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.

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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.

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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.