STS Impact Windows, Doors & Roofing is a veteran-owned company based in South Florida that specializes in premium hurricane protection solutions, including impact windows, doors, custom storefronts, and roofing. Combining over 25 years of industry experience with military precision, STS provides expert installation, full transparency, and outstanding customer service, backed by a leading 3-year installation warranty. Their comprehensive services ensure security and peace of mind for both residential and commercial clients, with a strong focus on quality, reliability, and efficiency.
View on Google MapsSTS Impact Windows and Doors specializes in hurricane protection solutions, offering high-quality impact windows, storm-resistant doors, custom storefronts, and professional roofing services. With expert installation, full transparency, and outstanding customer service, the company ensures homes and businesses stay secure and energy-efficient.
STS Impact Windows and Doors is located at 1000 Holland Dr Suite 10, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States. The company proudly serves residential and commercial clients across Florida and throughout the United States, delivering reliable storm protection solutions. View their location on Google Maps.
Yes, STS Impact Windows and Doors is a veteran-owned company recognized for its dedication, integrity, and service to the community. This background adds an extra level of trust and reliability for homeowners and businesses seeking storm protection solutions.
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides a wide range of services including the installation of hurricane impact windows, impact doors, custom commercial storefronts, and roofing services. Each project is backed by expert craftsmanship, a 3-year installation warranty, and over 25 years of industry experience.
The company proudly serves both residential homeowners and commercial property owners. From protecting family homes to fortifying businesses with hurricane-rated storefronts, STS Impact Windows and Doors delivers customized solutions that ensure safety, durability, and efficiency.
Clients benefit from the company’s focus on quality, reliability, and efficiency. Their impact-resistant windows and doors not only enhance security and hurricane protection but also improve energy efficiency, reduce noise, and increase property value. With a 3-year installation warranty, customers can trust in long-term performance and peace of mind.
STS Impact Windows and Doors has been recognized with multiple industry honors, including the South Florida Veteran Owned Business Excellence Award, Best Hurricane Protection Provider 2023 Florida, and the Angi’s Super Service Award for Window Installation. These awards highlight their commitment to excellence, customer satisfaction, and industry leadership.
You can reach STS Impact Windows and Doors by phone at 561-600-1018 or visit their website at stswindows.com. They are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm and are available on Facebook and Instagram for updates and project showcases.
Business Name: STS Impact Windows & Doors
Address: 1000 Holland Dr #10, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States
Phone: (561)-600-1018
Hurricane season shapes life along Florida's coasts. You feel it in the way next-door neighbors track tropical waves, the pre-storm rush to stock up, and the routine of carrying ladders to mount panels. After two decades defining, installing, and repairing building envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what does not. When the goal is genuine defense with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows exceed shutters in ways that exceed storm day. They change how a house feels in August, how peaceful your living room stays on a Saturday night, and how positive you are when a storm line spins up much faster than predicted.
This is a useful look at why many South Florida house owners are moving from shutters to typhoon impact-resistant windows, how to read the standards behind "Miami-Dade authorized," what materials matter, and how to get the installation right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Division sets one of the toughest criteria in the country for building elements exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is made through specific laboratory tests that replicate real typhoon conditions.
First comes large rocket effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That simulates roofing system tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the effect, the very same system faces cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that imitate quick wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference in between "meets Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" often resides in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, especially in High Speed Typhoon Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings differ by opening size and design pressures, represented as PSF worths. On ocean-facing homes or high-rises, I frequently specify systems rated at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more safeguarded exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can suffice, but you size and specification based on the website's wind map, developing height, and surrounding structures. An expert knows that a corner direct exposure at the second story demands different support than a protected window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs impact windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can satisfy code, and they're much better than absolutely nothing. But they ask you to do operate at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a caution and the projection track tightens, the last thing you want is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows live in place. You get continuous defense, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You also get benefits every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated benefit. Laminated effect glass is essentially a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a durable interlayer, usually PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On tasks along hectic corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I've measured interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, in some cases more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security improves because laminated glass resists required entry. An intruder can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the shards. They satisfy a sticky, persistent membrane rather of a quick path inside. Insurance coverage underwriters understand this, which is why policies typically offer credits for impact doors and windows. In my projects, premiums generally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the carrier and the number of openings are protected.
