The RC class describes resistance to a defined break-in attempt. Impact and hurricane performance use different tests and approvals and must be specified for the project location. See our U.S. building-code guide for that separate review.
A secure window does not consist of a single component. Only the coordinated combination of stable aluminum frame, locking, glazing and professional installation creates effective protection.
Multiplicity-chamber, torsionally rigid aluminum profiles also carry large safety glazing.
Several closing points make it difficult to lever open the sashes and frames.
Laminated safety glass holds fragments together and increases resistance.
A pressure-resistant fastening securely transfers forces into the structure.
The appropriate security design depends on the location, accessibility and use of the building. Ground floor, balcony and hard to see sides usually require more protection than upper floors.
The European standard DIN EN 1627 divides burglar-resistant windows into resistance classes (RC for short). They differ in the assumed perpetrator type, in the allowed tool and in the time that the window must withstand an attempt to break open. In private housing, especially RC1 to RC3 are relevant.
Against casual offenders who work with pure physical strength – jumping, pushing up, pushing apart. There is no tested protection against tools.
Recommended only for hard-to-reach windows in upper floors.
Against casual offenders with simple leverage. RC2 is considered the entry and minimum recommendation of the police for all easily accessible windows.
Recommended for ground floor, basement, balcony and terrace doors. Lockable grip duty.
Against more experienced perpetrators who additionally set a crowbar. Higher static test load (6,000 N) and longer resistance time.
For exposed layers, ground floor in hazard areas and higher protection requirements.
Important: A resistance class always applies only to the Fully tested windows – Profile, fitting, handle, glazing and attachment together. A single component does not yet yield an RC class. The term “N” means normal glazing without tested safety glass.
Hurricane resistance is not an RC burglar-resistance class. The exact window assembly—profile, glass, hardware, dimensions, anchors, substrate and installation—must satisfy the requirements for the project location.
In one sentence: HVHZ identifies the strict Florida jurisdiction, ASTM E1886/E1996 defines impact-and-pressure testing, and a Miami-Dade NOA is a product-specific local approval. One does not automatically replace the others.
The High-Velocity Hurricane Zone comprises Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Projects there are reviewed against the Florida Building Code's HVHZ provisions, including wind design, impact protection and installation requirements.
ASTM E1886 tests an exterior window, door or curtain-wall assembly by missile impact followed by repeated positive and negative pressure cycles. ASTM E1996 supplies the hurricane performance specification, missile levels and exposure criteria used with that test method.
A Notice of Acceptance is tied to the listed product and installation. Its model, opening type, maximum size, glazing, design pressure, anchors, substrate and expiration status must match the proposed project—similar-looking systems are not interchangeable.
| Requirement | Question it answers | Evidence required |
|---|---|---|
| RC class · EN 1627 | How long does the complete element resist a defined burglary attempt? | Tested RC configuration for profile, hardware, glass, anchorage and installation. |
| ASTM E1886/E1996 | Can the exact assembly resist specified windborne-debris impact and cyclic pressure? | Test report or evaluation for the exact assembly, size, glass build-up and installation. |
| Miami-Dade NOA | Has the listed product configuration been accepted for the stated Miami-Dade conditions? | A current NOA whose drawings, limits, pressures and installation instructions match the project. |
| HVHZ compliance | Is the selected assembly suitable for the building, location and governing Florida code? | Current product approval plus project-specific wind design, pressure, opening, anchorage and substrate review. |
The cost of hurricane impact windows in Miami cannot be calculated reliably from square footage alone. Fixed or operable construction, dimensions, impact-resistant laminated glass, required design pressure, current product approval, frame finish, anchorage, substrate, freight and installation conditions all affect the quotation. For useful planning, provide the project ZIP code, opening sizes, quantities and known wind requirements so the exact tested or approved assembly can be identified before price is confirmed.
Structure Your Window EstimateAn exterior storm window is generally a secondary unit installed outside an existing window to improve weather protection or comfort. A hurricane impact window is the primary building-envelope assembly and is evaluated as a complete system—including frame, impact glass, anchors and installation. For an HVHZ project, an add-on storm window is not automatically interchangeable with an impact-rated assembly carrying the required current approval.
Review U.S. Building-Code PlanningDepending on the tested or approved configuration, we can coordinate impact-resistant laminated glazing, reinforced aluminum profiles and hardware, project design pressures, anchorage and installation details. Approval applies to the complete assembly—not to the profile brand alone.
Schüco's official OneLab testing program covers windows and façades under mechanical and safety loads and explicitly accounts for severe tropical-cyclone and hurricane conditions worldwide. For a U.S. project, the selected Schüco assembly still requires its own applicable test evidence or active approval.
