

I watched the NOVA special on "SuperStorm Sandy."  One man described perfectly what happens in a hurricane. He said he was in his house when "suddenly my sliding glass doors all blew in, then the roof came off and the walls collapsed."

He ended up swimming to a car where he survived the remainder of the storm.  His story confirms the findings of "Project Safe Windows" the study of the four hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004.

Once the glass blows in, wind pressure forces UPLIFT on the roof, blowing it off. Then the walls have no support and collapse. One engineer told me that the uplift from a hole in the window could be over 50,000 lbs.!

Check out the NOVA special at the above link.  It also describes how the WARMER WATER - the Atlantic was 5 degrees above normal - adds more fuel to these storms, making them BIGGER.

It means that we MUST HARDEN our structures to withstand these superstorms. That's what Armor Glass does - it armors your weakest link, your windows....

WEATHER ON STEROIDS - Sandy's Wake Up Call

Above Photo: Sandy on Long Beach NY 2012

We seem to have "Weather on Steriods" and the TREND is not good. We have just had three 100 year storms hit the Northeast alone in the last 3 years!

Hurricane/SuperStorm "Sandy" is the worst storm since New York was founded in 1624, It's preliminary costs are now over over $50 BILLION in damages. Suddenly Governors and Mayors are thinking that they may need an Amsterdam-type shield from future flooding.  The windborne debris blew out windows across the city - even blowing off the side of an old buildings.

Meanwhile, another major hurricane (called "cyclones" in that part of the world) is hitting INDIA. Before that CHINA has had several major hits with CAT 4 storms this year. Each storm kills crops and displaces people, causing more economic strife and economic uncertainty.

2012 has been the warmest on record since weather records were started. The TREND is for BIGGER storms, more POWERFUL storms.

We've seen record-setting TORNADOES the past couple years as well. Last year the HAIL was several FEET deep in parts of North Texas near Amarillo and Lubbock.

That means greater destruction to our human dwellings unless we use greater "armoring" of our buildings from future wind and storm surge brought on by these "SuperStorms."  Windborne debris breaking a window leads to immediate structural stress that can blow apart buildings and at a minimum inundate a building with water and the aftermath of mold and extensive repairs for months.

That scenario has just happened to tens of millions of people living in 12 states!  Those of us who went through IKE in 2008 and Katrina before that understand what it's like not having electric power for days and spoiled food and no access to gasoline or grocery stores.

On the radio today I listened to several people describe to NPR their experiences. One lady was in a building near the Jersey Shore pier that was shredded for miles. She said she was hoping that a plank would not crash through a window. None did, but what about next time?

It's time we started armoring our structures - AND taking action to reduce these damaging storms in the future.

Recently at a primary debate, Gov. Romney endorsed cutting back FEMA and sending the costs to the States and private sector. Can you imagine any state picking up a $50 Billion tab?  I can't imagine Texas taxpayers picking up the costs of Hurricane Ike or the residents of Louisiana paying 100% for the losses of Katrina. We are Americans and have to help each other out from these growth natural disasters.

I am speaking to key building management professionals about that issue the next couple days. Stay tuned for updates.

"Subscribe" or "follow" for updates.

Hurricane Sandy - FORGET THE TAPE - Get Armor Glass FILM

I can't believe it. Old myths die hard.

I just saw a piece on the TODAY show, which is doing hurricane coverage about Hurricane Sandy. They had on a guy with a window-- and they actually recommended putting tape on it like an "X" you saw in those old WW II movies. ABSURD!

THIS (below) is what people SHOULD be putting on their glass to prevent breach from wind-borne debris:

It's SECURITY WINDOW FILM - designed to withstand a 4.5 lb. Large Missile impact and hurricane-force winds.

Compare that to this tape job (below) I once saw:

And with tape, you will end up with this:

And BELOW is a Chase Bank on Long Island that has Armor Glass Security Film protecting its windows from hurricane-force winds:

The film is rated for a Large Missile impact (4.5 lbs)! It can take a 175 mile per hour wind.

The Chase Bank in the last photo is located on Long Island at Oakdale NY - which is getting 71 mile per hour winds right now. In 2009 we put our Hurricane security film on it (Clear version). No need for plywood. We'll see how it looks AFTER Sandy is gone...

