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 stock up, and the routine of transporting ladders to mount panels. After twenty years defining, setting up, and troubleshooting structure envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I've seen what holds up and what doesn't. When the objective is real protection with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows exceed shutters in manner ins which surpass storm day. They alter how a home feels in August, how quiet your living room stays on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up much faster than predicted.
This is a practical take a look at why numerous South Florida homeowners are moving from shutters to typhoon impact-resistant windows, how to read the standards behind "Miami-Dade authorized," what products matter, and how to get the installation right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Division sets one of the toughest criteria in the nation for constructing components exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is earned through specific laboratory tests that mimic genuine cyclone conditions.
First comes large missile effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That imitates roofing system tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the impact, the exact same system faces cyclic pressure loading, countless pressurization and depressurization cycles that mimic fast wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference in between "satisfies Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" typically resides in these test limits. Miami-Dade is simply stiffer, particularly in High Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings differ by opening size and style pressures, denoted as PSF values. On ocean-facing homes or high-rises, I often specify units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more secured direct exposures, rankings in the +45/ -60 PSF range can be enough, but you size and spec based upon the website's wind map, building height, and surrounding structures. A professional understands that a corner exposure at the second story needs various reinforcement than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one comparison. Shutters can fulfill code, and they're much better than absolutely nothing. But they ask you to do operate at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a warning 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 place. You get continuous protection, 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 impact glass is basically a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resistant interlayer, normally PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On tasks along busy corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I've determined interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, often more when coupled with insulated glass units.
Security improves since laminated glass withstands required entry. A robber can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the shards. They meet a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a fast course inside. Insurance coverage underwriters understand this, which is why policies often provide credits for effect doors and windows. In my tasks, premiums normally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the provider and the number of openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the third pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with modern-day low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while protecting visible light. That means less air conditioning demand, specifically on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E impact units. Summertime afternoon peak load visited roughly a ton of cooling, and the home's annual electrical energy usage fell in between 12 and 18 percent. Results differ with shading, attic insulation, and heating and cooling effectiveness, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated products are equal.
Most property cyclone windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, frequently 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or multiple plies. Thicker interlayers enhance impact resistance and sound control, however they add weight and cost. For oceanfront or high openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, permitting thinner sections to accomplish greater style pressures. For noise-sensitive sites, acoustic PVB formulations modify the polymer to much better take in noise in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows show up frequently in discussions due to the fact that tempered glass is more powerful in bending than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are UV blocking impact windows typically used as the external or inner ply in an effect system. However tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the hurricane sense. When it fails, 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 a hardened inner lite, or both tempered, however constantly bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coverings matter for convenience. 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 visible 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 area depends on your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I frequently tighten SHGC and accept a slight tint to manage morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I lean toward higher noticeable transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames dominate here due to the fact that they handle big openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Premium vinyl effect frames, when strengthened properly, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating worths, however I avoid them for very broad sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look lovely in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand mindful maintenance and clever flashing. The Florida sun ruins low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces quickly. Try to find powder-coated surfaces rated for seaside direct exposure, and demand written service warranty details in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break efficiency. A pricey unit set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load path is the crux. Effect forces have to take a trip from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and then into the structure's framing or masonry.
In cinder block construction, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong product. Hollow cells need to be grouted or you need to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to happen. In wood-framed houses, structural screws must bite into solid trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb positioning matter so the locks engage cleanly and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not just aesthetic. A properly sized backer rod and premium polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant produce a long lasting, versatile seal that handles thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it cures inadequately. On coastal jobs, I never ever combine 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 integration with the water-resistive barrier are vital. If you depend on sealant alone, water will discover its method. That wetness might disappoint up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a moldy odor two hurricane seasons later.
I have nothing against well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are preserved and oiled, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels stored thoroughly can protect homes effectively. They also help in certain cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget is tight sometimes lean on shutters to satisfy the Florida building code windows requirement for secured openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is hardly ever used in summer, a clean motorized roll-down can be reasonable, especially if pairing with impact windows and doors in other places stresses the budget. 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 released, and they need action at precisely the time you are juggling insurance coverage documents, gas cans, and household logistics. During Typhoon Irma, I saw a next-door 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 likewise rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, often loosening fasteners with time if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who wish to set it and forget it, effect windows give cyclone proof windows coverage while maintaining daylight and view. The benefit grows important once you've experienced one storm season with zero prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes fight 2 fights: latent load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can help both if specified intelligently.
