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 neighbors track tropical waves, the pre-storm rush to stockpile, and the routine of hauling ladders to install panels. After twenty years specifying, impact windows in Boca Raton installing, and repairing structure envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I've seen what holds up and what does not. When the goal is genuine security with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows exceed shutters in manner ins which exceed storm day. They change how a house 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 look at why lots of South Florida house owners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to read the standards behind "Miami-Dade approved," what materials matter, and how to get the setup right the very first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Department sets one of the most difficult benchmarks in the nation for constructing components exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is made through specific lab tests that mimic real typhoon conditions.
First comes large rocket impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That simulates roofing system tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the impact, the same system faces cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that mimic 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 approved windows" typically resides in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is merely stiffer, particularly in High Speed Typhoon Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings vary by opening size and style pressures, signified as PSF worths. On ocean-facing properties or high-rises, I typically define units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more safeguarded direct exposures, rankings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be sufficient, but you size and spec based upon the site's wind map, constructing height, and surrounding structures. An expert knows that a corner window installation services exposure at the second story demands different reinforcement than a protected window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs impact windows is not a one-to-one comparison. Shutters can fulfill code, and they're much better than nothing. But they ask you to do work at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a caution and the Boca Raton window upgrades forecast track tightens, the last thing you desire is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows live in location. You get constant protection, 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 basically a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resistant interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On tasks along hectic corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I have actually measured interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, often more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security enhances since laminated glass withstands required entry. A burglar can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the shards. They satisfy a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a quick course inside. Insurance coverage underwriters understand this, which is why policies frequently use credits for effect windows and doors. In my tasks, premiums generally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the provider and how many openings are protected.
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Energy efficiency is the third pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with contemporary low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while protecting visible light. That indicates less a/c need, specifically on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun penalizes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect systems. Summertime afternoon peak load come by approximately a ton of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical energy use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Results vary with shading, attic insulation, and a/c effectiveness, but the instructions is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated products are equal.
Most domestic typhoon windows use a PVB interlayer glass stack, commonly 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers improve impact resistance and sound control, but they include weight and expense. For oceanfront or high openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, enabling thinner sections to accomplish higher style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulas fine-tune the polymer to better absorb sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows turn up frequently in discussions since tempered glass is stronger in bending than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are commonly used as the external or inner ply in an effect system. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the cyclone sense. When it stops working, it explodes into little cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The effect performance comes from laminated building and construction, not tempering by itself. Numerous systems use a tempered outer lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, but constantly bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coatings matter for comfort. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida usually targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 range while keeping noticeable light transmission around half or higher. Go too low 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 morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I lean toward higher visible transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames dominate here due to the fact that they handle large openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy space with vinyl. Premium vinyl impact frames, when strengthened properly, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating values, however I prevent them for very broad sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look beautiful in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they require cautious maintenance and wise flashing. The Florida sun damages inexpensive vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes rapidly. Look for powder-coated surfaces ranked for seaside exposure, and demand written service warranty information in salt-air environments.
Window setup 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 crux. Effect 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 strong 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 need to bite into strong trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb alignment matter so the locks engage cleanly and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not just visual. A properly sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a durable, flexible seal that handles thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it remedies badly. On seaside jobs, I never pair dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I always 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 rely on sealant alone, water will discover its method. That wetness might disappoint up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a musty smell two typhoon seasons later.
I have nothing versus properly designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are kept and oiled, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels kept thoroughly can secure homes effectively. They likewise help in certain cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where budget is tight sometimes 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 tidy motorized roll-down can be affordable, specifically if pairing with impact doors and windows in other places stresses the budget plan. For homeowners 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 precisely the time you are juggling insurance coverage documents, gas cans, and household logistics. During Cyclone Irma, I viewed a neighbor try to mount steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we invested the next hour in the immediate care waiting room. He survived with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters also rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, sometimes loosening up fasteners gradually if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows give cyclone proof windows protection while protecting daytime and view. The benefit grows important once you have actually experienced one storm season with zero preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes combat two fights: latent load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can assist both if defined intelligently.