Hurricane Sandy is the LOWEST pressure to ever hit the U.S> at 940 millibars. The big storm of 1938 was 946 millibars!

Storms are getting BIGGER. Stay tuned. Click "Subscribe" or "Follow" to get updates...and check out our website at www.ArmorGlass.com

Corpus House - Hollywood Dream

Here are a couple photos of the house in Corpus that we have been installing solar security window film this weekend.  HOLLYWOOD would LOVE that bathroom! 

Outside is a boat dock and a channel that leads to the Gulf of Mexico...now they have 24/7 protection from hurricane force winds, burglars, etc...

Sandy - Bearing Down on NE - Armor Glass on Chase

Sandy is bearing down on the Northeast - but at least one Chase Bank on Long Island will have protection from wind-borne debris. In 2009 Armor Glass installed our hurricane-rated security film on a new Chase Bank built in Oakdale NY (its on Long Island).

At the time we were told that it was the first time hurricane film had been used on Long Island. In 2011, Hurricane Irene slammed into the area. Now it is Sandy.  Is this a pattern?

Stay tuned - this beast will, at a minimum, knock out power for tens of millions. 

October Surprise - HURRICANE Sandy

We have an unusual October Surprise - a CAT 2 Hurricane named Sandy that the weather forecasters say will hit the Northeast - and could knock out power to "tens of millions" of people - right before election day.

Quoting the Weather Channel:

"What kind of impacts are we talking about?
Destructive winds, heavy rain, major coastal flooding and beach erosion would pummel portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions between later Sunday and Tuesday of next week. Of course, the high winds would extend inland, with the potential for downed trees and powerlines. Widespread power outages could last for days.
(MORE: Latest "Sandy" Maps | Tropical Update)
This setup could even wrap in just enough cold air on its western edge to produce wet snow, possibly heavy, in some parts of the central Appalachians (mountains of West Virginia and Pennsylvania).
Residents from New England to New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia should remain vigilant and be prepared to take action in the next few days."

Normally Hurricane season is long gone before it officially ends November 1 - but in this case, the extra heat has produced a late season powerful storm that will disrupt MILLIONS of people in the Northeast - as far inland as Maryland and Virginia.

What impact this storm could have on a close election is hard to say - STAY TUNED!

A Job in Beautiful corpus christi

During the next couple of days we are putting our tinted security film on a house facing the Gulf of Mexico in Corpus Christi, a beautiful city.  It is a monster size house and has tempered windows facing the Gulf, with no protection from windborne debris during  a future hurricane, or a burglar breaking in.

So today we are putting on the security film. Tomorrow we will be bonding it to the frames with a special structural sealant called Dow 995 - you HAVE to use the 995 on tempered glass or else it will detach from the frame and fall out when struck. Plate glass doesn't need the bonding. We have seen other companies that fail to do the bonding - so the glass falls out later at the worse possible time.

We believe in doing it RIGHT.

Another Happy customer..testimonial

A customer felt compelled to send me this email today:

"Hi Michael,

Wanted you to know that Delbert and I are very happy with our Armor Glass
film.  I especially love the frosted film over my stairs.  Hope you will
use me for a reference.

Darlene"

THANK YOU DARLENE.  We are hearing these kinds of comments all the time.

P.S. Darlene lives in a town-home close to another. We first installed our hurricane film then, to give them privacy, installed the frosted film over the hurricane film. It looked great...

Land of GIANT Houses - Break in Magnets

We put our security film on a giant house in NW Houston yesterday.  Nice couple originally from Iowa. They did it because another behemoth house across the street was broken into recently by burglars who found it easy to break a glass window  - the weakest link on every building.

We are getting jobs as far away as Brownsville on the tip of Texas. There is no recession in this business - we have been booming the past four years even during the worst of the recession.

Why? Because our technology PAYS FOR ITSELF in multiple ways: Energy savings enough to pay for the film over time, Security from burglars and hurricanes/tornadoes, and protection from deadly UV that destroys your furnishings.

Check us out. There is no other technology that is this good for residential and commercial buildings.

4 Years Ago TODAY _ Houston Pounded by IKE

It was exactly four (4) years ago TODAY, that Houston was pounded by Hurricane IKE, a small CAT 1. yet it caused billions in losses. Here are some photos I took around Houston after the storm. Are you prepared for the next one?

