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 mount panels. After two decades defining, installing, and fixing building envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what doesn't. When the goal is real defense with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows surpass shutters in manner ins which surpass storm day. They change 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 quicker than predicted.
This is a useful look at why lots of South Florida homeowners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to read the requirements behind sites.google.com Window installation Boca Raton "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 hardest criteria in the country for constructing parts exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is made through specific laboratory tests that imitate genuine typhoon conditions.
First comes big rocket impact. 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 impact, the exact same system faces cyclic pressure loading, countless pressurization and depressurization cycles that mimic fast wind gusts over hours. If the glass remains in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference in between "meets Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" frequently resides in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is merely stiffer, particularly in High Speed Hurricane Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind scores differ by opening size and style pressures, denoted as PSF worths. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I frequently define systems rated at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more secured direct exposures, rankings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be adequate, however you size and specification based on the website's wind map, developing height, and surrounding structures. A professional understands that a corner direct exposure at the 2nd 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 satisfy code, and they're much better than absolutely nothing. However they ask you to do operate at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a warning and the projection 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 continuous 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 benefit. Laminated effect glass is essentially a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resilient interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On tasks along hectic 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 because laminated glass resists required entry. An intruder can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the shards. They meet a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a quick path inside. Insurance underwriters know this, which is why policies typically provide credits for impact doors and windows. In my projects, premiums typically drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the carrier and how many 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 maintaining visible light. That means less a/c need, particularly on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we changed 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect units. Summer season afternoon peak load dropped by approximately a ton of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical power usage fell between 12 and 18 percent. Results differ with shading, attic insulation, and HVAC performance, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated items are equal.
Most property typhoon windows use a PVB interlayer glass stack, frequently 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers improve effect resistance and sound control, but they include weight and expense. For oceanfront or high openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and more powerful than PVB, enabling thinner areas to accomplish higher style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulas fine-tune the polymer to much better absorb sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows show up typically in discussions since tempered glass is stronger in flexing than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are commonly utilized as the external or inner ply in an impact system. However tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the typhoon sense. When it fails, it blows up into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The impact performance originates from laminated building and construction, not tempering by itself. Numerous systems use a tempered external lite laminated to a hardened inner lite, or both tempered, however always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E finishes matter for convenience. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida normally targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 range while keeping noticeable light transmission around half or higher. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, especially in bigger openings. The sweet spot depends on your exterior orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I frequently tighten SHGC and accept a minor tint to manage 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 since they handle large openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Premium vinyl impact frames, when reinforced effectively, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating values, however I avoid them for extremely wide sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look stunning in older Mediterranean Revival homes, however they demand mindful maintenance and smart flashing. The Florida sun destroys inexpensive vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes rapidly. Try to find powder-coated finishes ranked for coastal exposure, and demand written warranty information in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break efficiency. An expensive unit installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's tension test. The load course is the essence. Effect forces need 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 cinder block building and construction, you desire stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong product. Hollow cells need to be grouted or you need to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to happen. In wood-framed houses, structural screws need to bite into strong 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 aesthetic. A correctly sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant produce a durable, flexible seal that manages thermal growth. Too little a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it cures poorly. On coastal tasks, I never combine dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I always 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 combination with the water-resistive barrier are vital. If you depend on sealant alone, water will discover its way in. That moisture may not show up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a musty smell 2 cyclone seasons later.
I have nothing versus properly designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are maintained and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels saved thoroughly can safeguard homes effectively. They likewise help in specific cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where budget is tight sometimes lean on shutters to satisfy the Florida building code windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is hardly ever utilized in summer, a clean motorized roll-down can be reasonable, especially if pairing with impact doors and windows elsewhere worries the spending plan. For property owners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a brief bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring compromises. They darken the house when deployed, and they need action at exactly the time you are juggling insurance documents, gas cans, and household logistics. During Typhoon Irma, I enjoyed a next-door 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 room. He survived with stitches. His living room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, sometimes loosening up fasteners gradually if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows offer typhoon proof windows coverage while preserving daylight and view. The convenience grows valuable once you've experienced one storm season with no preparation beyond locking the sash.
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South Florida homes battle 2 battles: hidden load from humidity and reasonable load from direct solar heat gain. Impact glass upgrades can help both if defined intelligently.
Low-E impact glass uses microscopically thin metal layers to show infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the ideal coating stacks, you can block a big portion of convected heat and UV. UV blockage in laminated units comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which typically filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, minimizing fading of fabrics and flooring. Include the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your AC insane midafternoon.
