Hurricane & Storm Hazard Mitigation
StormShield™ Hurricane System
StormShield™ is Glass Wrap’s approach to hurricane-focused glazing upgrades, combining impact-rated safety & security films, attachment systems, and project-specific design. The goal is to help reduce glass hazards and interior damage pathways during severe weather events—especially along the Gulf Coast and coastal Florida.
What Is the StormShield™ Hurricane System?
A System-Level Approach to Hurricane & Windborne Debris Risk
StormShield™ is not just a single film product. It is a system concept that pairs safety & security films, attachment systems, and existing glazing to help manage glass-related risks during hurricanes and severe wind events. Where applicable, StormShield™ can be aligned with impact and pressure testing data; in other cases, it is used as a hazard reduction upgrade for non-rated openings.
How StormShield™ Fits into Hurricane Planning
In hurricane-prone regions, glass is a major pathway for water intrusion, debris entry, and interior pressure changes. Replacing all glazing with impact-rated units or shutters is not always practical. StormShield™ offers a retrofit path that can help:
- Hold broken glass fragments together under impact.
- Help keep glass in the frame longer when paired with attachment systems.
- Reduce the spread of glass hazards inside the building.
- Support larger resilience and continuity strategies when combined with other measures.
Where StormShield™ Is Commonly Used
- Coastal commercial buildings and mixed-use developments.
- Schools, municipalities, and government facilities on the Gulf Coast.
- Healthcare, hospitality, and mission-critical spaces with large glass areas.
- Retrofit situations where full impact glazing is not immediately feasible.
StormShield™ is always designed as a retrofit enhancement, not a replacement for engineered impact-rated glazing where it is required by code or specification.
StormShield™ System Components
What Goes into a StormShield™ Hurricane System
A hurricane-focused glazing strategy is built from more than just a film selection. StormShield™ projects combine impact-rated films, attachment systems, and project-specific details to help the opening perform closer to tested configurations.
Impact Film
StormShield™ Impact Film
Multi-mil safety & security films selected from our StormShield™ Impact series and related offerings, focused on impact and tear resistance.
Attachment
Attachment Systems
Structural silicone or mechanical profile attachments, designed per our Attachment Systems guidelines, to help tie the filmed glass into the frame.
Existing Glazing
Compatible Glass & Frames
Field verification of glass type, thickness, airspace, and frame condition so the system design reflects real-world conditions—not just lab assumptions.
Project Details
Project-Specific Design
Coordination with building orientation, exposure, priority elevations, and—when needed—input from design professionals for higher-risk or code-driven work.
Applications
Where StormShield™ Hurricane Systems Make Sense
StormShield™ is often one layer in a broader hurricane plan. We prioritize openings where the combination of glass size, exposure, and occupant risk makes a retrofit especially valuable.
Coastal Commercial
Storefronts & Mixed-Use Buildings
Street-level glass and large storefront systems in coastal zones where windborne debris and interior damage pathways are major concerns.
Public & Institutional
Schools, Government & Healthcare
Entrances, lobbies, corridors, and common areas where occupant safety, shelter-in-place, and continuity are driving factors.
Coastal Lighting
Storm + Turtle-Friendly Strategies
In beachside applications, StormShield™ concepts may be combined with TurtleGuard™ films to support sea turtle lighting ordinances while still addressing glass hazards.
Testing & Standards
How StormShield™ Relates to Impact & Pressure Standards
Hurricane-focused glazing systems are often discussed in terms of impact and pressure cycling standards such as ASTM E1886 / E1996 and Florida / Miami-Dade protocols. StormShield™ is designed with those concepts in mind, but does not automatically turn any opening into an impact-rated system.
Test Data & Lab Configurations
Where manufacturers have tested safety & security film systems to hurricane-related standards, those tests are based on specific glass types, thicknesses, frame depths, and attachment methods. When your project closely matches those conditions, we may reference that data as part of the design conversation.
However, real-world buildings rarely match lab mock-ups exactly, which is why we present testing as informational support, not a blanket performance guarantee.
Educational, Not Code Interpretation
Glass Wrap uses testing language to help owners, design teams, and contractors make informed decisions. We do not interpret building codes or replace the role of engineers and code officials.
For a broader overview of relevant test methods—including impact, pressure cycling, and hurricane protocols—see our Testing & Standards Overview.
Our Process
How Glass Wrap Designs StormShield™ Hurricane Solutions
Hurricane-focused work demands a measured, field-based approach. We combine site observation, risk prioritization, and system thinking to recommend upgrades that fit your building, budget, and tolerance for risk.
Step-by-Step Approach
- Site Walk & Glazing Survey: Document glass types, frame conditions, exposure, and priority elevations.
- Risk & Objective Review: Clarify whether the focus is on hazard reduction, continuity, risk scoring, or code-driven impact requirements.
- System Recommendation: Propose film thickness, StormShield™ Impact options, and attachment systems appropriate for your conditions.
- Coordination with Design Professionals: On higher-risk or code-enforced projects, we encourage involvement from engineers, architects, or building officials.
- Phased Implementation: Sequence work to tackle highest-risk areas first and minimize disruption to operations.
Integration with Other Glass Wrap Services
StormShield™ sits alongside our broader Safety & Security Film offerings and Architectural Window Film Series for heat, glare, and UV control.
In many cases, we can coordinate hurricane-focused upgrades with solar control, privacy, or decorative goals so you address multiple needs with a single mobilization.
Performance & Limitations
What StormShield™ Can and Cannot Do
Clear communication about performance is critical—especially for hurricane-related work. StormShield™ is positioned as a performance enhancement and hazard reduction tool, not a substitute for engineered impact systems where they are required.
What StormShield™ Systems Can Do
- Help hold broken glass fragments together under impact or pressure.
- Help keep glass in the frame longer when paired with appropriate attachment systems.
- Reduce the spread of glass hazards into occupied spaces.
- Support broader efforts to reduce water intrusion and interior damage pathways.
- In some cases, support tested system configurations when closely aligned with documented lab conditions.
What StormShield™ Systems Do Not Guarantee
- They do not make glass unbreakable or “storm-proof.”
- They do not, by themselves, convert non-rated openings into code-approved impact or hurricane glazing.
- They do not guarantee that debris, wind, or water will be fully prevented from breaching an opening.
- They do not replace the need for engineered glazing, shutters, or other systems where required by code or design professionals.
Actual performance depends on glass type, frame construction, film selection, attachment design, installation quality, and how closely the installed system matches any referenced testing.
Disclaimer: The StormShield™ Hurricane System is intended to enhance the performance of existing glazing during severe weather by helping manage glass hazards and delay glass release. It does not, by itself, convert non-rated glass into a code-approved impact, hurricane, blast, or ballistic glazing system unless used as part of a configuration tested and approved to those standards. Glass Wrap does not claim or imply that film, attachment systems, or related products will prevent injury, damage, or entry in all conditions. For projects requiring compliance with specific codes or standards, we recommend reviewing applicable testing, engaging the appropriate design professionals and code officials, and using our Testing & Standards Overview as a general educational resource only.
Ready to Talk Hurricane Risk & Glazing?
Schedule a StormShield™ Hurricane System Assessment
Share your building type, location, and areas of concern. Glass Wrap will survey priority openings, discuss how StormShield™ fits into your broader hurricane plan, and recommend practical upgrade options that respect your budget and operations.