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 neighbors track tropical waves, the pre-storm rush to stockpile, and the ritual of transporting ladders to install panels. After twenty years defining, installing, and repairing building envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what does not. When the goal is real protection with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows surpass shutters in ways that surpass storm day. They alter 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 take a look at why lots of South Florida homeowners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to check out 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 among the most difficult standards in the nation for developing elements exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker label. It is made through specific laboratory tests that mimic genuine hurricane conditions.
First comes large missile impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That imitates roofing 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 simulate rapid wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The distinction between "satisfies Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" typically lives in these test limits. Miami-Dade is simply stiffer, particularly in High Velocity Cyclone Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind rankings vary by opening size and style pressures, signified as PSF values. On ocean-facing homes or high-rises, I often define systems rated at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more secured exposures, rankings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be enough, but you size and spec based on the site's wind map, building height, and surrounding structures. An expert understands that a corner direct exposure at the 2nd story needs different support than a protected window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can fulfill 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 warning and the projection 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 continuous security, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You also get advantages every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated advantage. Laminated impact glass is essentially a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resilient interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On jobs along busy corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight courses, I've determined interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, in some cases more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security improves because laminated glass resists required entry. A burglar can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the shards. They satisfy a sticky, stubborn membrane instead of a fast course inside. Insurance coverage underwriters understand this, which is why policies typically use credits for impact windows and doors. In my projects, premiums generally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the provider and how many openings are protected.
Energy performance is the third pillar. Energy-efficient effect windows with modern-day low-E effect glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while preserving noticeable light. That means less air conditioning need, especially on west and south exposures where the afternoon sun penalizes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we changed 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect units. Summertime afternoon peak load stopped by roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's yearly electricity use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Results differ with shading, attic insulation, and a/c efficiency, however the direction is consistent.

Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated products are equal.
Most residential typhoon windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, frequently 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or numerous plies. Thicker interlayers improve impact 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 more powerful than PVB, allowing thinner areas to achieve greater style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulations fine-tune the polymer to much better absorb sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows come up frequently in discussions because tempered glass is stronger in flexing than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are frequently utilized as the outer or inner ply in an impact unit. However tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the typhoon sense. When it fails, it takes off into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The impact performance originates from laminated building and construction, not tempering by itself. Lots of systems use a tempered external lite laminated to a hardened 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 Low-E impact glass 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 on your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I often tighten SHGC and accept a minor tint to handle morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor higher noticeable transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here due to the fact that they deal with large openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy space with vinyl. Top quality vinyl effect frames, when strengthened appropriately, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating values, but I prevent them for very broad sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look lovely in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they require mindful upkeep and smart flashing. The Florida sun ruins cheap vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes rapidly. Look for powder-coated surfaces ranked for seaside direct exposure, and demand written guarantee information in salt-air environments.
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 path is the core. Effect forces need 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, you desire 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 occur. In wood-framed houses, structural screws should bite into solid trimmers, not simply 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 premium polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant produce a long lasting, versatile seal that handles thermal growth. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too huge and it treatments inadequately. On coastal jobs, I never ever match dissimilar 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 important. If you rely on sealant alone, water will find its way in. That moisture may disappoint up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a moldy odor two cyclone seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing against well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are preserved and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels stored carefully can safeguard homes efficiently. They also help in particular cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where spending plan is tight in some cases lean on shutters to satisfy the Florida building code windows requirement for secured openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is hardly ever utilized in summertime, a tidy motorized roll-down can be affordable, specifically if pairing with effect windows and doors somewhere else worries the budget. For property owners who prepare to move within a year, shutters can be a brief bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring trade-offs. They darken your house when deployed, and they require action at precisely the time you are handling insurance coverage documents, gas cans, and household 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 invested the next hour in the urgent care waiting space. He survived with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters also rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, often loosening up fasteners with time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows offer typhoon proof windows protection while protecting daylight and view. The benefit grows important once you've experienced one storm season with zero preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle 2 battles: hidden load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Impact glass upgrades can assist both if defined intelligently.
