TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taping windows and doors does not enhance wind resistance or prevent glass breakage, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) clarified on Saturday (Oct. 26),
Despite popular belief, taping windows and doors does not strengthen their wind resistance or prevent glass breakage. Research conducted by the MOI's Architecture and Building Research Institute revealed that this practice may even be counterproductive.
For safety during typhoons, the MOI recommended selecting windows and frames that meet CNS (Chinese National Standard) standards. Additionally, applying shatterproof film can provide extra protection.
The institute’s wind tunnel laboratory houses a potent 17-level wind generator capable of simulating urban wind conditions. As one of Taiwan's largest wind engineering research centers, it enables researchers to conduct comprehensive wind pressure tests on buildings, evaluate the wind resistance of drones, and assess the watertightness and airtightness of doors and windows.
To evaluate the effectiveness of taping glass windows, the institute constructed an aluminum window about 2.8 meters by 2 meters, fitted with a 5 mm glass plane. The window was taped using four common methods: the x-pattern, the grid, the frame, and completely covered. An untaped glass pane served as a control group for comparison.
The experiment revealed that taped glass windows began to fracture under winds reaching a Beaufort scale of 16. In contrast, untaped glass windows exhibited greater resilience, withstanding winds surpassing this level.
This indicated that untaped glass windows offer higher wind pressure resistance. The act of taping glass introduces stress points, increasing the likelihood of breakage, the MOI explained.
Window frame stability is equally crucial to glass strength, as a weak frame can deform under wind pressure, leading to glass breakage, the MOI said. Therefore, a combination of reinforced glass and a sturdy frame offers the most effective protection against wind damage.