"Project Safe Windows" studied the hurricanes that hit Florida - they found that windborne debris breaking a window led to structural failure. Avoid the window breach, avoid losing your roof, etc....that's what Armor Glass security film does - not to mention keeping out burglars and solar heat...

Rare Tornado Hits NYC - Armor Glass is there

It is highly unusual for a tornado to hit New York City, but two of them did just that on Saturday. Yep, the weather is getting more freaky by the day. Details at the link.

Luckily Armor Glass security film was installed on a new Chase bank building in Oakdale NY (Long Island) a couple years ago, protecting the occupants from a window breach caused by the windborne debris hurled by tornado winds.

The same film is protecting home and offices across the U.S. - from hurricanes, tornadoes, burglar break ins, and solar heat.

Check us out and get a Free Quote BEFORE the next freak weather event hits your building.

I spent Saturday at a golf course north of Houston, watching golfers on a Tee Box next to a row of houses. Several balls veered to the left, hitting a couple roofs but luckily not taking out any windows. A few trees strategically located took the hits instead.   One of our clients who lives on a golf course has had three golf ball strikes since we installed our security film. She has been thrilled that these events did not result in glass flying all over her house - and that the window stays sealed until the pane can be replaced. Then she has us put on replacement film and she is "good to go" again...

But I must admit that by the time the golf event was over my legs felt like I had been burned by hot coals - after standing nearly 6 hours. But at least, this time, no windows were broken!

ISAAC Kisses NEW ORLEANS HELLO - CAT 1 is Not Katrina Strength

The hurricane verdict is in - ISAAC has decided to give New Orleans a big Wet Kiss as a CAT 1 - minimum hurricane compared to the monster Katrina that hit 7 years ago on the day.

The next photo is me, 7 years ago, standing in front of some of Katrina's wreckage. It was an avenging angel of death to thousands of people caught in failing levees and a monstrous size storm - a deadly combination of Mother Nature's Fury and Mankind's houses of straw and wood.

ISAAC will test the NEW $15 billion levee and pumping system built after Katrina overwhelmed their ragtag system that was inadequate for the job of fending off hurricane-force winds and rain. But the question is - How would it do if ISAAC were more like Katrina - a CAT 3 or 4?

I heard of one man who had rebuilt his house in New Orleans with six inch walls of cement and windows that will take 200 mph winds.  Even he did not plan to ride out ISAAC in the home.

Better to shelter further back from hurricane wind-and-water and be safe, then sorry. Get back and "Hunker down" until the fury passes.  New Orleans just closed their massive NEW Flood Gates for the very first time.  This shows the difference it makes when government investment in systems to protect our people and usable property from nature's rages.  Huge amounts of America's trade worth hundreds of billions of dollars leaves the U.S. through the Mississippi River - and its southern most port city, New Orleans, which actually sits BELOW Sea Level (like HOLLAND), so it needs Massive Pumps to stay high and dry.
 
The rising water is the second deadly killer --after tornadic winds breaking cheap windows and blowing apart our houses because no one reinforced the weakest link in our houses of straw, wood and brick.  Then you get the water and mold and months of reconstruction hassle.

Who wants to risk the suicide mission of hanging heavy plywood on 2nd story windows - hanging on the edge of a ladder, putting them up, taking them down, repeat - all the time. Instead of that with Armor Glass Security film which would be there working 24/7, 365 days a year.  Is it obvious which is better? Plywood won't stop burglars or solar heat. Armor Glass security film does. And cuts dangerous UV 99%. Plywood and shutters don't do that.

Do you remember the story of the Three Little Pigs - one built a house of straw; one built a house of wood and a third built his of brick? When the big bad wolf came along, the pigs in houses of straw and wood became the wolf's dinner. The pig in the brick house survived. The rest of us little pigs must upgrade our dwellings to become more robust to withstand Mother nature's extremes (and human intrusion) - now that even the weather has become extreme, from Drought to Hurricanes.

                                         Above Photo: Typhoon Bolaven CAT 4 Hits Korea 

Today Asia, including America's base on Okinawa, Japan, Korea are being hammered by a Katrina Monster of their own. China will be hit by it next (they are called "Typhoons" on that side of the world, but it is a Hurricane CAT 4).  This is a global situation of more intense storms and weather. We have to harden our structures or suffer the same fate as the "Three Little Pigs."

