GRANDVIEW, Mo. — Ruskin  has been awarded a patent for the blade design on its XP500WD stationary wind-driven rain aluminum louver, which provides both FEMA impact protection and Class A wind-driven rain protection.

“The XP500WD is appreciated by architects and building designers in hurricane- and tornado-prone areas,” said Joe Rockhold, louver product manager, Ruskin. “It fills two roles in one while cutting costs and reducing space requirements, because it offers buildings a high level of wind-driven rain protection while also meeting the impact standards required in these extreme-weather zones. Before Ruskin developed the XP500WD, a traditional FEMA and secondary wind-driven rain louver were needed, which drove up overall building costs and installation time.”

To achieve both the FEMA standard 361 for impact protection rating and Class A wind-driven rain, the XP500WD went through a battery of tests on its 5½-inch-deep double-drainable sight-proof design. The louver was tested against AMCA and FEMA requirements to achieve its Class A certification against wind-driven rain and the FEMA standard 361 impact resistance rating. With these certifications, it meets the ICC500 (2014) impact requirements for tornado shelters. With those successful tests, the XP500WD was launched in 2018. The patent on the design was granted in early 2021.

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