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 stock up, and the routine of hauling ladders to mount panels. After 20 years defining, installing, and troubleshooting structure envelopes from Key Largo to Palm Beach, I've seen what holds up and what does not. When the goal is genuine security with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient effect windows outperform shutters in ways that surpass storm day. They change how a house feels in August, how quiet your living room stays on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up much faster than predicted.
This is a practical look at why lots of South Florida homeowners are moving from shutters to typhoon impact-resistant windows, how to read the standards behind "Miami-Dade approved," what materials matter, and how to get the setup right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Division sets one of the toughest criteria in the nation for developing components exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is made through particular laboratory tests that replicate real typhoon conditions.
First comes big rocket impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That imitates roof tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the effect, the very same unit deals with 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 difference in between "satisfies Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" frequently lives in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, especially in High Speed Cyclone Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind rankings vary by opening size and style pressures, represented as PSF worths. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I typically specify units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more secured exposures, rankings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be adequate, but you size and spec based on the website's wind map, building height, and surrounding structures. A professional knows that a corner exposure at the 2nd story needs different reinforcement than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one comparison. Shutters can meet code, and they're better than nothing. But they ask you Hurricane window ratings to do operate at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a caution 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 live in place. You get constant 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 advantage. Laminated effect glass is essentially a sandwich: two panes of glass bonded by a resistant interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On tasks along hectic corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight courses, I've determined interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security enhances because laminated glass resists forced entry. An intruder can shatter the outer lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the fragments. They fulfill a sticky, persistent membrane rather of a fast course inside. Insurance underwriters know this, which is why policies frequently offer credits for impact doors and windows. In my projects, premiums generally 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 modern-day low-E effect glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while maintaining noticeable light. That means less air conditioning demand, 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 systems. Summertime afternoon peak load visited roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical power use fell in between 12 and 18 percent. Results differ with shading, attic insulation, and a/c efficiency, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated items are equal.
Most domestic hurricane windows use a PVB interlayer glass stack, frequently 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 might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, allowing thinner areas to accomplish greater design pressures. For noise-sensitive sites, acoustic PVB formulas modify the polymer to much better soak up noise 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 stronger in flexing than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are typically utilized as the outer or inner ply in an impact system. However 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 originates from laminated construction, not tempering by itself. Many systems use a tempered outer lite laminated to a hardened inner lite, or both tempered, however 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 range while keeping noticeable light transmission around half or greater. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, particularly in bigger openings. The sweet area depends on your exterior orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I frequently 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 dominate here because they manage big openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have actually narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Top quality vinyl effect frames, when reinforced Financing for impact windows effectively, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating values, but I avoid them for very large sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look beautiful in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they require mindful maintenance and clever flashing. The Florida sun damages cheap vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces quickly. Look for powder-coated finishes rated for coastal exposure, and demand written guarantee details in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break performance. A pricey system set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load path is the crux. Impact forces have to travel from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and after that into the structure's framing or masonry.
In cinder block building and construction, you desire stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into solid product. Hollow cells should be grouted or you require to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed houses, structural screws need to bite into strong trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb alignment matter so the locks engage easily and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not simply aesthetic. An appropriately sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant create a resilient, flexible seal that deals with thermal expansion. Too little a bead and it tears under motion. Too big and it cures improperly. On seaside jobs, I never match different metals without a barrier, and I constantly specify 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 count on sealant alone, water will discover 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 smell two hurricane seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing versus well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are preserved and lubed, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels saved carefully can safeguard homes efficiently. They also assist in specific cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget is tight in some cases lean on shutters to fulfill the Florida building regulations windows requirement for protected openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is rarely used in summer, a clean motorized roll-down can be reasonable, especially if coupling with effect windows and doors somewhere else stresses the spending plan. For house 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 your home when deployed, and they require action at exactly the time you are juggling insurance coverage documents, gas cans, and family logistics. During Cyclone Irma, I watched a next-door neighbor attempt to mount 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 made it through with stitches. His living room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, often loosening up fasteners in time if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who wish to set it and forget it, impact windows give cyclone proof windows protection while protecting daytime and view. The benefit grows valuable once you've experienced one storm season with zero preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle two battles: PVB interlayer glass hidden load from humidity and practical load from direct solar heat gain. Impact glass upgrades can assist both if specified intelligently.
Low-E effect glass uses microscopically thin metallic layers to show infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the ideal finish stacks, you can obstruct a big part of convected heat and UV. UV obstruction in laminated units comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which normally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, decreasing fading of materials and floor covering. Add the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your a/c insane midafternoon.
