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 method next-door neighbors track tropical waves, the pre-storm rush to stockpile, and the routine of hauling ladders to install panels. After twenty years defining, setting up, and troubleshooting structure envelopes from Key Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what doesn't. When the objective is real protection with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows outperform shutters in ways that go beyond storm day. They alter how a home feels in August, how peaceful your living-room remains on a Saturday night, and how positive you are when a storm line spins up faster than predicted.
This is a practical look at why numerous South Florida homeowners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to read the requirements behind "Miami-Dade authorized," what products matter, and how to get the installation right the very first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Division sets one of the hardest benchmarks in the nation for building parts exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is earned through specific lab tests that replicate genuine hurricane conditions.
First comes big missile effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That imitates roof tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the effect, the exact same unit deals with cyclic pressure loading, countless pressurization and depressurization cycles that mimic quick wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference between "fulfills Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" often lives in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is simply stiffer, particularly in High Speed Hurricane Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind rankings differ by opening size and style pressures, signified as PSF values. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I often specify units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more safeguarded direct exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be enough, but you size and specification based on the site's wind map, developing height, and surrounding structures. An expert understands that a corner exposure at the second story demands different reinforcement than a protected window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can meet code, and they're much better than nothing. But they ask you to do operate at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a warning and the forecast track tightens up, 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 security, 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 impact glass is basically a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a durable interlayer, usually PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On jobs along busy passages like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I've measured interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security enhances due to the fact that laminated glass resists required entry. An intruder can shatter the outer lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the fragments. They satisfy a sticky, persistent membrane rather of a quick course inside. Insurance underwriters understand this, which is why policies frequently use credits for impact windows and doors. In my tasks, premiums typically drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the provider and the number of openings are protected.
Energy performance is the 3rd pillar. Energy-efficient effect windows with contemporary low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while maintaining visible light. That means less cooling need, specifically on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun penalizes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we changed 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect systems. Summer season afternoon peak load stopped by roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's yearly electricity use fell in between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes vary with shading, attic insulation, and heating and cooling performance, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated products are equal.
Most residential cyclone windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, typically 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or numerous plies. Thicker interlayers improve effect resistance and sound control, but they include weight and expense. For oceanfront or tall openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, allowing thinner sections to accomplish higher design pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulations tweak the polymer to better take in sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows turn up typically in conversations due to the fact that tempered glass is stronger in bending than annealed glass. That holds true, and tempered lites are commonly utilized as the external or inner ply in an effect system. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the cyclone sense. When it fails, it blows up into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The effect efficiency originates from laminated construction, not tempering by itself. Lots of systems use a tempered external lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, however always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E finishings matter for convenience. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida typically targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 range while keeping visible light transmission around 50 percent or higher. Go too low on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, particularly in bigger openings. The sweet spot depends on your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I frequently tighten SHGC and accept a minor tint to manage early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I lean toward greater visible transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames dominate here due to the fact that they deal with big openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Top quality vinyl effect frames, when reinforced effectively, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating values, but I avoid them for extremely broad sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look beautiful in older Mediterranean Revival homes, however they require mindful maintenance and wise flashing. The Florida sun damages inexpensive vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes quickly. Search for powder-coated surfaces rated for seaside direct exposure, and demand written warranty details in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break performance. An expensive unit installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's tension test. The load path is the crux. Impact forces have to take a trip from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and then into the structure's framing or masonry.
In concrete block building, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong product. Hollow cells need to be grouted or you require to hit the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed homes, structural screws should bite into solid trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb alignment matter so the locks engage cleanly 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 durable, flexible seal that manages thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it treatments poorly. On seaside tasks, I never combine dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I always 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 depend on sealant alone, water will find its method. That moisture may disappoint up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a musty smell two typhoon seasons later.
I have nothing against well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are maintained and oiled, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels stored carefully can protect homes effectively. They also help in particular cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where budget plan is tight sometimes lean on shutters to satisfy the Florida building regulations windows requirement for protected openings. On specialized openings like a tempered vs laminated glass lanai that is rarely utilized in summer season, a tidy motorized roll-down can be sensible, specifically if pairing with impact doors and windows in other places worries the spending plan. For house owners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a short bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring trade-offs. They darken your home when released, and they need action at specifically the time you are juggling insurance coverage papers, gas cans, and family logistics. Throughout Cyclone Irma, I watched a next-door neighbor attempt to install steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we invested the next hour in the urgent care waiting space. He endured with stitches. His living room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, often loosening fasteners in time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows give cyclone proof windows coverage while maintaining daylight and view. The convenience grows valuable once you have actually experienced one storm season with absolutely no preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle 2 fights: hidden load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can help both if specified intelligently.