Low-E impact glass utilizes microscopically thin metallic layers to show infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the right finishing stacks, you can obstruct a big portion of convected heat and UV. UV blockage in laminated units comes mainly from the interlayer itself, which generally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, reducing fading of fabrics and flooring. Add the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your AC insane midafternoon.
I examine glass specs with three numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still assists here by reducing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to space temperature, which reduces condensation danger. SHGC drives just how much solar heat gets in. VT affects how bright the interior feels. Balance is crucial. Some homeowners want the crisp, clear appearance of greater VT, even if it implies accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, since their landscaping and roof overhangs currently do some shading. Others prefer a stronger tint for glare control on waterside lots that reflect harsh light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to contemporary low-E laminated double-glazed systems can decrease peak solar gains by 30 to 50 percent on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior finishes, and an appropriately sized variable-speed a/c, and you start to construct strength. If the grid goes down and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller generator and fewer gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Acceptance, or NOA, is the file you request. It information the authorized setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures evaluated. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a display room. Validate the NOA matches the exact model and choices 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 offers FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, Florida building regulations windows can depend on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Numerous top makers bring both. Where budget plans permit, I prefer NOA items even outside the zone since the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They won't inform you effect performance, however they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Go for air leak at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is much better for humidity control, however ensure your home still has actually balanced ventilation. Sealing the envelope and disregarding 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 costs often land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for standard sizes. Big multi-panel sliders, custom arches, and coastal-grade finishes raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover value:
If you prepare to own the home for five 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 offer within a year and need to show compliance rapidly, shutters might make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I focus on hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless real estates move smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Take a look at the sill design on sliding doors. Weep systems must 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 fashion. Reflective films can run afoul of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare toward surrounding residential or commercial properties. In coastal communities, extremely reflective glass can confuse birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros understand which coatings 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 finishings provide the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I define them for coastal direct exposures whenever budget 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 additional review by architectural boards, and line up a contractor knowledgeable about these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often specify a narrow list of authorized items for uniformity. They likewise care about sound control between systems. If your structure sits straight on Collins Avenue or deals with a hectic beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated options. Work with building management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and limited parking can Boca Raton window installation services add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, need special attention in design pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every unit that looks durable in a display room meets the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not depend on brochure optimum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that correspond to your website's zone, favorable and unfavorable pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest projects begin with a determined survey and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and recognize any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. During proposition, 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 your home secure. They protect floorings, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to maintain interior surfaces. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photo anchors for the authorization file, especially if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to validate drainage courses and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and documents in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no secret rattle during thunderstorms. You did not need to call for a roller modification after the first residential hurricane proof windows week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can split under severe effects, but it ought to remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends particles into the glass, you may see star fractures or spidering. The window did its task. Replace the sash or IGU after the event.
Window films do not transform non-impact windows into cyclone impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, however they do not substitute for a checked, anchored system. Your insurance company and building department will not count movies as safeguarded openings.
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Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient impact windows decrease air leakage. That's terrific, but it increases the significance of a properly sized a/c with good dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat satisfies rapidly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your HVAC pro to inspect practical heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You desire constant, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is uncomplicated however not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and oil hardware annually with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Little habits extend lifespan.
There are legitimate factors to blend solutions. A pair of rarely utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set deck with minimal sun exposure might do great with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a brand-new roof deck accessory or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also safeguard outdoor kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, buy quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual overrides for roll-downs make a difference. Designate obligation for deployment and practice when beyond 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 enduring the huge one. They reshape daily living. The living-room remains cooler and quieter. The air conditioning 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 hurricane threatens, your preparation list gets shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and concentrate on individuals rather than panels.
For a number of my customers, that intangible is the deciding aspect. They know storms will come. They also understand life in South Florida is too great 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 early morning and quiet confidence when the spaghetti designs point our method September.
If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific evaluation. Match your exposures to create pressures, select the ideal laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and work with a team that appreciates the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient impact windows provide what shutters can not: security that never ever requests for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.
