Two Hours of Super Powers

We recently ran into an unusual item at a property – two hour, fire rated windows.  The assemblies looked like “regular” windows but after some digging through the building drawings, it was determined that the windows were fire rated.  The building code requires that exterior building walls within ten feet of a property line must be constructed using recognized fire rated assemblies.  This includes the glazing.

Fire rated windows have special steel frames (fiberglass, vinyl and aluminum cannot stand up to the heat) and multiple layers of glass (up to about 1-1/4” thick) that allows them to provide protection against radiant heat, smoke, and fire.  They have been tested to confirm their ability to resist fire and even the force of a fire hose stream in accordance with ASTM and NFPA standards.

Fire rated windows may look like a normal window, but these windows with super powers cost significantly (about 15 to 20 times) more than a standard window