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 ritual of hauling ladders to install panels. After 20 years defining, setting up, and troubleshooting structure envelopes from Key Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what does not. When the objective is genuine security with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient impact windows outperform shutters in manner ins which surpass storm day. They change how a home feels in August, how quiet your living-room remains on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up faster than predicted.
This is a practical look at why numerous South Florida house owners are moving from shutters to cyclone impact-resistant windows, how to check out the requirements behind "Miami-Dade approved," what products matter, and how to get the installation right the very first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Department sets among the toughest standards in the country for developing parts exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is earned through specific laboratory tests that replicate genuine typhoon conditions.
First comes big rocket effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That simulates roofing tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the effect, the very same system faces cyclic pressure loading, countless pressurization and depressurization cycles that imitate rapid wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The distinction in between "satisfies Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" typically lives in these test limits. Miami-Dade is simply stiffer, particularly in High Velocity Typhoon Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind rankings differ by opening size and design pressures, signified as PSF values. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I typically specify units ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more safeguarded exposures, rankings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be sufficient, but you size and spec based upon the site's wind map, building height, and surrounding structures. An expert understands that a corner exposure at the 2nd story demands various reinforcement than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one comparison. Shutters can fulfill code, and they're 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, the last thing you want is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows live in place. You get constant defense, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You also get advantages every day of the year.

Noise control is the most underappreciated advantage. Laminated impact glass is basically a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resilient interlayer, generally PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On tasks along busy passages like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I've measured interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, often more when coupled with insulated glass units.
Security enhances because laminated glass resists forced entry. A robber can shatter the outer lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the fragments. They meet a sticky, stubborn membrane instead of a fast path inside. Insurance coverage underwriters know this, which is why policies typically offer credits for effect windows and doors. In my projects, premiums generally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the provider and how many openings are protected.
Energy performance is the third pillar. Energy-efficient effect windows with contemporary low-E effect glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while preserving visible light. That means less a/c need, specifically on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect units. Summertime afternoon peak load visited approximately a lots of cooling, and the home's annual electricity use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes differ with shading, attic insulation, and a/c effectiveness, however the instructions is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated products are equal.
Most residential hurricane windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, commonly 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers enhance impact resistance and sound control, however they include weight and expense. For oceanfront or high openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and more powerful than PVB, allowing thinner areas to accomplish greater style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulations modify the polymer to better take in sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows show up often in discussions since tempered glass is more powerful in bending than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are typically used as the outer or inner ply in an effect unit. However tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the hurricane sense. When it fails, it explodes into little cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The impact performance comes from laminated building and construction, not tempering by itself. Many systems use a tempered outer lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, however always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coatings matter for convenience. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida generally 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 low on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, especially in bigger openings. The sweet spot depends on your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I typically tighten SHGC and accept a small tint to handle early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I lean toward higher noticeable transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here since they handle big openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have actually narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Premium vinyl impact frames, when enhanced correctly, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating worths, however I prevent them for very broad sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look lovely in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they require cautious upkeep and clever flashing. The Florida sun damages low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes quickly. Try to find powder-coated finishes ranked for seaside exposure, and demand composed guarantee details in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break efficiency. A costly system installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load course is the core. Impact forces need to take a trip from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and after that into the structure's framing or masonry.
In cinder block building and construction, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into solid product. Hollow cells should be grouted or you need to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed houses, structural screws must bite into solid trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb positioning matter so the locks engage easily and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not simply visual. A properly sized backer rod and premium polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a resilient, flexible seal that handles thermal growth. Too little a bead and it tears under movement. Too huge and it cures badly. On coastal tasks, I never combine dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I constantly specify 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 crucial. If you count on sealant alone, water will find its method. That wetness might disappoint up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a musty smell two cyclone seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing versus properly designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are kept and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels stored thoroughly can safeguard homes successfully. They also assist in specific cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget plan is tight in some cases lean on shutters to fulfill the Florida building code windows requirement for protected openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is rarely utilized in summer, a tidy motorized roll-down can be reasonable, especially if coupling with impact windows and doors elsewhere worries the budget plan. For property owners 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 require action at exactly the time you are managing insurance papers, gas cans, and family logistics. Throughout Hurricane Irma, I viewed a next-door neighbor try to install steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we spent the next hour in the urgent care waiting room. He endured with stitches. His living room window did not. Shutters also rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, often loosening fasteners over time if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows give hurricane proof windows protection while maintaining daytime and view. The convenience grows important once you have actually experienced one storm season with absolutely no prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes fight 2 fights: hidden load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can assist both if defined intelligently.
