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 stock up, and the routine of transporting ladders to install panels. After twenty years specifying, installing, and troubleshooting building envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I've seen what holds up and what doesn't. When the objective is genuine protection with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient effect windows outshine shutters in ways that go beyond storm day. They change how a house feels in August, how quiet your living-room stays on a Saturday night, and how positive you are when a storm line spins up quicker than predicted.
This is a practical look at why many South Florida homeowners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to check out the requirements behind "Miami-Dade approved," what products matter, and how to get the installation right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Department sets among the most difficult standards in the nation for building components exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker label. It is earned through particular lab tests that replicate real cyclone conditions.
First comes large rocket impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That mimics roof tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the impact, the very same unit faces cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that simulate fast wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The distinction in between "meets Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" often lives in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is merely stiffer, especially in High Velocity Typhoon Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind scores differ by opening size and style pressures, represented as PSF worths. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I typically specify systems rated at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more protected exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be sufficient, but you size and specification based on the website's wind map, constructing height, and surrounding structures. A professional knows that a corner exposure at the second story demands different reinforcement than a protected window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs impact windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can meet code, and they're better than absolutely nothing. However they ask you to do work at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a warning and the forecast track tightens up, 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 protection, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You likewise get advantages 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 durable interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On tasks along busy corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I've measured interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security improves since laminated glass resists required entry. A burglar can shatter the external lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the shards. They satisfy a sticky, stubborn membrane instead of a fast course inside. Insurance underwriters know this, which is why policies frequently use credits for effect doors and windows. In my projects, premiums generally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the carrier and how many openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the 3rd 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 indicates less cooling need, specifically 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. Summer afternoon peak load dropped by roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's annual electricity use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Results differ with shading, attic insulation, and heating and cooling effectiveness, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated products are equal.
Most property typhoon windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, frequently 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or numerous plies. Thicker interlayers enhance 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, permitting thinner areas to accomplish higher style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulations tweak the polymer to much better soak up sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows come up typically in conversations since tempered glass is more powerful in bending than annealed glass. That holds true, and tempered lites are typically used as the outer or inner ply in an effect system. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the hurricane sense. When it stops working, it blows up into little cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The impact efficiency comes from laminated building and construction, not tempering by itself. Numerous systems utilize a tempered external lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, but constantly bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E finishes 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 higher. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, especially in bigger openings. The sweet area depends on your exterior orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I often tighten up SHGC and accept a minor tint to handle morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I lean toward greater noticeable transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here because they manage big openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy space with vinyl. Premium vinyl impact frames, when reinforced appropriately, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating worths, however I avoid them for extremely large sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look beautiful in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand cautious upkeep and smart flashing. The Florida sun damages low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces rapidly. Try to find powder-coated finishes rated for seaside direct exposure, and request composed guarantee details in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break efficiency. A pricey unit installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load path is the core. 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 concrete block building, you want 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 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 simply visual. An appropriately sized backer rod and top quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant produce a durable, versatile seal that deals with thermal growth. Too little a bead and it tears under motion. Too huge and it cures inadequately. On seaside tasks, I never combine dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I always define corrosion-resistant fasteners. Ten 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 crucial. If you rely on sealant alone, water will find its method. That moisture might disappoint up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a moldy odor two cyclone seasons later.
I have nothing versus well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are maintained and oiled, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels stored carefully can safeguard homes effectively. They likewise help in certain cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget plan is tight sometimes lean on shutters to fulfill the Florida building regulations windows requirement for secured openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is seldom utilized in summer season, a clean motorized roll-down can be affordable, particularly if coupling with effect doors and windows in other places stresses the budget plan. For homeowners who prepare to move within a year, shutters can be a short bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring trade-offs. They darken the house when deployed, and they need action at precisely the time you are juggling insurance documents, gas cans, and family logistics. Throughout Typhoon 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 made it through with stitches. His living room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, in some cases loosening up fasteners gradually if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who want to set it and forget it, effect windows provide cyclone proof windows protection while preserving daylight and view. The benefit grows important once you have actually experienced one storm season with zero prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes combat 2 fights: hidden load from humidity and practical load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can help both if specified intelligently.
