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).