October 18, 2025

Hurricane-Proof Assurance: Choosing Miami-Dade Approved, Energy‑Efficient Effect Windows Over Shutters

STS Impact Windows & Doors

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.

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1000 Holland Dr #10, Boca Raton, 33487, US

Business Hours

  • Monday: 08:00 - 17:00
  • Tuesday: 08:00 - 17:00
  • Wednesday: 08:00 - 17:00
  • Thursday: 08:00 - 17:00
  • Friday: 08:00 - 17:00
  • Saturday: Closed
  • Sunday: Closed
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STS Impact Windows and Doors is a business
STS Impact Windows and Doors is based in Boca Raton Florida
STS Impact Windows and Doors is located at 1000 Holland Dr Suite 10 Boca Raton FL 33487 United States
STS Impact Windows and Doors operates in the United States
STS Impact Windows and Doors is a veteran owned company
STS Impact Windows and Doors specializes in hurricane protection solutions
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides impact windows
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides impact doors
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides custom storefronts
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides roofing services
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides expert installation
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides full transparency
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides outstanding customer service
STS Impact Windows and Doors has over 25 years of industry experience
STS Impact Windows and Doors offers a 3 year installation warranty
STS Impact Windows and Doors serves residential clients
STS Impact Windows and Doors serves commercial clients
STS Impact Windows and Doors focuses on quality reliability and efficiency
STS Impact Windows and Doors has phone number 5616001018
STS Impact Windows and Doors has website https://stswindows.com/
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STS Impact Windows and Doors has opening hours Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm
STS Impact Windows and Doors was awarded South Florida Veteran Owned Business Excellence Award
STS Impact Windows and Doors was awarded Best Hurricane Protection Provider 2023 Florida
STS Impact Windows and Doors was awarded Angis Super Service Award for Window Installation

People Also Ask about STS Impact Windows and Doors

What does STS Impact Windows and Doors do?

STS 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.

Where is STS Impact Windows and Doors located?

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.

Is STS Impact Windows and Doors a veteran-owned business?

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.

What services does STS Impact Windows and Doors provide?

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.

Who does STS Impact Windows and Doors serve?

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.

What are the benefits of choosing STS Impact Windows and Doors?

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.

What awards has STS Impact Windows and Doors won?

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.

How can I contact STS Impact Windows and Doors?

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 ritual of carrying ladders to install panels. After twenty years defining, installing, and repairing building envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I've seen what holds up and what does not. When the objective is real protection with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient impact windows outperform shutters in ways that go beyond storm day. They alter how a home feels in August, how peaceful your living room remains on a Saturday night, and how positive you are when a storm line spins up quicker than predicted.

This is a useful take a look at why lots of South Florida property owners are moving from shutters to cyclone impact-resistant windows, how to read the requirements behind "Miami-Dade approved," Miami-Dade approved what products matter, and how to get the setup right the first time.

What "Miami-Dade Approved" really means

Miami-Dade County's Item Control Department sets one of the most difficult standards in the nation for developing components exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is made through specific lab tests that imitate real hurricane conditions.

First comes large missile impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That simulates roofing system tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the effect, the same unit faces cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that imitate rapid wind gusts over hours. If the glass remains in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference between "meets Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" typically lives in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, particularly in High Speed Cyclone Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.

Wind rankings vary by opening size and style pressures, denoted as PSF worths. On ocean-facing homes or high-rises, I frequently define units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more secured direct exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be sufficient, but you size and specification based on the website's wind map, developing height, and surrounding structures. An expert understands that a corner direct exposure at the 2nd story demands different support than a sheltered window under a deep porch.

Why impact windows change the day-to-day experience, not simply storm season

Hurricane shutters vs impact windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can fulfill code, and they're much better than absolutely nothing. But they ask you to do work at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a warning and the projection track tightens up, the last thing you want is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.

Impact windows live in location. You get constant defense, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on United States 1. You also get advantages every day of the year.

Noise control is the most underappreciated advantage. Laminated effect glass is essentially a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resilient interlayer, generally PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On jobs along busy passages like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I have actually determined interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, often more when coupled with insulated glass units.

Security enhances due to the fact that laminated glass withstands required entry. A burglar can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the shards. They fulfill a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a fast course inside. Insurance underwriters understand this, which is why policies frequently provide credits for impact windows and doors. In my tasks, premiums generally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the provider and the number of openings are protected.

Energy efficiency is the 3rd pillar. Energy-efficient effect windows with contemporary low-E effect glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while protecting noticeable light. That implies less a/c need, particularly on west and south exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect units. Summer season afternoon peak load dropped by approximately a lots of cooling, security glass windows and the home's annual electrical energy use fell in between 12 and 18 percent. Results vary with shading, attic insulation, and heating and cooling performance, but the instructions is consistent.

