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 mount panels. After 20 years specifying, installing, and repairing building envelopes from Key Largo to Palm Beach, I've seen what holds up and what does not. When the goal is real protection with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient impact windows outshine shutters in manner ins which surpass storm day. They alter how a home feels in August, how quiet your living room remains on a Saturday night, and how positive you are when a storm line spins up much faster than predicted.
This is a useful look at why lots of South Florida property owners are moving from shutters to cyclone impact-resistant windows, how to check out the requirements behind "Miami-Dade authorized," what products matter, and how to get the setup right the very first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Department sets among the toughest criteria in the country for building elements exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is made through specific laboratory tests that simulate genuine typhoon conditions.
First comes large missile effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That simulates roof tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the annealed glass vs tempered effect, the exact same unit deals with cyclic pressure loading, countless 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 difference between "fulfills Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" often lives in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, especially in High Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings vary by opening size and style pressures, denoted as PSF values. On ocean-facing homes or high-rises, I typically define units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more safeguarded direct exposures, ratings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be sufficient, however you size and spec based on the website's wind map, developing height, and surrounding structures. A professional understands that a corner exposure at the 2nd 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 better than absolutely nothing. However they ask you to do work at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a caution and the forecast track tightens, the last thing you want is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows reside in location. You get constant security, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on United States 1. You likewise get benefits every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated benefit. Laminated effect glass is basically a sandwich: two panes NOA approval of glass bonded by a resilient 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 noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security enhances because laminated glass withstands forced entry. An intruder can shatter the outer lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the shards. They fulfill a sticky, stubborn membrane instead of a quick path inside. Insurance coverage underwriters know this, which is why policies often provide credits for effect doors and windows. In my projects, 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 impact windows with contemporary low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while protecting visible light. That suggests less a/c need, specifically on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun penalizes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we changed 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. Outcomes vary with shading, attic insulation, and heating and cooling efficiency, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated storm window replacement effect glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated items are equal.
Most property cyclone windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, commonly 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or multiple plies. Thicker interlayers improve impact resistance and sound control, however they include weight and cost. For oceanfront or tall openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, enabling thinner sections to attain greater design pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulations 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 turn up frequently in conversations due to the fact that tempered glass is stronger in flexing than annealed glass. That holds true, and tempered lites are commonly used as the outer or inner ply in an impact system. However 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 impact efficiency comes from laminated building and construction, not tempering by itself. Many systems utilize a tempered external lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both insurance discount impact windows tempered, however always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E finishes matter for comfort. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida normally targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 range while keeping noticeable light transmission around half or greater. Go too low on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, especially in bigger openings. The sweet spot depends on your exterior orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I often tighten SHGC and accept a slight tint to manage morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I lean toward greater visible transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here due to the fact that they handle big openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Premium vinyl impact frames, when strengthened properly, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating values, however I prevent them for extremely large sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look beautiful in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand cautious maintenance and smart flashing. The Florida sun damages inexpensive vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces quickly. Try to find powder-coated finishes rated for seaside exposure, and request composed service warranty details in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break performance. A costly system set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress 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 construction, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong material. Hollow cells must be grouted or you need to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to happen. In wood-framed homes, structural screws must bite into solid trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb alignment matter so the locks engage easily and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not just visual. A correctly sized backer rod and top quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant produce a long lasting, flexible seal that manages thermal growth. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too huge and it cures inadequately. On coastal 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 vital. If you rely on sealant alone, water will discover its way in. That moisture may disappoint up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a musty smell two cyclone seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing against properly designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are kept and oiled, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels kept carefully can safeguard homes effectively. They also assist in certain cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where budget is tight in some cases lean on shutters to fulfill the Florida building regulations windows requirement for secured openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is hardly ever used in summertime, a tidy motorized roll-down can be reasonable, especially if pairing with effect windows and doors in other places worries the spending plan. For homeowners who plan 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 require action at precisely the time you are juggling insurance coverage papers, gas cans, and family logistics. Throughout Hurricane 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 urgent 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 with time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who want to set it and forget it, effect windows offer typhoon proof windows protection while protecting daylight and view. The convenience grows valuable once you've experienced one storm season with zero preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle two battles: latent load from humidity and reasonable load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can assist both if defined intelligently.