Low-E effect glass uses microscopically thin metal layers to show infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the ideal finish stacks, you can block a big portion of radiant heat and UV. UV clog in laminated systems comes mainly from the interlayer itself, which generally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, lowering fading of fabrics and flooring. Include 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 assists here by minimizing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to room temperature level, which decreases condensation threat. SHGC drives how much solar heat enters. VT affects how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is key. Some property owners want the crisp, clear appearance of higher VT, even if it implies accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, since their landscaping and roofing system overhangs already do some shading. Others choose a stronger tint for glare control on waterfront lots that reflect extreme light.
In useful terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern low-E laminated double-glazed systems can lower peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior finishes, and a correctly sized variable-speed a/c, and you begin to build resilience. If the grid goes down and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller sized generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, or NOA, is the file you ask for. It details the authorized setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures tested. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a showroom. Verify the NOA matches the exact model and alternatives you are buying, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing office will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system supplies FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Velocity Cyclone Zone, Florida building code windows can count on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Numerous leading makers carry both. Where spending plans enable, I prefer NOA products even outside the zone because the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They will not inform you effect efficiency, however they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Go for air leakage at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft ². Tighter is better for humidity control, but make certain your home still has actually balanced ventilation. Sealing the envelope and neglecting fresh air is a dish for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more in advance than shutters. There's no spin around that. Set up expenses differ with size, shape, finish, and gain access to. On uncomplicated single-family homes, per-opening expenses frequently land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for standard sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, custom-made arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover worth:
If you plan to own the residential or commercial property for 5 years or more, the mathematics often tilts in favor of impact windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of assurance. If you prepare to sell within a year and need to reveal compliance rapidly, shutters might make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I take note of 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 patio areas. Look at the sill style on sliding doors. Weep systems should be crafted to drain pipes heavy rains 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 coastal ecosystems, highly reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros understand which finishes balance performance with compliance.
Color stability is a huge deal. Dark bronze or black frames look fantastic on contemporary homes, however in Florida sun low-cost surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coverings offer the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside direct exposures whenever budgets allow.
Historic districts frequently need profiles that simulate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, however lead times lengthen and costs climb. Anticipate extra evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a professional knowledgeable about these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations sometimes define a narrow list of approved products for harmony. They likewise care about sound control in between systems. If your building sits directly on Collins Opportunity or faces a hectic beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated choices. Work with building management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and limited 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 unit that looks strong in a showroom satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not rely on brochure optimum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that correspond to your site's zone, favorable and negative pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The best jobs start with a determined survey and exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and recognize any framing irregularities or settlement fractures. During proposition, the professional reveals you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, notes anchor types, and explains 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 remove one opening at a time to keep your home protected. They secure floorings, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to maintain interior finishes. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photo anchors for the license file, particularly if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to validate drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and paperwork in order.
Six months later on, your windows still close with 2 fingers, locks bite efficiently, and there is no secret rattle during thunderstorms. You did not need to call for a roller modification after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact rating does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can split under serious effects, however it should stay in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends particles into the glass, you may see star cracks or spidering. The window did its job. Change the sash or IGU after the event.
Window films do not convert non-impact windows into cyclone impact-resistant windows. They can add shatter resistance, however they do not replacement for a tested, anchored system. Your insurer and building department will not count films as protected openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows minimize air leak. That's fantastic, but it increases the importance of an appropriately sized heating and cooling with good dehumidification. If your system is large, the thermostat satisfies rapidly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your HVAC pro to examine reasonable heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You want stable, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is straightforward however not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and oil hardware each year with a silicone-based item that will not gum up in heat. Little habits extend lifespan.
There are genuine reasons to mix options. A set of rarely utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave budget plan. A deep-set deck with minimal sun exposure may do fine with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a new roofing deck attachment or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also protect outside cooking areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age expensive hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, invest in quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook overrides for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign duty for deployment and practice as soon as beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the morning you want to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about enduring the big one. They reshape daily living. The living room remains cooler and quieter. The air conditioner 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 Design pressure (DP) rating preparation list gets much shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and concentrate on people rather than panels.
For a lot of my clients, that intangible is the choosing factor. They know UV blocking glass storms will come. They also know life in South Florida is too excellent to live inside a fortress that just awakens in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows provide you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and peaceful self-confidence when the spaghetti designs point our method September.
If you are weighing the option, begin with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to develop pressures, choose the right laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and work with a team that appreciates the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows provide what shutters can not: defense that never ever requests a ladder and a better home every day of the year.