We need to armor what we have, upgrade our building codes to meet the threat - whether its hurricanes or burglars breaking easily through glass windows, causing destruction and heartache and headache that could have been avoided simply by putting a certified security film like Armor glass you your windows.


Our thoughts are for all of those now trapped in New Orleans with whatever protection they have. Let us hope it is enough to survive. No one should delay armoring their little pig houses now... before the next Big Bad Wolf comes calling...

NEW ORLEANS - Center of ISAAC cone

Monday morning update - Now it appears that New Orleans is in the center of the cone of uncertainty for ISAAC, which could reach CAT 2 over the HOT Gulf waters...

More info, click here...

ISAAC shifts WEST - Possible CAT 2

ISAAC's track has shifted to the WEST...and is expected to reach CAT 2 status by the time it makes landfall on the U.S. Mainland...

For the latest info, click here.

It's amazing to see people scrambling to buy plywood to "board up."  If they had Armor Glass security film on their windows, they wouldn't have to bother with putting it up and then taking it down. Putting heavy plywood on a 2nd floor is like a suicide mission.

And Armor Glass security film is working 24/7 to also keep our solar heat and burglars that plywood isn't going to do...check out our website and contact us for a FREE quote...

ISAAC - CAT 2 100 mph winds Expected

ISAAC is now predicted to become a 100 mph CAT 2 storm before it hits the US Mainland next week.

Wind speeds and course are bound to change but it looks like it will gain momentum after it passes over Cuba and heads to the U.S.

For the latest report, click here.

ISAAC - Tracking EAST towards Florida Again

Hurricane courses are hard to predict. The latest track shows that it may NOT go west but move back to the EAST, towards Florida's coast, yet still in the HOT Gulf waters...which are in the 90's and that hot water is JET FUEL to hurricanes.

It is possible ISAAC could reach CAT 2 wind speeds if it does stay in the warm Gulf before moving back over the U.S. mainland in 3-4 days. Here is the Storm Central analysis.

In the next day or two we should know with more certainly WHERE ISAAC is going. Stay tuned.

150 Years of Hurricanes - Unique Map

150 Years of Hurricanes on a map.Click here for the link.

"If it looks a little odd at first, it's because this hurricane map offers a unique perspective of the Earth; Antarctica is smack in the middle, and the rest of the planet unfurls around it like the petals of a tulip.

The Americas are on the right, Asia is on the left; the storms plotted on the map grow brighter as their intensity increases."

"In addition, the dearth of storms in the Eastern and Southern Hemispheres is also a product of a lack of data. The United States began to add storms from these regions to the archive beginning only in 1978."

ISAAC Update

As of today, Friday, August 24, here is the projected path of "ISAAC" - Florida is on the "dirty" side - the right hook that gets the most rain and wind. The eye could stay over the Gulf and let the storm build up over the hotter-than-normal Gulf waters before making landfall next week.

Are YOU prepared?  September is our PEAK time for these killers.

ISAAC Loves FLORIDA

ALL the computer models show ISAAC hitting FLORIDA before moving inland. Either way, Florida will be on its WET, WINDY side - the one with the most punch.

Things could change the next couple days, so stay tuned. We have JOYCE forming up behind ISAAC...and September is our PEAK time for hurricanes.

ISAAC

Latest track on Weather.com has it shifting slightly LEFT, meaning it could get into the Gulf of Mexico and threaten oil platforms and Texas etc coast...

ISAAC Update - Florida OR Texas Hit Possible

Photo above: Michael Fjetland, CEO of Armor Glass, sitting behind ordinary glass window which has been "armored" by Armor Glass Security Film - after numerous impacts with a hammer.

The latest update on ISAAC has it as a CAT 1 hurricane passing over Cuba - then either hitting Florida Monday OR moving west into the Gulf of Mexico.

The European model, usually very accurate, has it moving into the Gulf of Mexico. But other models have ISAAC moving north over Florida, beginning Monday.

STAY TUNED because we won't know more about its intensity or direction until late this week.

"Subscribe" or "Follow" for updates...

Here Comes....ISAAC. Could Be Off FLORIDA Sunday...

HERE COMES....ISAAC. As of today, this is the potential storm track. By Sunday it will be over Cuba - with a stop in the U.S. possibly next.

