Oikos Venezia entrance doors combine aesthetics and advanced technology to offer state-of-the-art entrance solutions at all times. However, the technical performance of the entrance spaces that provide safety and durability to the safety door and, more generally, to the entire house in which it is installed should certainly not be forgotten. Oikos has always paid great attention to the issue of hurricane certification, obtaining it for the Tekno and Synua safety doors.
This type of certification is a non-negligible factor especially in the U.S. and especially in American States where the incidence and destructive impact of hurricanes is much more frequent and violent. To gain access to such a compliance certificate for two of its door models, Oikos followed a rigorous bureaucratic certification process whose validity was recognized by the Florida Building Code, a State of Florida technical specification dedicated to the safety of buildings in the presence of weather events such as hurricanes and tornadoes.
The testing phase
Establishing whether the two types of safety doors could attain the certificate required several actual verification tests with the ultimate goal of ascertaining the doors actual ability to best cope with the effect of a disruptive weather event such as a hurricane, capable of creating extensive damage to buildings and beyond.
Let’s find out in detail how the verification process works. It involves several real hurricane simulation tests at the end of which it will be possible to establish whether the front doors fully meet all of the criteria for obtaining the certification:
- Air Leakage (ASTM E283-04), this test examines air leakage characteristics in the presence of specific air pressure differences;
- Impact Resistance („Large Missile Impact“, TAS 201-94), this is the test in which, by hurling a log of wood at the door, the door resistance to the impact of debris hurled at it during a hurricane is tested;
- Wind resistance („Unifor Static Air Pressure“, TAS 202-94), this is the test in which the degree of tightness of the safety door in contact with wind load, which is simulated here statically, is evaluated;
- Cyclic Wind Resistance („Cyclic Air Pressure“, TAS 203-94), this is an examination useful for analyzing the resistance of the safety door to specific cyclic sequences of pressurization or depressurization in order to simulate gusts of wind during a hurricane;
- Safety of Materials („Impact Ball“, ANSI Z97.1), this test involves the evaluation of the safety properties of the materials used to make the security glazing designed to promote safety and reduce the likelihood of cutting and puncture injuries when these materials are broken by human contact.
The last step in the testing process is the evaluation of the resistance to force entry („Force Entry“, ASTM F588-17): during this test, a force entry test is carried out to ascertain that the doorframe maintains its safety characteristics unchanged even after the destructive phenomena triggered by an hurricane, so that, for example, the typical looting phenomena that can occur in conjunction with natural disasters can be prevented.
List of hurricane-proof certification tests
The attainment of the hurricane-proof certificate
Only if the safety door passes all the tests and complies with all the examined criteria, thus remaining intact and continuing to function properly, it is then considered suitable and a hurricane-proof certificate is issued, which guarantees the strength and reliability of the entrance solution during this specific weather event.
Our Synua and Tekno entrance solutions can boast this important certificate, which rewards Oikos ongoing research and thoughtful commitment to daily studying increasingly cutting-edge safety entrance doors in terms of technical features and performance, as well as of design.
Synua | Tekno
More and more safety: Synua hurricane-proof certification expands
Recently, the Synua vertical pivot safety door obtained an extension of the hurricane-proof certification it already possessed. Tests previously performed for the Tekno and Synua entrance door lines were repeated, but in this circumstance the tests were performed and then passed with a more elaborate Synua model safety door, i.e. a door having different characteristics than the first certified version.
As a result, the Synua pivoting door is now certified for:
- Sizes up to 1.800 x 3.600 mm (70 ″ x 142 ″)
- Possibility of installing one or two side panels
- Potential inclusion of any type of covering available on the price list
- „Push and pull“ mounting option
Tekno and Synua for a home safe from hurricanes
We can surely say that the hurricane-proof certification for entrance doors is a fundamental process that can ensure the safety and resistance of building entrance spaces during an atmospheric circumstance with a magnitude as damaging as that of a hurricane. Ultimately, only with hurricane-proof certified doors you can be assured that your entrance is safe from potentially destructive weather events. After all, if the safety door is made of high-quality materials and if it has been designed to withstand high winds, water infiltration and projected debris, a great protection is assured during extreme weather events.
Choosing Tekno or Synua is therefore a guarantee of a world of safety for your home, especially when you find yourself living in territories where the risk of hurricanes is very high.