Material options that matter: glass, interlayers, and frames

Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated items are equal.

Most residential typhoon windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, commonly 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers enhance effect resistance and sound control, however they include weight and expense. For oceanfront or tall openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, enabling thinner areas to attain higher style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB solutions modify the polymer to better take in noise in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.

Tempered glass windows come up frequently in conversations due to the fact that tempered glass is more powerful code compliant window replacement in bending than annealed glass. That holds true, and tempered lites are typically utilized as the external or inner ply in an effect unit. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the cyclone sense. When it stops working, it blows up into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The effect efficiency comes from laminated building and construction, not tempering by itself. Many 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 coatings matter for comfort. 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 short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, specifically in bigger openings. The sweet spot depends upon your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I often tighten up SHGC and accept a minor tint to handle early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor higher visible transmittance for daylighting.

Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here because they deal with large openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have actually narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. High-quality vinyl effect frames, when strengthened appropriately, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating worths, however I avoid them for very broad sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look stunning in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they require careful upkeep and smart flashing. The Florida sun damages low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes rapidly. Try to find powder-coated surfaces ranked for seaside direct exposure, and request written service warranty information in salt-air environments.

The covert hero: installation that appreciates the load path

Window setup can make or break efficiency. An expensive system installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's tension test. The load course is the core. Impact forces have to travel 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 and construction, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into solid material. Hollow cells need to be grouted or you require to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to take place. In wood-framed houses, structural screws should 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 effectively sized backer rod and top quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant produce noise reduction windows a durable, flexible seal that manages thermal expansion. Too little a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it treatments poorly. On coastal tasks, I never pair different metals without a barrier, and I constantly define corrosion-resistant fasteners. Ten 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 integration with the water-resistive barrier are vital. If you count on sealant alone, water will discover its method. That moisture might not show up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a musty smell 2 hurricane seasons later.

Shutters in the real world, and where they still make sense

I have absolutely nothing versus well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are preserved and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels saved carefully can protect homes effectively. They also assist in certain cases.

Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget is tight often lean on shutters to fulfill the Florida building regulations windows requirement for protected openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is hardly ever utilized in summer season, a tidy motorized roll-down can be reasonable, especially if coupling with effect doors and windows in other places stresses the budget. For house owners who prepare to move within a year, shutters can be a short bridge to compliance before a sale.

But shutters bring compromises. They darken your house when deployed, and they need action at specifically the time you are managing insurance documents, gas cans, and household logistics. Throughout Hurricane Irma, I enjoyed a next-door neighbor attempt 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 survived with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, often loosening up fasteners over time if not maintained.

For long-lasting owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows provide cyclone proof windows coverage while maintaining daytime and view. The convenience grows important once you have actually experienced one storm season with zero prep beyond locking the sash.

The energy story: how glass requirements translate to comfort and bills

South Florida homes battle two battles: hidden load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can assist both if specified intelligently.

Low-E impact glass uses microscopically thin metallic layers to reflect infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the right covering stacks, you can obstruct a big part of convected heat and UV. UV blockage in laminated systems comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which normally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, reducing fading of fabrics and floor covering. Add the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your air conditioning crazy midafternoon.

I evaluate glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by decreasing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to room temperature, which lowers condensation risk. SHGC drives how much solar heat goes into. VT influences how intense the interior feels. Balance is essential. Some homeowners desire the crisp, clear look of greater VT, even if it implies accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, because their landscaping and roofing overhangs currently do some shading. Others choose a stronger tint for glare control on waterside lots that reflect extreme light.

In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern-day low-E laminated double-glazed units can lower peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored outside surfaces, and a correctly sized variable-speed HVAC, and you start to develop resilience. If the grid goes down and you switch to a generator, a lower cooling load indicates a smaller sized generator and less gallons of fuel.

Reading labels and approvals without getting lost in alphabet soup

Miami-Dade Notification of Approval, or NOA, is the file 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 display room. Verify the NOA matches the specific model and choices you are buying, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you remain in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting workplace will desire this paper trail.

Statewide, the Florida Product Approval system supplies FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, Florida building code windows can count on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Numerous leading producers carry both. Where budgets allow, I prefer NOA products even outside the zone due to the fact that the screening is stiffer.

NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They will not inform you impact performance, however they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Go for air leakage at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft ². Tighter is much better for humidity control, however make certain your home still has actually balanced ventilation. Sealing the envelope and neglecting fresh air is a dish for indoor air quality complaints.