Energy performance is the third pillar. Energy-efficient effect windows with modern low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while preserving visible light. That means less cooling demand, specifically on west and south exposures where the afternoon sun penalizes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect units. Summer afternoon peak load come by approximately a ton of cooling, and the home's annual electrical energy use fell in between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes differ with shading, attic insulation, and a/c effectiveness, however the direction is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated products are equal.
Most domestic typhoon windows use a PVB interlayer glass stack, commonly 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers improve effect resistance and sound control, but they add weight and cost. For oceanfront or tall openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and more powerful than PVB, allowing thinner areas to achieve higher style pressures. For noise-sensitive sites, acoustic PVB solutions fine-tune the polymer to much better take in noise in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows turn up often in discussions since tempered glass is more powerful in flexing than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are frequently used as the outer or inner ply in an impact system. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the typhoon sense. When it stops working, it explodes into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The effect efficiency originates from laminated building, not tempering by itself. Lots of systems utilize a tempered outer lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, but constantly bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coverings matter for comfort. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida typically targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 variety while keeping noticeable light transmission around half or greater. Go too low on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, specifically in larger openings. The sweet spot depends upon your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I typically tighten up SHGC and accept a small tint to handle early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor greater visible transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here due to the fact that they deal with big openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have actually narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Top quality vinyl impact frames, when strengthened appropriately, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating worths, however I prevent them for very large sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look gorgeous in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand mindful maintenance and smart flashing. The Florida sun destroys inexpensive vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes quickly. Try to find powder-coated surfaces rated for seaside exposure, and demand composed guarantee information in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break efficiency. An expensive system set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's tension test. The load course is the core. Impact forces have to travel from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and after that into the structure's framing or masonry.
In cinder block building, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into solid product. Hollow cells need to be grouted or you require to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed houses, structural screws need to bite into solid trimmers, not simply sheathing. Shimming and plumb positioning matter so the locks engage easily and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not simply visual. An appropriately sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a long lasting, versatile seal that manages thermal growth. Too small a bead and it tears under motion. Too big and it treatments poorly. On seaside jobs, I never ever pair dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I constantly define corrosion-resistant fasteners. 10 years later, you will see who took shortcuts.
Flashing is the other non-negotiable. Pan flashing at sills, self-adhered membranes at jambs and heads, and integration with the water-resistive barrier are crucial. If you depend on sealant alone, water will discover its method. That wetness might disappoint up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a moldy smell two hurricane seasons later.
I have nothing against well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are maintained and lubed, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels saved carefully can safeguard homes effectively. They likewise help in specific cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where budget is tight often lean on shutters to satisfy the Florida building regulations windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is seldom utilized in summer, a tidy motorized roll-down can be affordable, specifically if coupling with impact doors and windows in other places worries the budget. For property owners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a short bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring compromises. They darken the house when deployed, and they require action at precisely the time you are managing insurance coverage documents, gas cans, and household logistics. During Hurricane Irma, I saw a next-door neighbor attempt to mount steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we spent the next hour in the immediate care waiting room. He made it through with stitches. His living room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, in some cases loosening up fasteners with time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who want to set it and forget it, effect windows offer typhoon proof windows coverage while maintaining daytime and view. The benefit grows important once you have actually experienced one storm season with zero preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes combat 2 battles: hidden load from humidity and reasonable load from direct solar heat gain. Impact glass upgrades can help both if specified intelligently.
Low-E impact glass utilizes microscopically thin metal layers to reflect infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the ideal finish stacks, you can block a large portion of radiant heat and UV. UV clog in laminated units comes largely from the interlayer itself, which normally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, decreasing fading of fabrics and flooring. Add the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your AC insane midafternoon.
