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 stockpile, and the routine of carrying ladders to install panels. After two decades specifying, installing, and troubleshooting building envelopes from Key Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what doesn't. When the goal is real defense with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient effect windows surpass shutters in manner ins which exceed storm day. They alter how a home 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 numerous South Florida property owners are moving from shutters to cyclone impact-resistant windows, how to read the standards behind "Miami-Dade authorized," what products matter, and how to get the setup right the very first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Division sets among the most difficult standards in the nation for building elements exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker label. It is made through specific lab tests that replicate real typhoon conditions.
First comes large missile effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at approximately 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 deals with cyclic pressure loading, countless pressurization and depressurization cycles that mimic rapid wind gusts over hours. If the glass remains in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The distinction between "satisfies Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" typically lives in these test limits. Miami-Dade is simply stiffer, especially in High Velocity Cyclone Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind rankings differ by opening size and style pressures, denoted as PSF values. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I typically specify units ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more protected exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF range can be enough, but you size and spec based upon the site's wind map, constructing height, and surrounding structures. A professional Miami-Dade approved windows knows that a corner exposure at the second story demands various support than a protected window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs impact windows is not a one-to-one comparison. Shutters can meet code, and they're better than nothing. However they ask you to do operate at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a caution and the forecast track tightens, the last thing you desire is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows reside in location. You get constant defense, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on United States 1. You likewise get benefits every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated advantage. Laminated impact glass is essentially a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resilient interlayer, generally PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On jobs 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 due to the fact that laminated glass withstands forced entry. A burglar can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the shards. They meet a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a fast path inside. Insurance coverage underwriters understand this, which is why policies often offer credits for effect doors and windows. In my projects, premiums typically drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the carrier and how many openings are protected.
Energy performance is the third pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with modern low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while maintaining visible light. That indicates less cooling need, especially on west and south exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we changed 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect units. Summertime afternoon peak load stopped by approximately a lots of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical power use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Results differ with shading, attic insulation, and heating and cooling efficiency, however the direction is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated items are equal.
ASTM impact testingMost property typhoon windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, commonly 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or multiple plies. Thicker interlayers improve effect resistance and sound control, but they add weight and expense. For oceanfront or high openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, enabling thinner areas to attain higher design pressures. For noise-sensitive sites, acoustic PVB formulations modify the polymer to much better absorb sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows turn up typically in conversations since tempered glass is stronger in flexing than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are frequently utilized as the outer or inner ply in an impact unit. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the hurricane sense. When it fails, it explodes into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The effect performance comes from laminated construction, not tempering by itself. Numerous systems use a tempered external lite laminated to a hardened 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 usually targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 range while keeping visible light transmission around 50 percent or greater. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, particularly in bigger openings. The sweet area depends upon your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I typically tighten SHGC and accept a minor tint to handle morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I lean toward higher visible transmittance for daylighting.
![]()
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here due to the fact that they manage big openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have actually narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Premium vinyl effect frames, when enhanced correctly, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating values, however I avoid them for really broad sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look lovely in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand mindful upkeep and clever flashing. The Florida sun damages low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces rapidly. Look for powder-coated finishes ranked for coastal direct exposure, and request composed service warranty information in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break performance. An expensive system set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load course is the crux. Effect forces need 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 construction, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong 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 take place. In wood-framed homes, structural screws must bite into solid trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb positioning matter so the locks engage cleanly and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not just aesthetic. A properly sized backer rod and top quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a long lasting, flexible seal that manages argon gas windows thermal growth. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too huge and it cures poorly. On coastal tasks, I never ever combine dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I constantly specify corrosion-resistant fasteners. 10 years later on, you will see who took shortcuts.
Flashing is the other non-negotiable. Pan flashing at sills, self-adhered membranes at jambs and heads, and combination with the water-resistive barrier are vital. If you count on sealant alone, water will find its method. That moisture may not show up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a musty smell two cyclone seasons later.
I have nothing versus properly designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are kept and oiled, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels saved thoroughly can protect homes successfully. They also assist in certain cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where budget is tight in some cases lean on shutters to fulfill the Florida building code windows requirement for secured openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is seldom utilized in summertime, a tidy motorized roll-down can be sensible, specifically if pairing with effect doors and windows somewhere else stresses the budget. For homeowners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a brief bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring trade-offs. They darken your house when released, and they require action at precisely the time you are handling insurance coverage papers, gas cans, and household logistics. During Cyclone Irma, I saw a neighbor try to mount steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we invested the next hour in the immediate care waiting space. He endured with stitches. His living room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, in some cases loosening fasteners in time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who wish to set it and forget it, impact windows offer cyclone proof windows protection while protecting daylight and view. The convenience grows important once you've experienced one storm season with absolutely no prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle two battles: latent load from humidity and reasonable load from direct solar heat gain. Impact glass upgrades can assist both if specified intelligently.
