Testimonials

Robert Kamm, P.E., Deerfield Beach, FL

Due to a growing family and need for additional space, Robert Kamm decided to bull doze his existing home, located just 1,500 feet from South Florida's magnificent intercoastal waterway, and build a larger, modern, fully-equipped, 4,000 square-foot home on their existing property.

Having lived on the property for six years, Kamm was quite familiar with several important architectural design challenges associated with his location. Kamm faced three problems: excessive noise from nearby boat traffic, an ongoing threat from Florida's notorious tropical storms, and a growing security concern due to living in a popular, crowded beach environment.

The most immediate problem for the home was finding a solution to the excessive noise of high-performance speedboat engines roaring up and down the intercoastal waterway at all hours. "Since our old home was only equipped with ordinary windows, when a boat would come barreling by the house in the middle of the night, it would almost knock you out of bed," says Kamm. "With boats hitting the water at speeds in excess of 40 miles per hour, it sounds like you're at a race track." Windows are generally the weak link in the transmission of sound into a building. Just as a window lets in light, it can also transmit irritating noise from airplanes, traffic, heavy machinery, and in this case, boats. With approximately 1,200 square feet of glazing and strict Broward County impact resistance code requirements that needed to be passed, Kamm spent a considerable amount of time investigating the products of 10 window manufacturers in the South Florida area. After careful consideration and research, Kamm decided to have every window and door in the house manufactured by Construction Glass Industries (CGI), in Miami, using KeepSafe Maximum glass. CGI used 3/8" thick nominal laminated glass to achieve the sound reducing results Kamm desired.

KeepSafe Maximum glass is highly effective in reducing unwanted sounds. The plastic interlayer dampens the vibration of the glass, therefore hampering the transmission of sound waves. Kamm estimates that by installing the KeepSafe Maximum glass windows, he's reduced irritating noise by 80 percent. "The laminated glass windows have substantially reduced unwanted sounds in the house. Now, you can barely hear outside noise. It's virtually soundproof," says Kamm. "My parents came to visit and couldn't believe how quiet it was. They kept remarking on what a nice, peaceful nights sleep they had."

In addition to its superior sound performance, KeepSafe Maximum glass was used to protect the home from extreme wind and weather conditions, including the threat of hurricanes, which are common in the area. Unlike hurricane storm shutters, windows with KeepSafe Maximum glass can provide around-the-clock protection. "When a storm is approaching, the last thing you have time to do is to put hurricane shutters up on your home, " says Kamm. "There are other preparations you need to be making."

Kamm also chose to use laminated glass for its improved protection from forced entry. "Starting a family, you want to have as much protection as you can. The KeepSafe Maximum glass windows will help protect my home and family from someone smashing a window and entering," says Kamm. KeepSafe Maximum glass can provide a significant improvement over traditional glass products in its ability to withstand hand-held weapons, such as a hammer, crowbar, or brick. While a burglar may muster enough force to break the glass, it requires repeated blows to get through the plastic interlayer. Generally, the attention generated from repeated blows is enough to deter a thief.

During the construction of the home, Kamm witnessed first hand the protection of KeepSafe Maximum glass. While pulling some large, metal scaffolding away from the home, the structure accidentally tipped and came crashing to the ground, hitting a window. While the window cracked, the glass was kept intact within the frame.

Kamm replaced the window and brought the cracked pane to his office, where it's kept in a conference room as testimonial to the strength of KeepSafe Maximum. "People like to see how the window was cracked and was still able to remain intact without any exposed shards of glass. It's a conversation piece."

Jim Adkins, Home and Business Owner, Guam

A few years ago, during a tradeshow in Atlanta, Georgia, I witnessed a demonstration of the superior capabilities of windows and doors constructed with KeepSafe Maximum glass. After several repeated hits with a large iron bar on the window, the glass had cracked, but the pieces stuck to the plastic interlayer and remained intact within the frame. As a business owner and resident in Guam, I realized if KeepSafe Maximum glass could take heavy hits by a steel bar, it could also withstand and protect my new home against the destruction of typhoons.

This type of protection was of particular interest to me. A few years earlier, I had experienced the devastation of a typhoon when a neighbor's carport was blown into the side of our house after having toppled over two other houses. The impact of the carport knocked the shutter system off my bedroom window, sending a two-by-four piece of lumber crashing through the glass window, which was located only one foot away from where my wife and I lay in bed. Both my wife and I were lucky to have escaped without injury. However, our home and belongings sustained around $10,000 in damages.

Only a year later, during Supertyphoon Omar, I once again witnessed the superior property protection of KeepSafe Maximum glass. With wind speeds reaching 185 miles per hour (MPH), Supertyphoon Omar caused severe destruction to many homes and businesses in Guam. Once again, the roof from a neighbor's home slammed into the second-story windows of our home, knocking them out of their frames. The KeepSafe Maximum glass windows were blown 12 feet back into a concrete beam and crashed onto a marble floor 20 feet below. The glass shattered but the windows remained in one piece. I was absolutely amazed at how strong the glass was. In comparison, we had a solid wood door that exploded into a thousand pieces when struck by the enormous wind pressure. The door looked as if a bomb had gone off in it, whereas the KeepSafe Maximum glass remained completely intact.

Upon examination it was revealed the window FRAMES had failed, having only been engineered to survive 155 mph winds, which is the standard code in Guam. My experience during Supertyphoon Omar taught me that it's important to pay for good windows, and that it is also important to pay for good frames. Unfortunately, this lesson caused the interior of our home to be completely destroyed, totaling more than $450,000 in damages. After Supertyphoon Omar, I used frames engineered for 277 mph winds and KeepSafe Maximum glass for more than 300 mph in the windows.

Five years after Supertyphoon Omar, Guam experienced its next huge storm: Supertyphoon Paka. With sustained winds reaching 150 MPH and gusts recorded up to 236 MPH, Supertyphoon Paka caused more than $200 million in damages: destroying homes, businesses, and almost everything else in its path. Trees were literally ripped out of the ground by their roots. However, our home, which is located only an 1/8 mile from the beach, survived.

Much of the damage from Supertyphoon Paka was caused by failed window and door protection systems. In Guam, shutter systems--both plywood and accordion shutters--are predominately used for typhoon protection. However, shutters often become just another type of debris during a typhoon. I believe that KeepSafe Maximum glass should be required in new construction projects in Guam. Now is the time for us to look at ways to make safer buildings and plan for the next Supertyphoon. As witnessed during Supertyphoon Paka, KeepSafe Maximum glass provides superior property protection and is able to maintain its integrity in the face of some of the strongest recorded winds in history.