I assess glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by reducing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to space temperature, which minimizes condensation threat. SHGC drives just how much solar heat enters. VT influences how bright the interior feels. Balance is key. Some homeowners desire the crisp, clear appearance of higher VT, even if it implies accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, because their landscaping and roofing overhangs already do some shading. Others choose a more powerful tint for glare control on waterside lots that reflect harsh light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern-day low-E laminated double-glazed units can lower peak solar gains by 30 to 50 percent on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored outside surfaces, and a correctly sized variable-speed heating and cooling, and you begin polycarbonate panels to develop durability. If the grid decreases and you switch to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller generator and fewer gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Approval, or NOA, is the file you request. It details the authorized setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures evaluated. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a showroom. Confirm the NOA matches the exact design and options you are buying, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting office will desire this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system supplies FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Speed Cyclone Zone, Florida building regulations windows can depend on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Numerous top makers bring both. Where budgets enable, I prefer NOA items even outside the zone because the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels deal with energy metrics. They will not inform you effect performance, but they reveal U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. Go for air leakage at or below 0.3 cfm/ft ². Tighter is much better for humidity control, however ensure your home still has actually balanced ventilation. Sealing the envelope and disregarding fresh air is a recipe for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more upfront than shutters. There's no spin around that. Installed costs vary with size, shape, surface, and access. On simple single-family homes, per-opening expenses typically land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, custom-made arches, and coastal-grade finishes raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover value:
If you plan to own the property for 5 years or more, the math typically tilts in favor of effect windows, especially when you factor the intangible of comfort. If you prepare to offer within a year and require to show compliance rapidly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I pay attention to hardware and accessories. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings improve seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless real estates move smoother and last longer on sandy patios. Look at the sill style on moving doors. Weep systems should be engineered to drain heavy rainfall without letting wind-driven water blow back in. Ask to see a cutaway sample in the showroom.
Tint colors and reflectivity are more than style. Reflective movies can run afoul of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare towards neighboring properties. In coastal ecosystems, extremely reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros know which finishings balance performance with compliance.
Color stability is a big deal. Dark bronze or black frames look great on modern homes, but in Florida sun low-cost finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coverings supply the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside direct exposures whenever spending plans allow.
Historic districts typically need profiles that mimic old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times extend and costs climb. Expect additional evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a professional acquainted with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations in some cases specify a narrow list of authorized products for uniformity. They likewise care about noise control in between systems. If your structure sits straight on Collins Opportunity or deals with a hectic beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated alternatives. Work with building management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and restricted parking can include days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, need special attention in style pressure, deflection, and operating hardware. Not every unit that looks strong in a display room meets the wind loads on a ninth-floor terrace. Do not rely on brochure maximum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that represent your site's zone, positive and negative pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest projects start with a measured survey and exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and determine any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposition, the professional shows you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, notes anchor types, and describes how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repairs, not pretend no damage will occur.
On set up day, they get rid of one opening at a time to keep the house safe and secure. They secure floorings, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to preserve interior surfaces. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They picture anchors for the authorization file, especially if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to validate drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and documentation in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with 2 fingers, locks bite efficiently, and there is no secret rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not need to call for a roller change after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact score does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can split under extreme effects, however it should remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends particles into the glass, you might see star fractures or spidering. The window did its task. Replace the sash or IGU after the event.
Window movies do not transform non-impact windows into typhoon impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, however they do not substitute for a tested, anchored system. Your insurance provider and structure department will not count movies as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows reduce air leak. That's fantastic, however it increases the value of a correctly sized HVAC with good dehumidification. If your system is extra-large, the thermostat satisfies rapidly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your heating and cooling pro to examine practical heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You desire consistent, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is simple however not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and oil hardware each year with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small practices extend lifespan.
There are genuine factors to blend services. A pair of rarely used garage windows can keep detachable panels to shave budget plan. A deep-set patio with very little sun exposure may do fine with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a brand-new roof deck accessory or a prepared garage door. Shutters can likewise secure outdoor kitchens or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age elegant hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, purchase quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook bypasses for roll-downs make a difference. Appoint obligation for deployment and practice when beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the early morning you want to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not only about enduring the huge one. They reshape daily living. The living-room stays cooler and quieter. The air conditioning cycles calmly rather of racing at 4 p.m. You sleep without freight trains of wind sound when a squall line passes at 2 a.m. When a cyclone threatens, your preparation list gets much shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on individuals rather than panels.
For much of my customers, that intangible is the choosing aspect. They understand storms will come. They also know life in South Florida is too great to live inside a fortress that just wakes up in August. Miami-Dade approved windows provide you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and quiet self-confidence when the spaghetti designs point our method September.
If you are weighing the choice, begin with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to develop pressures, pick the ideal laminated glass stack for wind and heat, choose frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and work with a team that respects the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows provide what shutters can not: security that never asks for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.