Dollars and sense: what to expect on expense, cost savings, and resale

Impact windows cost more upfront than shutters. There's no spin around that. Installed expenses differ with size, shape, finish, and gain access to. On simple single-family homes, per-opening costs typically land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, custom-made arches, and coastal-grade finishes raise the numbers quickly.

Where you recover worth:

  • Insurance credits build up, often 10 to 25 percent off premiums when all openings are protected.
  • Energy savings, normally 8 to 20 percent on annual cooling costs in older homes after a full window upgrade coupled with sealing and attic improvements.
  • Resale appeal, specifically in markets where purchasers anticipate impact doors and windows as a standard. A home with accordion shutters contends, but a home with storm effect windows reveals much better, feels quieter, and generally evaluates stronger.

If you plan to own impact window contractors the home for five years or more, the mathematics typically tilts in favor of effect 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 may make more short-term sense. Context matters.

Details that separate great systems from fantastic ones

I take notice 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 slide smoother and last longer on sandy outdoor patios. Take a look at the sill style on moving doors. Weep systems should 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 style. Reflective movies can run afoul of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare toward neighboring homes. In seaside environments, extremely reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros know which finishes balance performance with compliance.

Color stability is a huge offer. Dark bronze or black frames look great on modern homes, but in Florida sun inexpensive surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coatings offer the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside exposures whenever budgets allow.

Special cases: historical homes, condominiums, and tricky openings

Historic districts typically require profiles that simulate 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 knowledgeable about these submissions.

Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often define a narrow list of approved items for harmony. They also appreciate noise control between units. If your structure sits directly on Collins Opportunity or faces a hectic beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated options. Deal with building management on staging and lift access. Weekend work windows and restricted parking can include days and dollars.

Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, require special attention in design pressure, deflection, and operating hardware. Not every system that looks sturdy in a display room fulfills the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not rely on catalog optimum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that correspond to your site's zone, positive and negative pressures, and mullion combinations if any.

What a tidy task looks like from survey to final inspection

The best projects start with a determined survey and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and recognize any framing irregularities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposal, the professional reveals you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, notes anchor types, and explains how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.

On set up day, they remove one opening at a time to keep the house safe and secure. They secure floorings, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out 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, particularly 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 on, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite efficiently, and there is no secret rattle during thunderstorms. You did not need to require a roller modification after the very first week. That is the standard.

Frequently misconstrued points that cost house owners later

Impact rating does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can break under serious impacts, however it needs to stay in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends out 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 movies do not transform non-impact windows into typhoon impact-resistant windows. They can add shatter resistance, however they do not alternative to a checked, anchored system. Your insurance provider and structure department will not count films as secured openings.

Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient impact windows reduce air leakage. That's terrific, but it increases the importance of an effectively sized a/c with good dehumidification. If your system is large, the thermostat pleases quickly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your HVAC pro to inspect reasonable heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You desire consistent, longer cycles, not brief bursts.

Maintenance is straightforward but not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lubricate hardware annually with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small routines extend lifespan.

When shutters still belong in the conversation

There are legitimate factors to blend options. A pair of seldom used garage windows can keep removable panels to shave budget plan. A deep-set patio with very little sun exposure may do fine with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a brand-new roofing system deck accessory or a prepared garage door. Shutters can likewise safeguard outdoor kitchens or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.

If you select shutters, invest in quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual overrides for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign obligation for release and practice as soon as beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the early morning you want to find you have 29.

The bottom line: assurance you can feel on a peaceful Tuesday

Impact windows are not just about making it through the big 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 concentrate on people instead of panels.

For a lot of my clients, that intangible is the choosing element. They understand storms will come. They also understand life in South Florida is too great to live inside a fortress that just gets up in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and quiet self-confidence when the spaghetti models point our way in September.

If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific evaluation. Match your direct exposures to create pressures, choose the right laminated glass stack for wind and heat, choose frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and employ a team that respects the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient impact windows provide what shutters can not: security that never requests for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.

I am a dynamic innovator with a broad knowledge base in entrepreneurship. My conviction in entrepreneurship spurs my desire to innovate disruptive organizations. In my business career, I have cultivated a profile as being a daring thinker. Aside from creating my own businesses, I also enjoy counseling young startup founders. I believe in empowering the next generation of startup founders to pursue their own aspirations. I am easily seeking out disruptive opportunities and working together with similarly-driven creators. Redefining what's possible is my purpose. Aside from engaged in my enterprise, I enjoy immersing myself in dynamic environments. I am also focused on health and wellness.