STS Impact Windows, Doors & Roofing is a veteran-owned company based in South Florida that specializes in premium hurricane protection solutions, including impact windows, doors, custom storefronts, and roofing. Combining over 25 years of industry experience with military precision, STS provides expert installation, full transparency, and outstanding customer service, backed by a leading 3-year installation warranty. Their comprehensive services ensure security and peace of mind for both residential and commercial clients, with a strong focus on quality, reliability, and efficiency.
View on Google MapsSTS Impact Windows and Doors specializes in hurricane protection solutions, offering high-quality impact windows, storm-resistant doors, custom storefronts, and professional roofing services. With expert installation, full transparency, and outstanding customer service, the company ensures homes and businesses stay secure and energy-efficient.
STS Impact Windows and Doors is located at 1000 Holland Dr Suite 10, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States. The company proudly serves residential and commercial clients across Florida and throughout the United States, delivering reliable storm protection solutions. View their location on Google Maps.
Yes, STS Impact Windows and Doors is a veteran-owned company recognized for its dedication, integrity, and service to the community. This background adds an extra level of trust and reliability for homeowners and businesses seeking storm protection solutions.
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides a wide range of services including the installation of hurricane impact windows, impact doors, custom commercial storefronts, and roofing services. Each project is backed by expert craftsmanship, a 3-year installation warranty, and over 25 years of industry experience.
The company proudly serves both residential homeowners and commercial property owners. From protecting family homes to fortifying businesses with hurricane-rated storefronts, STS Impact Windows and Doors delivers customized solutions that ensure safety, durability, and efficiency.
Clients benefit from the company’s focus on quality, reliability, and efficiency. Their impact-resistant windows and doors not only enhance security and hurricane protection but also improve energy efficiency, reduce noise, and increase property value. With a 3-year installation warranty, customers can trust in long-term performance and peace of mind.
STS Impact Windows and Doors has been recognized with multiple industry honors, including the South Florida Veteran Owned Business Excellence Award, Best Hurricane Protection Provider 2023 Florida, and the Angi’s Super Service Award for Window Installation. These awards highlight their commitment to excellence, customer satisfaction, and industry leadership.
You can reach STS Impact Windows and Doors by phone at 561-600-1018 or visit their website at stswindows.com. They are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm and are available on Facebook and Instagram for updates and project showcases.
Business Name: STS Impact Windows & Doors
Address: 1000 Holland Dr #10, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States
Phone: (561)-600-1018
Hurricane season shapes life along Florida's coasts. You feel it in the way next-door neighbors track tropical waves, the pre-storm rush to stockpile, and the ritual of carrying ladders to mount panels. After 20 years specifying, setting up, and troubleshooting structure envelopes from Key Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what doesn't. When the objective is real security with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows outshine shutters in ways that exceed storm day. They change how a home feels in August, how peaceful your living-room stays on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up faster than predicted.
This is a useful take a look at why numerous South Florida property owners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to check out the standards behind "Miami-Dade authorized," what products matter, and how to get the setup right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Division sets among the toughest benchmarks in the country for developing components exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker label. It is earned through particular laboratory tests that simulate genuine hurricane conditions.
First comes large rocket impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That imitates roofing 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 mimic quick wind gusts over hours. If the glass remains in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference in between "fulfills Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" typically resides in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is merely stiffer, particularly in High Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.