Low-E effect glass utilizes microscopically thin metallic layers to reflect infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the right finish stacks, you can block a big portion of convected heat and UV. UV obstruction in laminated units comes largely from the interlayer itself, which usually filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, minimizing fading of materials and floor covering. Add the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your AC crazy midafternoon.
I assess glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by reducing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to room temperature level, which lowers condensation risk. SHGC drives how much solar heat gets in. VT affects how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is crucial. Some homeowners want the crisp, clear appearance of higher VT, even if it suggests accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, due to the fact that their landscaping and roofing overhangs already do some shading. Others choose a more powerful tint for glare control on waterfront lots that reflect harsh light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern-day low-E laminated double-glazed systems can minimize 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 a/c, and you start to construct strength. 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 Approval, or NOA, is the document you request for. It information the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures checked. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a display room. Validate the NOA matches the exact design and options you are buying, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing workplace will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Product Approval system provides FL numbers that show code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Speed Typhoon Zone, Florida building regulations windows can rely on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Lots of leading producers bring both. Where spending plans enable, I prefer NOA products even outside the zone since the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels deal with energy metrics. They won't inform you impact performance, but they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Go for air leakage at or below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is much better for humidity control, however ensure your home still has actually stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and overlooking fresh air is a recipe for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more in advance than shutters. There's no spin around that. Installed expenses vary with size, shape, finish, and access. On simple single-family homes, per-opening expenses frequently land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Big multi-panel sliders, custom-made arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover value:
If you prepare to own the residential or commercial property for 5 years or more, the mathematics frequently tilts in favor of impact windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of comfort. If you prepare to offer within a year and need to show compliance quickly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I pay attention to hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on sashes and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless housings glide smoother and last longer on sandy patios. Look at the sill design on moving doors. Weep systems ought to be engineered 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 run afoul of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare toward surrounding residential or commercial properties. In seaside environments, extremely reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros understand which finishings balance performance with compliance.
Color stability is a huge offer. Dark bronze or black frames look fantastic on modern homes, but in Florida sun low-cost surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coatings supply the best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for coastal direct exposures whenever spending plans allow.
Historic districts typically require profiles that simulate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, however lead times lengthen and costs climb. Expect extra review by architectural boards, and line up a professional familiar with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations sometimes specify a narrow list of approved products for harmony. They likewise appreciate noise control between systems. If your structure sits straight on Collins Avenue or faces a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated options. Deal with structure 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 unique attention in style pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every system that looks tough in a showroom satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor balcony. Do not depend on catalog maximum sizes. Use the NOA tables that correspond to your website's zone, favorable and negative pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest tasks start with a determined study and exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and identify any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. During proposition, the specialist shows you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, notes anchor types, and discusses how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare 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 the house secure. They protect floorings, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to preserve interior surfaces. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The team checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photo anchors for the license file, especially if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a residential hurricane proof windows Boca Raton regulated spray to validate drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a cool jobsite, clear labels, and documentation in order.
Six months later on, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no secret rattle during thunderstorms. You did not have to require a roller modification after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can split under severe impacts, but it needs to remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends debris into the glass, you might see star fractures or spidering. The window did its job. Replace the sash or IGU after the event.
Window films do not convert non-impact windows into hurricane impact-resistant windows. They can add shatter resistance, but they do not substitute for an evaluated, anchored system. Your insurance company and building department will not count films as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows minimize air leakage. That's terrific, however it increases the value of an effectively sized heating and cooling with excellent 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 check reasonable heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You desire constant, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is simple but not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lube hardware each year with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Little habits extend lifespan.
There are legitimate reasons to blend options. A set of rarely utilized garage windows can keep detachable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set deck with minimal sun direct exposure might do great with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a brand-new roofing deck attachment or a prepared garage door. Shutters can likewise secure outdoor kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.
If you pick shutters, buy quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook bypasses for roll-downs make a distinction. Designate duty for release and practice as soon as outside of a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you require 32 wing nuts is not the morning you want to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about surviving the huge one. They improve daily living. The living-room stays cooler and quieter. The a/c 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 typhoon threatens, your preparation list gets much shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and concentrate on individuals instead of panels.
For a lot of my clients, that intangible is the choosing factor. They know storms will come. They also know life in South Florida is too excellent to live inside a fortress that only gets up in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February morning and peaceful confidence when the spaghetti models point our way in September.
If you are weighing the option, begin with a site-specific evaluation. Match your direct exposures to create pressures, select the right laminated glass stack for wind and heat, choose frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and employ a team that appreciates the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient impact windows provide what shutters can not: defense that never requests for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.