I evaluate glass specs 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 level closer to room temperature level, which minimizes condensation risk. SHGC drives how much solar heat enters. VT affects how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is crucial. Some property owners desire the crisp, clear look of higher VT, even if it suggests accepting a couple of degrees more heat in late afternoon, due to the fact that their landscaping and roofing system overhangs currently do some shading. Others prefer a more powerful tint for glare control on waterside lots that reflect severe light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern low-E laminated double-glazed units can minimize peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored outside finishes, and an effectively sized variable-speed HVAC, and you begin to develop durability. If the grid decreases and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load indicates a smaller generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Approval, or NOA, is the file you request for. It information the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures evaluated. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a showroom. Validate the NOA matches the exact model and alternatives you are purchasing, including the glazing makeup and hardware. If you remain in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing office will desire 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 Velocity Hurricane Zone, Florida building code windows can depend on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Numerous leading manufacturers carry both. Where spending plans permit, I prefer NOA items even outside the zone due to the fact that the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels handle energy metrics. They won't inform you impact efficiency, but they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Go for air leak at or below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is better for humidity control, however make certain 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 in advance than shutters. There's no spin around that. Set up expenses vary with size, shape, surface, and access. On uncomplicated single-family homes, per-opening expenses often land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, customized arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recoup value:
If you prepare to own the home for 5 years or more, the mathematics typically tilts in favor of effect windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of peace of mind. If you plan to sell within a year and need to show compliance rapidly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I focus on hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on sashes and awnings improve seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless housings slide smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Look at the sill style on sliding doors. Weep systems need to be crafted 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 run afoul of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare towards surrounding residential or commercial properties. In coastal communities, highly reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros understand which finishes balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a huge deal. Dark bronze or black frames look fantastic on modern-day homes, but in Florida sun inexpensive finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coatings offer the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I define them for coastal direct exposures whenever spending plans allow.
Historic districts often require profiles that imitate 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 professional acquainted with these submissions.

Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often define a narrow list of authorized items for uniformity. They likewise care about noise control between systems. If your structure sits directly on Collins Avenue or deals with a hectic beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated building code compliant windows alternatives. Deal with building management on staging and lift access. Weekend work windows and limited parking can add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, need special attention in style pressure, deflection, and operating hardware. Not every unit that looks sturdy in a display room fulfills the wind loads on a ninth-floor terrace. Do not count on brochure optimum sizes. Use the NOA tables that represent your website's zone, positive and unfavorable pressures, and mullion mixes if any.
The best tasks start with a determined study and exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and recognize any framing irregularities or settlement fractures. During proposal, the contractor reveals you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, lists anchor types, and describes how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They plan for stucco or drywall repairs, not pretend no damage will occur.
On set up day, they remove one opening at a time to keep the house protected. They protect floorings, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to preserve interior finishes. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photograph anchors for the permit file, especially if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to verify drain courses and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and documents in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with 2 fingers, locks bite efficiently, and there is no mystery rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not have to call for a roller modification after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can break under serious effects, but it ought to remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends particles into the glass, you might see star cracks or spidering. The window did its task. Change the sash or IGU after the event.
Window movies do not convert non-impact windows into cyclone impact-resistant windows. They can add shatter resistance, however they do not substitute for a checked, anchored system. Your insurer and structure department will not count movies as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows lower air leakage. That's fantastic, but it increases the significance of a correctly sized a/c with great dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat pleases quickly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your a/c pro to check practical heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You want stable, longer cycles, not brief bursts.
Maintenance is simple but not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lubricate hardware yearly with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small routines extend lifespan.
There are legitimate factors to blend solutions. A pair of rarely used garage windows can keep detachable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set patio with very little sun direct exposure might do fine with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a new roofing system deck accessory or a prepared garage door. Shutters can likewise secure outdoor kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age expensive hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, purchase quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual overrides for roll-downs make a difference. Assign obligation for implementation and practice as soon as beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you require 32 wing nuts is not the morning you want to discover 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 conditioning cycles calmly rather 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 hurricane threatens, your preparation list gets much shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on people rather than panels.
For a number of my customers, that intangible is the deciding element. 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 approved windows offer 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 choice, begin with a site-specific assessment. Match your direct exposures to design pressures, select the right laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and hire a crew that respects the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient impact windows provide what shutters can not: defense that never requests a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.