A lot can change in the next few days so STAY TUNED. Click "Follow" for updates...

Judges House Secured

We put our Security Film on a Judge's house today - I won't say WHO or WHERE. But I will say that he has been threatened; people have tried to break into his home.

There is nothing more vulnerable then bare glass.  He was also putting on the "Ultimate" Lock. Smart move also. When they can't get through our film they often resort to breaking the lock. Usually people have a flimsy one with a tiny faceplate that a crowbar will break in seconds.

The judge said that two or three nearby houses had been broken into recently in the same neighborhood (NICE neighborhood I CAN say). That same story is EVERYWHERE.

That is what happens when wealth becomes so concentrated and jobs so scarce by the lack of investment in infrastructure etc.  When people have no access to a job and money, they resort to taking others - and that means going to the most affluent.

Or going after someone who ruled against you in the past.

Security is here to stay, until such time as hurricanes no longer form, burglars no longer need to take other peoples' stuff and the sun no longer blows triple digit heat our way...

There is only one product that tackles all three jobs: Armor Glass Security Film, in both Clear and Solar+Security choices.

The quote is FREE so what is holding you back from contacting us?  Is Delay ok? Is time on your side. Unfortunately, no...

HELENE - The Storm From NOWHERE. Could Hit Texas

Out of NOWHERE came HELENE. It's now hugging the Mexican coast but it has a chance of reforming over the Gulf of Mexico where steering currents may bring it towards TEXAS next week.

WATCH this one. It may be a Rainmaker, or something more dangerous.

http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2012/08/what-a-possibly-re-forming-tropical-depression-means-for-texas/

HELENE is another example of "pop up" storms - storms that can grow from nothing to a HURRICANE in less than 24 hours. Remember Humberto?  That's what it did.

It shows that the old fashioned "boarding up" is a relic of the past. We don't often get much warning of where a storm will land. Armor Glass security film is working 24/7 once installed. No need to "board up" or run around like crazy trying to find boards and people to install them when everyone else is trying to find food, water and/or leave town...

And when its not hurricane season it is still protecting your house from break-ins and solar heat!

Stay tuned!

Is a 2 ply Tire as Good as a 4 ply? Watch out! THICKER IS BETTER...

Is a 2 ply Tire as Good as a 4 ply? No.

So is a 4 mil film as good as a 8 mil film? NO.  But that is what is happening out there - our competitor companies are pushing 4 mil film on people claiming it "is just as good" as 8 mil. No way.

If you believe that I have a bridge for sale in Brooklyn. It's bogus. With window film THICKER IS BETTER.  When someone is beating on your glass or a storm is throwing windborne debris at it, then you want the maximum protection.

We only sell certified security window film. The minimum thickness that passed the Large Missile Impact test is 8 Mil (our films go up to 14 mil but you don't need to go that far).  A 4 mil film will NOT pass that test. 

One more caveat: Some of our competitors are NOT telling people who have tempered glass (such as glass doors etc) that putting security window film alone is NOT ENOUGH. Tempered glass is like your care windows - when struck it will break into little pieces for safety reasons.

That means that it will detach from the window frame UNLESS IT IS BONDED TO THE FRAME WITH DOW 995 or GE Silpruf structural sealant.  Without that bonding the tempered glass will fall out of the frame (with the film still holding the glass). This bonding is not required on plate glass but is on tempered glass.  You can tell if a window is tempered if it has an etching in one corner of the glass - plate glass will not have any etching whatsover.  Plate glass tends to hold itself together when struck when film has been applied.

So, bottom line, compare "apples to apples" when evaluating competing quotes. Companies quote 4 mil to "under bid" companies like ours which only quotes 8 mil certified film. So you may save a few bucks if you go with them but you are NOT getting better film. Nor are you getting safety compared to our 8 Mil...

In window film, THICKER IS BETTER, just like with car tires.

Hurricanes - 50% Stronger When Passing Over Fresh Water

"About 60 percent of the world’s population resides in areas that are prone to hurricanes or cyclones; researchers find that if a hurricane’s path carries it over large areas of fresh water, it will potentially intensify 50 percent faster than those that do not pass over such regions, meaning it has greater potential to become a stronger storm and be more devastating...."