Low-E effect glass uses microscopically thin metal layers to show infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the right finishing stacks, you can obstruct a big portion of radiant heat and UV. UV obstruction in laminated units comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which typically filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, decreasing fading of fabrics and floor covering. Add the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your a/c crazy midafternoon.
I examine 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 circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to space temperature level, which reduces condensation danger. SHGC drives how much solar heat gets in. VT affects how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is key. Some house owners 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 roof overhangs already do some shading. Others prefer a more powerful 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 lower peak solar gains by 30 to 50 percent on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored outside surfaces, and an appropriately sized variable-speed HVAC, and you start to build durability. If the grid goes down and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load means a smaller sized generator and fewer gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Acceptance, or NOA, is the file you ask for. It details the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures checked. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a display room. Confirm the NOA matches the precise model and options you are buying, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you remain in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting workplace will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Product Approval system supplies FL numbers that show code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Velocity Cyclone Zone, Florida building regulations windows can rely on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Lots of top makers carry both. Where budgets enable, I choose NOA items even outside the zone because the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They won't tell you effect performance, but they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Aim 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 balanced ventilation. Sealing the envelope and ignoring fresh air is a dish for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more in advance than shutters. There's no spin around that. Installed expenses differ with size, shape, finish, and access. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening costs typically land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for standard sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, customized arches, and coastal-grade finishes raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recoup value:
If you prepare to own the property for five years or more, the mathematics often 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 need to show compliance quickly, 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 housings glide smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Look at the sill style on moving doors. Weep systems should 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 movies can run afoul of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare toward surrounding homes. In coastal communities, highly reflective glass can confuse 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 fantastic on modern-day homes, but in Florida sun cheap finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated finishings offer the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside direct exposures whenever budgets allow.
Historic districts typically need 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 evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a professional knowledgeable about these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often specify a narrow list of approved products for uniformity. They also care about noise control between systems. If your building sits straight on Collins Opportunity or deals with a hectic beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated alternatives. Deal with structure management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and restricted parking can add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, require unique attention in design pressure, deflection, and operating hardware. Not every system that looks strong in a display room satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor terrace. Do not count on brochure optimum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that represent your website's zone, favorable and negative pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The best tasks begin with a determined study and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and identify any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposition, the specialist reveals you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, notes anchor types, and discusses how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.
On set up day, they eliminate one opening at a time to keep your home protected. They secure floors, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to protect interior finishes. New units 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 controlled spray to confirm drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a neat 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 secret rattle during thunderstorms. You did not need to call for a roller modification after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can crack under extreme impacts, however it needs to stay 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. Change the sash or IGU after the event.
Window movies do not convert non-impact windows into hurricane impact-resistant windows. They can add shatter resistance, however they do not replacement for an evaluated, anchored system. Your insurer and structure department will not count movies as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows minimize air leakage. That's fantastic, but it increases the significance of a properly sized a/c with good dehumidification. If your system is extra-large, the thermostat pleases rapidly 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 uncomplicated but not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lube hardware each year with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small routines extend lifespan.
There are genuine reasons to blend options. A set of seldom utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave budget. A deep-set porch with minimal sun direct exposure might do great with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a brand-new roofing system deck accessory or a prepared garage door. Shutters can likewise safeguard outside kitchens or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age elegant hardware prematurely.

If you select shutters, buy quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook bypasses for roll-downs make a distinction. Designate obligation for implementation and practice once beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the morning you wish to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about surviving the big one. They improve 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 noise when a squall line passes at 2 a.m. When a typhoon 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 lot of my customers, that intangible is the choosing aspect. They know storms will come. They also know life in South Florida is too excellent to live inside a fortress that just awakens in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and peaceful confidence when the spaghetti designs point our method September.
If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to develop pressures, pick the right laminated glass stack for wind and heat, choose frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and hire a crew that respects the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: defense that never ever asks for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.