Low-E impact glass utilizes microscopically thin metal layers to show infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the best finishing stacks, you can block a big part of convected heat and UV. UV blockage in laminated systems comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which usually filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, decreasing fading of fabrics and floor covering. Include the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your air conditioning insane midafternoon.
I evaluate glass specs with three numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by decreasing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to space temperature, which reduces condensation risk. SHGC drives how much solar heat goes into. VT affects how bright the interior feels. Balance is essential. Some house owners want the crisp, clear appearance of higher VT, even if it implies accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, due to the fact that their landscaping and roof overhangs currently do some shading. Others prefer a more powerful tint for glare control on waterfront lots that reflect extreme light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern low-E laminated double-glazed units can minimize peak solar gains by 30 to 50 percent on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior finishes, and an appropriately sized variable-speed a/c, and you begin to develop strength. If the grid decreases and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load indicates a smaller generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Approval, or NOA, is the document you request. It details the approved setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures tested. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a showroom. Confirm the NOA matches the specific model and choices you are purchasing, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you remain in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting office will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system supplies FL numbers that show code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Speed Cyclone Zone, Florida building code windows can depend on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Many top makers bring both. Where budgets permit, I choose NOA products even outside the zone because the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They won't inform you impact performance, however they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Go for air leakage at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is better for humidity control, but make sure your home still has stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and neglecting fresh air is a dish for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more upfront than shutters. There's no spin around that. Set up expenses vary with size, shape, finish, and gain access to. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening expenses often land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, custom arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover worth:
If you plan to own the property for 5 years or more, the mathematics typically tilts in favor of effect windows, especially when you factor the intangible of comfort. If you prepare to sell within a year and require to reveal compliance quickly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I take note of hardware and accessories. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless real estates move smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Look at the sill design on moving doors. Weep systems must be crafted to drain pipes 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 films can contravene of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare towards surrounding residential or commercial properties. In seaside ecosystems, extremely reflective glass can confuse birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros understand which finishings balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a huge offer. Dark bronze or black frames look wonderful on modern-day homes, but in Florida sun low-cost surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coatings offer the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I define them for coastal direct exposures whenever budget plans allow.
Historic districts often require profiles that simulate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times lengthen and costs climb. Expect additional evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a contractor familiar with these submissions.

Condos have another layer of governance. Associations sometimes specify a narrow list of authorized items for uniformity. They likewise appreciate noise control in between units. If your structure sits directly on Collins Avenue or deals with a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated options. Work with building management on staging and lift access. Weekend work windows and minimal parking can add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, require special attention in style pressure, deflection, and operating hardware. Not every system that looks sturdy in a display room meets the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not rely on brochure maximum sizes. Use the NOA tables that correspond to your site's zone, positive and unfavorable pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest projects start with a measured study and exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and recognize any framing irregularities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposition, the professional shows you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, lists anchor types, and discusses how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.
On set up day, they remove one opening at a time to keep your home safe and secure. They secure floorings, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to double-pane tempered glass preserve interior surfaces. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photograph anchors for the permit file, particularly if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to verify drainage paths and seals. The inspector sees a cool jobsite, clear labels, and documentation in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no mystery rattle during thunderstorms. You did not have to require a roller adjustment after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact score does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can split under severe impacts, but it needs to stay in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends debris into the glass, you may see star fractures or spidering. The window did its job. Change the sash or IGU after the event.
Window films do not transform non-impact windows into typhoon impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, but they do not alternative to an evaluated, anchored system. Your insurance company and building department will not count movies as protected openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient impact windows decrease air leak. That's excellent, however it increases the importance of a properly sized a/c with great dehumidification. If your system is large, the thermostat satisfies quickly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your heating and cooling pro to inspect reasonable heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You desire stable, longer cycles, not brief bursts.
Maintenance is straightforward but not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and oil hardware annually with a silicone-based item that will not gum up in heat. Little practices extend lifespan.
There are legitimate reasons to blend services. A set of rarely utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set porch with very little sun direct exposure might do fine with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a brand-new roof deck attachment or a prepared garage door. Shutters can also protect outside cooking areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age expensive hardware prematurely.
If you pick shutters, purchase quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual overrides for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign duty for implementation and practice as soon as beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you require 32 wing nuts is not the morning you wish to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not only about making it through the big one. They reshape daily living. The living room remains cooler and quieter. The AC cycles calmly instead 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 concentrate on people instead of panels.
For many of my clients, that intangible is the deciding aspect. They know storms will come. They likewise understand life in South Florida is too good to live inside a fortress that only awakens in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows provide you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and peaceful Hurricane window replacement cost confidence when the spaghetti designs point our method September.
If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to create pressures, pick the ideal laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and hire a crew that appreciates the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: defense that never ever requests for a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.