Wind rankings vary by opening size and design pressures, denoted as PSF values. On ocean-facing properties or high-rises, I typically specify systems ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more safeguarded exposures, ratings in the +45/ -60 PSF range can suffice, but you size and specification based on the site's wind map, developing height, and surrounding structures. An expert knows that a corner exposure at the 2nd story demands various support than a protected window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs impact windows is not a one-to-one comparison. Shutters can meet code, and they're much better than nothing. However they ask you to do work at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a caution 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 reside in place. You get continuous protection, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on United States 1. You also get benefits every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated benefit. Laminated impact glass is basically a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a durable interlayer, generally PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On tasks along busy passages like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight courses, I've measured interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, in some cases more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security enhances due to the fact that laminated glass resists forced entry. An intruder can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the fragments. They meet a sticky, persistent membrane rather of a quick course inside. Insurance underwriters understand this, which is why policies frequently use credits for effect windows and doors. In my tasks, premiums normally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the provider and how many openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the 3rd pillar. Energy-efficient effect windows with modern-day low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while maintaining noticeable light. That means less a/c need, specifically 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 afternoon peak load visited approximately a ton of cooling, and the home's annual electrical energy use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes differ with shading, attic insulation, and a/c performance, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated items are equal.
Most domestic typhoon windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, frequently 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or multiple plies. Thicker interlayers enhance effect resistance and sound control, but they include weight and cost. For oceanfront or tall openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and more powerful than PVB, allowing thinner sections to achieve greater design pressures. For noise-sensitive sites, acoustic PVB formulations modify the polymer to better absorb sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows show up often in discussions due to the fact that tempered glass is more powerful in bending than annealed glass. That holds true, and tempered lites are typically utilized as the outer or inner ply in an impact system. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the cyclone sense. When it fails, it explodes into little cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The effect performance comes from laminated building, not tempering by itself. Many systems use a tempered outer lite laminated to a hardened inner lite, or both tempered, however always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coverings 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 noticeable light transmission around 50 percent or greater. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, especially in larger openings. The sweet spot depends upon your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I often tighten SHGC and accept a slight tint to manage early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor greater visible transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames dominate here due to the fact that they deal with big openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy space with vinyl. Top quality vinyl effect frames, when strengthened appropriately, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating worths, but I avoid them for very large sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look lovely in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they require mindful maintenance and smart flashing. The Florida sun ruins low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes quickly. Look for powder-coated finishes rated for coastal exposure, and demand written warranty details in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break performance. A costly unit installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's tension test. The load course is the core. Effect forces have 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 desire stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong product. Hollow cells must be grouted or you need to hit the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed homes, structural screws must 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 visual. A correctly sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a durable, versatile seal that manages thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too huge and it treatments poorly. On coastal jobs, I never match dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I always specify corrosion-resistant fasteners. 10 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 vital. If you rely on sealant alone, water will find its method. That wetness might disappoint up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a musty odor 2 hurricane seasons later.
I have nothing versus well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are preserved and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels saved thoroughly can secure homes efficiently. They also assist in certain cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where budget is tight often lean on shutters to meet the Florida building regulations windows requirement for protected openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is seldom used in summer, a clean motorized roll-down can be reasonable, specifically if coupling with impact doors and windows somewhere else worries the budget plan. For property owners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a brief bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring trade-offs. They darken your home when deployed, and they need action at specifically the time you are juggling insurance papers, gas cans, and family logistics. During 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 spent the next hour in the urgent care waiting room. He made it through with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters also rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, in some cases loosening up fasteners gradually if not maintained.
For long-term owners who want to set it and forget it, effect windows give hurricane evidence windows protection while protecting daytime and view. The benefit grows valuable once you have actually experienced one storm season with no prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle two battles: hidden load from humidity and reasonable load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can help both if specified intelligently.
