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I have a fairly large picture window in my kitchen that is NOT hard a rigid like the other windows in my home. This window FLEXES in high winds. It is scary to look at during high winds.
The home is new and was built using the 2006 codes. Should I bring this up to the warranty department? Why did the install such a window?
I am scared that if we get gusts of 50MPH+, that it will break.
I thought of the wings on an airliner when I read this. I've seen people freak out when they notice that they flex. You can see them move up and down at the tip in certain conditions.
I explain to them that they want to see that. If the wings were rigid, they would snap off.
If it is a large picture window it should have tempered glass in it. It should be fine.
Tempered glass is only needed in certain situations. Hgt to floor/ near swinging doors, etc. Just because its a "picture" window doesn't mean it has to be tempered.
I've been on the inside of an office building when a tornado came right down the street. The large glass panes of the curtainwall were flexing like a piece of sheet plastic.
And (stupid us) we all stood by the windows cause we wanted to see the tornado!
I lived in an apartment once in Kansas City that had a window that did that. Scariest thing ever to watch. We ended up closing the blinds and putting up a comforter over it during storms so that if it did shatter the glass we hoped the shards would be contained. It never did break though thank goodness.
50MPH is TOO LOW. Getting gusts of 50-60MPH is common place. I would figure 80-100MPH to be the norm.
Pettrix,
I would agree completely. I used 50mph simply because you did so in your first post.
Typical windload design in the central US (if you are in the mountains or on a seacoast, then different criteria are used) is 90mph, or approximately 23 psf (pounds per square foot).
"Probabilty of breakage" calculations indicate a breakage rate of .8% at that pressure level using 3.0mm (1.8") annealed glass - which is typical window glass. Depending on the size of your picture window, it is possible that it is constructed of thicker glass than 1/8".
Basically, they'll bend, but they will rarely break.
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glass flex
