Laminators’ ACM Panels Stand Up to Superstorm Sandy

In late October 2012, Superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc along the East Coast with record-setting storm surges and hurricane-force winds from Virginia to Cape Cod. Widespread power outages, downed trees and numerous reports of damage plagued the entire coastline. Millions of people and their homes, businesses and communities, were affected by this monster storm, and clean-up efforts continue for parts of Long Island, New Jersey and New York City.

With hundreds of completed projects in the affected areas, Laminators Inc., Hatfield, Pa., toured numerous areas to see how the company’s panels stood up to Sandy. As expected, the buildings clad with Laminators’ Omega-Lite ACM panels were able to withstand wind gusts in excess of 80 mph during the fury of the hurricane. The panels remained securely attached to the buildings despite the flooding and devastation that occurred. This is just one of many real-life examples of how Laminators strives to ensure its ACM panels are of the highest quality.

Laminators participates in and has passed one of the strictest tests in the country for hurricane-force winds, windborne debris, pressure and water. This test, commonly referred to as the Miami-Dade building code, was developed after Hurricane Andrew devastated south Florida in 1992 and requires manufacturers to put their building products through a series of tests to ensure the safety and security of the products in hurricane-type scenarios. It includes missile-impact testing, ignition property testing, static air pressure testing and high-velocity hurricane zone testing.

As part of its 2013 testing and certification plan, Laminators plans to test their Omega-Lite panel and installation systems to an even higher level of the Miami-Dade code.