Low-E effect glass utilizes microscopically thin metal layers to reflect infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the ideal coating stacks, you can obstruct a large part of convected heat and UV. UV clog in laminated units comes largely from the interlayer itself, which generally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, decreasing fading of fabrics and flooring. 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 minimizing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to space temperature, which minimizes condensation danger. SHGC drives how much solar heat enters. VT influences how intense the interior feels. Balance is essential. Some homeowners want the crisp, clear appearance of greater VT, even if it indicates accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, since their landscaping and roofing overhangs already do some shading. Others prefer a stronger tint for glare control on waterfront lots that show extreme light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern-day 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 finishes, and a correctly sized variable-speed a/c, and you start to construct resilience. If the grid decreases and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller sized generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, or NOA, is the document you request. It details the approved setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures evaluated. It is inadequate to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a showroom. Confirm the NOA matches the precise design and alternatives you are buying, including the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing office will desire this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system provides FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Speed Hurricane Zone, Florida building regulations windows can rely on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Many top producers carry both. Where budgets permit, I prefer NOA products even outside the zone because the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels deal with energy metrics. They won't tell you effect performance, however they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. Go for air leakage at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft ². Tighter is better for humidity control, but make certain your home still has stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and ignoring fresh air is a dish for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more upfront than shutters. There's no spin around that. Set up expenses differ with size, shape, surface, and gain access to. On uncomplicated single-family homes, per-opening expenses often land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for standard sizes. Big multi-panel sliders, customized arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.

Where you recover value:
If you plan to own the home for 5 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 sell within a year and require to reveal compliance rapidly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I pay attention to hardware and accessories. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings improve seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless housings move smoother and last longer on sandy outdoor patios. Look at the sill design on moving doors. Weep systems should be engineered to drain heavy rains without letting wind-driven water blow back in. Ask to see a cutaway sample in the showroom.
Tint colors and reflectivity are more than fashion. Reflective films can run afoul of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare towards surrounding homes. In coastal communities, extremely reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros understand which finishings balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a big offer. Dark bronze or black frames look great on modern homes, however in Florida sun cheap finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coverings supply the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for coastal direct exposures whenever budgets allow.
Historic districts typically require profiles that mimic old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, however lead times lengthen and costs climb. Expect additional review by architectural boards, and line up a professional knowledgeable about these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations sometimes specify a narrow list of authorized items for uniformity. They also care about sound control in between systems. If your building 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 style pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every unit that looks durable in a showroom satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor terrace. Do not depend on brochure maximum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that represent your website's zone, favorable and unfavorable pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The best projects begin with a determined study and exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and recognize any framing irregularities or settlement cracks. During proposition, the specialist shows you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, lists 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 set up day, they get rid of one opening at a time to keep your home safe. They secure floors, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to protect interior finishes. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They picture anchors for the permit file, especially if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to verify drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a cool jobsite, clear labels, and paperwork in order.
Six months later on, your windows still close with 2 fingers, locks bite efficiently, and there is no mystery 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 equal breakproof. Laminated glass can split under severe effects, but it should remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends out debris into the glass, you may see star cracks or spidering. The window did its job. Replace the sash or IGU after the event.
Window movies do not convert non-impact windows into typhoon impact-resistant windows. They can add shatter resistance, however they do not substitute for a tested, anchored system. Your insurer and building department will not count films as secured openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows minimize air leak. That's terrific, however it increases the importance of a correctly sized heating and cooling with good dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat satisfies rapidly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your heating and cooling pro to check practical heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You want constant, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is uncomplicated but not optional. Clean 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 practices extend lifespan.
There are genuine reasons to blend options. A pair of hardly ever utilized garage windows can keep detachable panels to shave budget plan. A deep-set porch with very little sun direct exposure may do fine with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a new roof deck accessory or a prepared garage door. Shutters can likewise safeguard outside cooking areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, invest in quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual overrides for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign obligation for deployment and practice once beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you require 32 wing nuts is not the morning you Buy hurricane windows near me want to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not only about making it through the huge one. They reshape daily living. The living-room stays cooler and quieter. The AC cycles calmly instead of racing at 4 p.m. You sleep without freight trains of wind noise when a squall line passes at 2 a.m. When a cyclone threatens, your preparation list gets much shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on people instead of panels.
For much of my customers, that intangible is the deciding element. They know storms will come. They also know life in South Florida is too excellent to live inside a fortress that only wakes up in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows provide 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, begin with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to create pressures, pick the ideal laminated glass stack for wind and heat, choose frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and work with a crew that respects the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows provide what shutters can not: security that never requests for a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.