Check out a ‘Stronghold’ in the window industry

In our homes, some of our favorite places can be the most dangerous. A perfect example is the shower, where you can slip and fall on a glass shower door or window. Because of this, safety regulations have been put in place that require safety glass in showers, tubs, next to doors, stairways and even within 18 inches of the floor. These regulations are there for good reason, and they bring alive an age old saying: safety first.

According to national building codes, all window types are required to have safety glass in these locations, except one: the jalousie window. Why is this the exception? Especially when it’s a matter of safety? Well, there are a several reasons, but here are the two biggest. Ovens capable of tempering jalousie blades have never been called for in the United States since most ovens temper larger glass pieces found on doors and picture windows. Another reason is once you temper glass, you cannot cut it. For the do-ityourselfer performing a custom cut to replace one broken blade of jalousie glass, it would be an inconvenience and possibly cost prohibitive to replace it.

So what’s being done about it? A recent meeting at Breezway’s Halawa factory provided some great answers to these safety questions. Breezway has officially “fired-up” its tempering oven designed for jalousie and louver blades.

“As a company, life safety is our highest priority in our factory for our staff and our customers’ homes. It was an obvious choice to install a tempering oven,” stated a Breezway representative. “However there is much more to it than just safety. Tempered glass is four to six times stronger than annealed glass, which is what you buy off the shelf. This means it’s harder to break, or break in to, if you will.”

While tempered glass is not a security product, Breezway does incorporate it in its new line called the Stronghold. “It’s a high-performance louver clip that utilizes a mechanical pin inserted through both sides of the tempered glass,” stated Breezway’s representative. “After the pin is installed in the Stronghold, the only way to remove it is with tools, providing a safer, more secure louver window ideal for all elevations. From outside you cannot tell it’s a Stronghold clip.” This impressive design is one you will never find on an ordinary jalousie window.

BREEZWAY
contact // 484-5999
email // hawaiisales@breezway.com
web // www.breezway.com/hawaii