Low-E effect glass uses microscopically thin metallic layers to show infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the ideal covering stacks, you can obstruct a big portion of convected heat and UV. UV blockage in laminated systems comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which typically filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, reducing fading of materials and floor covering. Add the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your air conditioner crazy midafternoon.
I assess glass specs with three numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still assists here by lowering nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to room temperature, which lowers condensation risk. SHGC drives just how much solar heat gets in. VT influences how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is crucial. Some homeowners desire the crisp, clear look of higher VT, even if it indicates accepting a couple of 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 waterfront lots that show extreme light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern low-E laminated double-glazed units can reduce peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored outside finishes, and an effectively sized variable-speed a/c, and you begin to construct resilience. If the grid decreases and you switch to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller sized generator and fewer gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Acceptance, or NOA, is the document you request. It information the approved setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures evaluated. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a display room. Verify the NOA matches the exact model and alternatives you are buying, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you remain in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting office will desire this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system provides FL numbers that show code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Speed Cyclone Zone, Florida building regulations Impact windows windows can depend on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Lots of leading producers bring both. Where budgets allow, I prefer NOA items even outside the zone since the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels handle energy metrics. They won't inform you impact performance, however they reveal U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. Go for air leakage at or below 0.3 cfm/ft ². Tighter is better for humidity control, however make certain your home still has actually stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and disregarding 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 vary with size, shape, finish, and access. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening costs 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 recoup worth:
If you plan to own the residential or commercial property for five years or more, the mathematics typically tilts in favor of impact windows, especially when you factor the intangible of peace of mind. If you prepare to offer within a year and need to reveal compliance quickly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I focus on hardware and accessories. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless housings move smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Take a look at the sill design on moving doors. Weep systems must 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 style. Reflective movies 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. Local pros know which finishes balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a big offer. Dark bronze or black frames look great on modern-day homes, but in Florida sun inexpensive surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coatings provide the best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside exposures whenever budgets allow.
Historic districts often need profiles that simulate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, however lead times extend and costs climb. Expect extra review by architectural boards, and line up a contractor acquainted with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often define a narrow list of approved items for harmony. They also appreciate sound control between units. If your building sits straight on Collins Avenue or faces a hectic beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated alternatives. Work with structure management on staging and lift access. Weekend work windows and limited parking can add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, need special attention in style pressure, deflection, and operating hardware. Not every unit that looks durable in a display room fulfills the wind loads on a ninth-floor balcony. Do not depend on brochure maximum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that correspond to your website's zone, favorable and negative pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest projects begin with a measured survey and exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and determine any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposition, the professional shows you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, notes anchor types, and discusses how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They plan 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 floors, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to protect interior surfaces. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The team checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photo anchors for the authorization file, specifically if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to confirm drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a cool jobsite, clear labels, and documents 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 call for a roller adjustment after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact rating does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can split under severe impacts, but 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 cyclone impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, however they do not replacement for a tested, anchored system. Your insurer and structure department will not count films as protected openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows lower air leak. That's great, but it increases the significance of an appropriately sized heating and cooling with good dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat satisfies rapidly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your a/c pro to check sensible heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You want consistent, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is straightforward but not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lube hardware every year with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Little habits extend lifespan.
There are genuine factors to blend services. A pair of hardly ever used garage windows can keep removable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set porch with minimal sun exposure may do great with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a new roof deck attachment or a prepared energy efficient impact windows garage door. Shutters can also protect outdoor kitchens or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.
If you select shutters, purchase quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook overrides for roll-downs make a distinction. Appoint responsibility for deployment and practice as soon as beyond building inspector window checklist a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you require 32 wing nuts is not the early morning you wish to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about making it through the huge one. They improve daily living. The living-room remains cooler and quieter. The a/c 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 shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on people rather than panels.
For much of my clients, that intangible is the deciding aspect. They know storms will come. They likewise understand life in South Florida is too good to live inside a fortress that just wakes up in August. Miami-Dade approved windows provide you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and peaceful self-confidence when the spaghetti models point our way in September.

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