Here is the link:

"Hurricanes, called typhoons in the Pacific region and cyclones in the Indian region, are some of the most devastating natural hazards on Earth. A single storm, Cyclone Nargis in 2008, killed more than 138,000 people in Burma and caused $10 billion in damages."

Burglary Surge in Houston - How to Prevent and Save $

Above photo: A glass door protected with Armor Glass security film is still intact after being struck repeatedly by a burglar trying to break into it. The owner is the photographer silhouetted in the photo.

The Houston Chronicle posted a story  today about a surge in burglaries in Houston.  It was a picture of what has been going on nationally because of the economic downturn.

What it didn't discuss was solutions, other than having more police on the streets. But let's face it, police can respond after the fact but its hard to prevent someone from breaking into a home or office by relying on police.

Armor Glass security film does provide that preventative solution. As we have stated before, we installed it on a lady's house last year. Five (5) days later someone tried to break in,and failed. There have been several other clients of ours that have been hit by break ins. In each case they tell us that the burglars didn't break through our film.

In some cases the door itself broke while the film was still holding - or they took a crowbar and broke the lock.  In each case, entry was delayed, giving the alarm time to summon police - since burglars usually spend less than 3 minutes inside a house before running away. Three minutes spent trying to break in gives the police a chance to catch them while protecting the owner's property.

The bonus is that the film will also cut over 50% of the solar heat getting into the house (up to 79%) to keep you cooler and cut your energy bills - enough to pay for itself over time. One homeowner recently told me that her electric bills were running $1,300 a month and after installing our security film, she is saving $250/month on power! That is enough to pay for itself on her house in just three (3) years!

Check out our videos at our website and contact us for a FREE quote at www.ArmorGlass.com

Tropical Depression 7 - update

A new Atlantic Tropical Depression # 7 has formed; however, it may not develop due to a mass of dry air to its north. Here are the computer models of its potential tracks.

The Hurricane advisers have INCREASED their prediction for hurricanes this season. so don't let your guard down...

Hurricane Season Expected to be "BUSY"...

Hurricane forecasters say "Don't let your guard down" - they expect the rest of the season to be "busy."

"Forecasters said warmer-than-normal sea surface temperatures and wind patterns that favor storm formation mean chances are higher for an above-normal season, while the expected development of the El Nino pattern over the Pacific may suppress storms later in the season's peak period."

Our recommendation: Get your hurricane protection in place NOW. Once a storm is coming, its really too late...Contact us for a Free Quote.

Ernesto, Florence Threats Ebbing

Latest reports are that Ernesto will hit somewhere in Central America or southern Mexico. The U.S. does NOT appear to be a target.

And Florence also appears to be dying out.

But keep watching - we don't reach the "peak" of the season until mid-September. We have a LONG way to go before hurricane season is over...

How Hurricanes Destroy Houses...

Top: unprotected glass on a high rise condo that broke during Hurricane IKE 2008 - inside received water damage, etc (all the way down to the first floor).

Above: Ordinary single pane glass with Armor Glass security film coating will take a beating with a hammer and still keep out water and wind...

Above: Even commercial buildings lose windows from debris strikes during hurricanes, costing millions in damages from water, etc.

Since it appears that ERNESTO will soon be a hurricane bearing down on the Gulf of Mexico, its time for an explanation of how hurricanes destroy buildings.

After four hurricanes struck Florida in 2004 a study was launched called "Project Safe Windows."  They were amazed that some houses remained intact while others next to them were completely destroyed.  Why?

The answer was simple: Windborne debris.  With hurricane force winds you also get flying debris. Glass can flex up to a point, but it will break if it passes its tensile strength, usually when a piece of debris - gravel or a tree limb -- hits it.

Buildings are designed to withstand EXTERNAL pressure, not internal. Once the wind gets inside, it tries to find a way OUT.  The easy way is for it to UPLIFT the ROOF. It basically blows the house apart. Tornadoes do the same. One Conoco Phillips engineer (whose house we did) told me that he calculated that a hole in your window was enough to produce 50,000 lbs of UPLIFT on the roof!

Avoid the breach of your buildings weakest link, its windows, avoid losing your house (assuming you are not in a water surge area).  That why Armor Glass security film fills an important purpose that until now was done by plywood, an outdated technology that makes little sense - ever try carrying a heavy piece of it up a ladder in a wind?

(More Details in our forthcoming book).