Reynaers describes hurricaneproof solutions for high-velocity winds and heavy rain. An official Florida record also documents an impact-resistant Reynaers CS 77 fixed-window configuration for HVHZ at +65/−65 psf. That record is archived, so it demonstrates tested system history—not a current blanket approval for new work.
When laminated security glass is engineered together with the frame, hardware and building connection, it can delay burglary, resist severe manual attack and address defined ballistic threats. Higher, project-specific protection levels are available on request.
Specially tested systems can also resist 7.62 × 39 mm iron-core ammunition. This cartridge is commonly associated with Kalashnikov/AK-pattern platforms. However, “Kalashnikov-proof” is not a European rating: protection always depends on the exact cartridge, velocity, shot pattern, spall behavior and the tested complete assembly.
In the standardized axe test, P6B requires 30–50 blows, P7B 51–70 and P8B more than 70 to create a 400 × 400 mm opening. Tough interlayers retain broken glass and make penetration significantly more difficult.
Classes BR1 through BR7 assess specified handgun and rifle ammunition. Threats outside that class table – including 7.62 × 39 mm iron-core rounds – require a separate independent test of the exact glass construction and threat specification.
Security glass alone is not enough. Glazing, aluminum profiles, gaskets, hardware, locking points, joints, fasteners and anchorage to the structure must be engineered as one system and tested for the required protection level.
Planning note: A protection class is not a blanket guarantee. It applies only to the documented and tested configuration, including correct installation. Ammunition, attack method, element size, opening function, egress, structural loads and connection details are defined separately for every project.
Only the tested fitting turns a window into a burglary-resistant. The following original Schuco components show what is important for each resistance class – from the handle to the peripheral mushroom-head locking system. Click to enlarge.
Open and lock the sash. Without additional security, it alone does not offer tested burglary protection – the basic equipment.
A push button must be pressed to rotate and locks the handle against unintentional or manipulated turning back.
Locks the handle by key and prevents turning back after drilling. Mandatory for RC2, usually with anti-drilling protection.
The frame-side counterpart in which the mushroom-head locking pins of the sash engage. Stable closing pieces interlock during the open-lever test.
Guides the locking mechanism around the sash corner and carries the mushroom-head-shaped pins. They grip behind the locking piece and resist levering – the core of any RC lock.
Lower pivot bearing supporting the sash weight. Stable bearings hold the sash securely in position even under lever forces.
We manufacture with the intrusion-resistant systems of leading suppliers. Both offer tested resistance classes up to RC3 – each as a fully certified interplay of profile, fitting and glass.
Under “Schüco Secure”, Schüco bundles tested burglar resistance – from the circumferential mushroom-head locking system to lockable handles and safety glazing. Schüco recommends RC2 as the standard for residential buildings; for increased risk, RC3 withstands breaking with crowbar and a static test load of 6,000 N.
Reynaers integrates burglar resistance directly into its window and sliding systems. Systems such as Concept System 77 and MasterLine 10 are available in RC2 to RC3; Sliding systems such as ConceptPatio 155 as a burglary-resistant RC2 variant, facades such as ConceptWall 50 in RC2 to RC3.
Sources: DIN EN 1627 (resistance classes), schueco.com (Schüco Secure, burglar resistance) and reynaers.com (product systems). Fitting illustrations: original Schüco components. The actually achievable resistance class depends on the tested system configuration and the professional assembly.
Building type, location and accessible window areas determine the need for protection.
The resistance class is chosen to suit the use and possible specifications.
The profile, fitting, handle, glass and mounting shall support the same protective effect.
Careful assembly and documentation receive the planned protection.
Yes. Project-specific burglar-resistant aluminum windows, doors and façade elements in RC4, RC5 or RC6 can be engineered on request for buildings with exceptionally high security requirements, subject to a suitable tested system configuration.
Higher resistance classes require a fully tested and certified assembly. The profile, hardware, security glass, anchoring, dimensions and professional installation must be coordinated and technically verified for the individual project. Contact us with your required security level so we can assess a suitable RC4, RC5 or RC6 solution.
We develop a sensible solution for buildings, use and budget.
Security · Tested assemblies
Burglar resistance is created by a defined combination of profile, hardware, glass, locking and installation – not by one security component.
Every component must belong to the tested configuration. A security handle or laminated glass alone does not create an RC rating.
Burglar resistance does not replace project-specific hurricane impact, cyclic pressure, structural or local product-approval requirements.
The required configuration must be coordinated for the unit type, dimensions, opening function, installation and the jurisdiction governing the project.
Classification based on system-specific security evidence in the Schüco COMPENDIUM 05/2025