I examine glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by minimizing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to room temperature, which lowers condensation threat. SHGC drives just how much solar heat goes into. VT affects how intense the interior feels. Balance is crucial. Some house owners want the crisp, clear appearance of greater VT, even if it indicates accepting a couple of degrees more heat in late afternoon, because their landscaping and roof overhangs currently do some shading. Others prefer a more powerful tint for glare control on waterside lots that show extreme light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern-day low-E laminated double-glazed systems can decrease peak solar gains by 30 to 50 percent on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior surfaces, and an effectively sized variable-speed HVAC, and you begin to construct resilience. If the grid decreases and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load means a smaller generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Acceptance, or NOA, is the file you ask for. It information the authorized setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures checked. It is inadequate to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a display room. Confirm the NOA matches the exact design and choices you are buying, including the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing workplace will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system provides FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Speed Typhoon Zone, Florida building regulations windows can depend on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Lots of leading manufacturers bring both. Where budgets enable, I prefer NOA products even outside the zone due to the fact that the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They will not tell you impact efficiency, but they reveal U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Aim for air leakage at or below 0.3 cfm/ft ². Tighter is better for humidity control, however make sure your home still has stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and overlooking 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 costs vary with size, shape, surface, and gain access to. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening expenses often land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Big multi-panel sliders, custom arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recoup value:
If you prepare to own the property for 5 years or more, the math typically tilts in favor of impact windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of assurance. If you plan to offer within a year and need to reveal compliance quickly, shutters might 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 outdoor patios. Look at the sill style on moving doors. Weep systems must be engineered to drain 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 fashion. Reflective movies can contravene of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare towards surrounding residential or commercial properties. In seaside environments, highly reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros understand which coatings balance performance with compliance.
Color stability is a big deal. Dark bronze or black frames look great on modern homes, however in Florida sun cheap finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coatings provide the best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside direct exposures whenever spending plans allow.
Historic districts often require profiles that mimic old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times extend and costs climb. Expect extra review by architectural boards, and line up a specialist acquainted with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations sometimes specify a narrow list of approved products for uniformity. They likewise appreciate sound control between units. If your structure sits directly on Collins Avenue or faces a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated options. Work with structure management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and minimal parking can add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, need special attention in style pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every unit that looks sturdy in a display room meets the wind loads on a ninth-floor balcony. Do not depend on catalog optimum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that correspond to your site's zone, favorable and negative pressures, and mullion mixes if any.
The best projects start with a determined survey and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and identify any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposal, the specialist shows you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, notes anchor types, and discusses how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They plan for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.
On set up day, they get rid of one opening at a time to keep the house protected. They protect floorings, draw Impact windows back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to maintain interior surfaces. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The team checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photo anchors for the authorization file, particularly if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to confirm drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a cool jobsite, clear labels, and paperwork in order.
Six months later on, your windows still close with 2 fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no secret rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not have to require a roller change after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can crack under serious impacts, but it should remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends out debris into the glass, you may see star cracks or spidering. The window did its job. Replace the sash or IGU after the event.
Window films do not transform non-impact windows into hurricane impact-resistant windows. They can add shatter resistance, but they do not replacement for an evaluated, anchored system. Your insurer and structure department will not count films as protected openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows decrease air leak. That's great, however it increases the importance of a correctly sized heating and cooling with good dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat pleases rapidly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your heating and cooling pro to inspect practical heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You want consistent, longer cycles, not brief bursts.
Maintenance is simple however not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and oil hardware yearly with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small habits extend lifespan.
There are genuine reasons to mix options. A set of seldom utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave budget plan. A deep-set deck with very little sun exposure might do great with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a new roofing deck accessory or a prepared garage door. Shutters can likewise protect outdoor kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, purchase quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual overrides for roll-downs make a difference. Appoint duty for implementation and practice once beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the early morning you wish to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about making it through the huge one. They improve 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 noise when a squall line passes at 2 a.m. When a cyclone threatens, your preparation list gets shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on individuals instead of panels.
For many of my customers, that intangible is the deciding aspect. They understand storms will come. They likewise understand life in South Florida is too good to live inside a fortress that just wakes up in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows provide you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and quiet confidence when the spaghetti designs point our method September.
If you are weighing the option, begin with a site-specific evaluation. Match your exposures to design pressures, select the best laminated glass stack for wind and heat, choose frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and work with a team that respects the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: defense that never ever asks for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.