Guides / Decision guide
Know what impact protection means for an entry or patio door
Which test standard covers entry, patio and sliding glass doors, why certification programs are not the same as impact approval, and what a quote should name.
What is not established
- No door in this draft has been matched to an impact approval or a design pressure.
- Which ASTM E1996 edition the 2023 Florida Building Code references is not established.
- Whether a Venice or Sarasota property is in a wind-borne debris region is a building-department determination.
The impact standard for doors
ASTM E1996 covers exterior windows, curtain walls, doors and impact protective systems in hurricane-prone regions, using missile impact followed by pressure cycling. It excludes garage and rolling doors, which are governed by ANSI/DASMA 115 and belong to the separate garage door category.
Certification labels are not impact approval
- FGIA's AAMA Gold Label program certifies windows, doors and skylights to the North American fenestration standard for air, water, structural and durability performance, with plant inspections and a certified products directory. It certifies a performance class, not impact resistance.
- WDMA's Hallmark program certifies windows, doors and skylights to air, water, structural and impact standards, states approval by the State of Florida and Texas, and lets certified lines be searched. It does not tell you whether a specific door model is certified.
What a permit plan lists
Miami-Dade County's guidance separates exterior doors with less than half glass from glass doors, garage doors and windows; each needs a current acceptance or a Florida Building Commission approval, and plans list positive and negative design pressures from the approval's rating table. Miami-Dade is the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone and its submittal rules do not govern Venice or Sarasota permits, but the same questions help you read a quote: which approval, which design pressures, and which glass.
Original paraphrase of the ASTM store page, FGIA and WDMA program pages and Miami-Dade County guidance. Missile levels sit inside the paid ASTM standard and are not stated here.
Sources: ASTM E1996 windborne debris impact specification; FGIA AAMA Gold Label certification program; WDMA Hallmark certification program; Miami-Dade County windows, shutters and doors guidance
Sources
External references are provided for research context. A source link does not indicate enrollment, endorsement, or availability in your area.