Pella Defender Vinyl Special Shapes

Defender Special Shapes range from a minimum of 8 by 12 inches up to a maximum of 68 by 96 inches, which covers everything from a small accent to a tall arch-top over an entry. Within that range they're rated to a design pressure of +58/-58 psf. Because the exact size and shape are fabricated to your opening, we measure and confirm the dimensions before fabrication.

Yes, Defender Special Shapes are Large Missile Impact (LMI) rated for Florida coastal installations. As part of the Defender line they are built for Florida coastal projects outside the Miami-Dade and Broward HVHZ; for any opening inside the HVHZ we would steer you to an HVHZ-approved product instead. We always confirm the current approval on file against your jurisdiction's requirements before we pull the permit.

Defender Special Shapes are rated to a design pressure of +58/-58 psf at their tested configurations, with the rating landing in the roughly 46 to 58 psf range depending on the specific shape and size. The design pressure your particular opening has to meet depends on its size and wind exposure, so we confirm the rating your shape window needs at quote. That's part of making sure the unit passes your local permit review.

Defender Special Shapes can be ordered in all-white, all-bronze, or white-interior-with-bronze-exterior frame finishes. Glass choices include Advanced Low-E, Coastal Low-E, SunDefense Low-E, and Neat Low-E, plus obscure, bronze, gray, and blue insulated options, and grilles-between-the-glass are available in 3/4-inch and 1-inch contour or 5/8-inch flat profiles. We'll help you match the finish and glass to the rest of your Defender windows.

There's no flat price for a special-shape window because the installed cost depends on the shape and size, the glass and grille package you choose, the frame finish, and the condition of the existing opening. Custom shapes like arch-tops and rounds are fabricated to your opening, which factors into the quote. Armor Pro gives a free, no-obligation estimate; we'll measure the opening and price the Defender Special Shape for your project.

No. Defender is impact-rated vinyl, but it carries Florida state-level product approvals rather than a Miami-Dade NOA, so it is for Florida coastal work outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. That covers the large band of the state that requires impact glazing but not a full HVHZ approval, such as the Treasure Coast and Gulf Coast counties. For HVHZ multi-family or residential work, the product moves to an HVHZ-certified line such as HurricaneShield. We confirm which approval your county requires before specifying it.

Both are Pella vinyl impact lines built in Ocala on a related platform, but they're aimed at different jobs. Defender is the commercial-grade line, channeled toward multi-family and light-commercial buildings, with a heavier frame and light-commercial AAMA performance grades, but it stops short of HVHZ approval. HurricaneShield is the residential line and is the one carrying the Miami-Dade and Broward HVHZ certification. For a single-family hurricane-zone home we use HurricaneShield; Defender is for buildings rather than houses, outside the HVHZ.

Pella Corporation is a family-owned national manufacturer headquartered in Pella, Iowa, founded in 1925 and now spanning more than 20 plants across the country. For the Florida hurricane market the important detail is that Pella's impact lines, HurricaneShield and Defender, are built in Ocala, Florida by Pella's CWS subsidiary, so the storm products are made in-state rather than shipped in. We install and service Pella across South Florida and handle the order, permit, and installation regardless of which plant a given product comes from.