Low-E impact glass uses microscopically thin metallic layers to show infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the best finishing stacks, you can block a big portion of convected heat and UV. UV obstruction in laminated units comes largely from the interlayer itself, which generally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, reducing fading of materials and floor covering. Include the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your air conditioner crazy midafternoon.
I examine glass specs with three numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by minimizing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to space temperature, which reduces condensation risk. SHGC drives just how much solar heat enters. VT influences how bright the interior feels. Balance is key. Some homeowners want 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 system overhangs currently do some shading. Others prefer a more powerful tint for glare control on waterside lots that reflect extreme light.
In useful terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to contemporary low-E laminated double-glazed units can minimize peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior surfaces, and an effectively sized variable-speed a/c, and you start to construct durability. If the grid decreases and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, or NOA, is the document you request. It details the authorized setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures tested. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a showroom. Verify the NOA matches the precise model and alternatives you are purchasing, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting workplace will desire this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Product Approval system supplies FL numbers that show code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Velocity Typhoon Zone, Florida building code windows can depend on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Many leading makers bring both. Where budget plans allow, I prefer NOA items even outside the zone due to the fact that the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels handle energy metrics. They will not inform you effect performance, but they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. Go for air leakage at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft ². Tighter is much better for humidity control, but ensure your home still has actually stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and ignoring fresh air is a recipe for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more upfront than shutters. There's no spin around that. Set up costs differ with size, shape, finish, and access. On simple single-family homes, per-opening costs often land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, custom arches, and coastal-grade finishes raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover value:
If you plan to own the property for five years or more, the math often tilts in favor of impact windows, especially when you factor the intangible of peace of mind. If you plan to offer within a year and require 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 design 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 fashion. Reflective films can run afoul of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare toward surrounding homes. In coastal ecosystems, highly reflective glass can confuse birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros know which coverings balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a big deal. Dark bronze or black frames look great on contemporary homes, however in Florida sun inexpensive finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated finishings offer the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I define them for seaside exposures whenever budget plans allow.
Historic districts frequently need profiles that mimic old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, however lead times extend and costs climb. Anticipate extra review by architectural boards, and line up a contractor knowledgeable about these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations in some cases define a narrow list of authorized items for uniformity. They likewise appreciate sound control between systems. If your structure sits straight on Collins Avenue or faces a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated alternatives. Work with structure management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and restricted parking can add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, require special attention in design pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every system that looks durable in a display room satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not rely on catalog maximum sizes. Use the NOA tables that represent your site's zone, favorable and unfavorable pressures, and mullion mixes if any.
The finest tasks start with a measured survey and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and identify any framing irregularities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposition, the contractor shows you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, notes anchor types, and explains how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They plan for stucco or drywall repairs, not pretend no damage will occur.
On install day, they get rid of one opening at a time to keep your house protected. They protect floors, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to preserve interior finishes. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The team checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photograph anchors for the permit file, specifically if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to verify drain courses and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and documentation 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 adjustment after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can crack under serious effects, but it must stay in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends debris into the glass, you might see star cracks or spidering. The window did its job. Replace 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, but they do not replacement for an evaluated, anchored system. Your insurance provider and structure department will not count films as secured openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient impact windows lower air leak. That's great, however it increases the significance of an effectively sized heating and cooling with good dehumidification. If your system is large, the thermostat satisfies quickly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your a/c pro to check sensible heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You desire consistent, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is straightforward but not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lube hardware every year with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small practices extend lifespan.
There are legitimate factors to blend services. A set of seldom used garage windows can keep removable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set patio with very little sun exposure may do great with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a new roofing system deck attachment or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also protect outside kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.
If double-pane windows you select shutters, buy quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual bypasses for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign responsibility for release and practice as soon as outside of a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the morning you wish to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not only about enduring the huge one. They improve daily living. The living room stays 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 preparation tempered glass skylight list gets shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and concentrate on individuals rather than panels.
For much of my clients, that intangible is the deciding factor. They understand storms will come. They likewise understand life in South Florida is too excellent to live inside a fortress that only wakes up in August. Miami-Dade approved windows offer you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and peaceful confidence when the spaghetti designs point our way in September.
If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to design pressures, choose the best laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and employ a crew that respects the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient impact windows deliver what shutters can not: protection that never requests for a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.