Low-E effect glass uses microscopically thin metallic layers to reflect infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the best covering stacks, you can block a large portion of radiant heat and UV. UV blockage in laminated systems comes largely from the interlayer itself, which normally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, lowering fading of fabrics and floor covering. Include the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your AC crazy midafternoon.
I assess glass specs with three numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by reducing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to room temperature level, which reduces condensation danger. SHGC drives just how much solar heat enters. VT affects how bright the interior feels. Balance is crucial. Some homeowners want the crisp, clear appearance of higher VT, even if it implies 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 reflect extreme light.
In useful terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to contemporary low-E laminated double-glazed systems can reduce peak solar gains by 30 to 50 percent on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior finishes, and an effectively sized variable-speed heating and cooling, and you start to develop durability. If the grid goes down and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller sized generator and fewer gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, or NOA, is the document you request. It details the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures checked. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a display room. Verify the NOA matches the specific model and choices you are purchasing, including the glazing makeup and hardware. If you remain in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting workplace will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system provides FL numbers that show code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Speed Cyclone Zone, Florida building regulations windows can rely on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Numerous top producers carry both. Where budgets allow, I prefer NOA items even outside the zone because the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels handle energy metrics. They will not inform you impact performance, but they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Aim for air leak at or below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is better for humidity control, but make sure 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 upfront than shutters. There's no spin around that. Set up expenses vary with size, shape, finish, and gain access to. On uncomplicated single-family homes, per-opening expenses typically land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Big multi-panel sliders, customized arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover worth:
If you prepare to own the home for five years or more, the math frequently tilts in favor of impact windows, especially when you factor the intangible of assurance. If you plan to offer within a year and require to reveal compliance rapidly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I focus on hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on sashes and awnings improve seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless real estates glide smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Take a look at the sill style on moving doors. Weep systems ought to be crafted 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 contravene of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare towards surrounding properties. In seaside communities, highly reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros understand which coverings balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a huge offer. Dark bronze or black frames look wonderful on contemporary homes, but in Florida sun inexpensive surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coatings supply the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside direct exposures whenever budget plans allow.
Historic districts often require profiles that imitate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times extend and costs climb. Anticipate additional evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a specialist acquainted with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations sometimes specify a narrow list of authorized products for harmony. They likewise care about noise control between systems. If your building sits straight on Collins Avenue or faces a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated alternatives. Deal with structure management on staging and lift access. Weekend work windows and minimal 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 showroom satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not count on brochure optimum sizes. Use the NOA tables that represent your website's zone, favorable and unfavorable pressures, and mullion mixes if any.
The best jobs start with a determined study and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and recognize any framing abnormalities or settlement fractures. Throughout proposition, the professional shows you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, lists anchor types, and explains how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repairs, not pretend no damage will occur.
On install day, they eliminate one opening at a time to keep the house protected. They safeguard floors, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to protect interior surfaces. 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 authorization file, particularly if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to confirm drainage courses and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and paperwork in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite efficiently, and there is no mystery rattle during thunderstorms. You did not need to call for a roller modification after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact rating does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can crack under severe impacts, but it needs to stay in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends out debris into the glass, you might see star cracks or spidering. The window did its task. 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 an evaluated, anchored system. Your insurer and structure department will not count films as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows decrease air leakage. That's excellent, however it increases the value of a correctly sized HVAC with excellent dehumidification. If your system is extra-large, the thermostat satisfies rapidly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your HVAC pro to examine reasonable heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You desire stable, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is straightforward but not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lube hardware annually with a silicone-based item that will not gum up in heat. Small routines extend lifespan.
There are genuine factors to mix services. A pair of rarely used garage windows can keep detachable panels to shave budget. A deep-set patio with minimal sun exposure may do fine with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a new roof deck accessory or a prepared garage door. Shutters can likewise safeguard triple-pane windows outside kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age expensive hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, buy quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook overrides for roll-downs make a difference. Assign obligation for release and practice once beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the early morning you want to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about enduring the huge one. They improve daily living. The living room stays cooler and quieter. The a/c 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 shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on people instead of panels.
For a lot of my clients, that intangible is the choosing factor. They understand 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 approved windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and quiet self-confidence when the spaghetti designs point our way in September.
If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific evaluation. Match your direct exposures to develop pressures, choose the right laminated glass stack for wind and heat, choose frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and hire a team that appreciates the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows provide what shutters can not: security that never ever asks for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.