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 ritual of hauling ladders to install panels. After two decades defining, installing, and repairing structure envelopes from Florida Product Approval windows Key Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what does not. When the goal is real security with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient effect windows outperform shutters in ways that exceed storm day. They alter how a home feels in August, how peaceful your living-room stays on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up faster than predicted.
This is a practical look at why numerous South Florida house owners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to check out the standards behind "Miami-Dade authorized," what products matter, and how to get the installation right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Division sets among the toughest benchmarks in the nation for building components exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker label. It is made through specific laboratory tests that replicate genuine hurricane conditions.
First comes large missile effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That mimics roof tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the effect, the very same system faces cyclic pressure loading, countless pressurization and depressurization cycles that mimic fast wind gusts over hours. If the glass remains in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference in between "meets Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" often resides in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, especially in High Speed Cyclone Zone requirements, which 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 typically define systems ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more safeguarded direct exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be enough, however you size and specification based upon the website's wind map, building height, and cost of impact windows and doors surrounding structures. An expert knows that a corner direct 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 satisfy 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 forecast track tightens up, the last thing you want is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows reside in location. You get continuous security, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You likewise get benefits every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated benefit. Laminated impact glass is essentially a sandwich: two panes of glass bonded by a resilient interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On jobs along hectic corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I've measured interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, often more when coupled with insulated glass units.
Security improves due to the fact that laminated glass withstands forced entry. A burglar can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the fragments. They fulfill a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a fast course inside. Insurance underwriters understand this, which is why policies often offer credits for effect doors and windows. In my tasks, premiums usually drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the provider and the number of openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the 3rd pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with contemporary low-E effect glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while protecting noticeable light. That suggests less cooling need, especially on west and south exposures where the afternoon sun penalizes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E impact systems. Summer afternoon peak load come by roughly a ton of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical energy usage fell in between 12 and 18 percent. Results vary with shading, attic insulation, and a/c efficiency, however the direction is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated items are equal.
Most domestic hurricane windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, typically 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers enhance effect resistance and sound control, however they add weight and cost. For oceanfront or tall openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, enabling thinner sections to achieve greater style pressures. For noise-sensitive sites, acoustic PVB solutions modify the polymer to 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 conversations due to the fact that tempered glass is more powerful in bending than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are commonly used as the external or inner ply in an impact unit. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the hurricane sense. When it fails, it takes off into little 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 outer lite laminated to a hardened inner lite, or both 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 generally targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 range while keeping visible light transmission around 50 percent or greater. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, specifically in larger openings. The sweet area depends upon your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I typically tighten up SHGC and accept a slight tint to handle early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor greater visible transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here due to the fact that they manage large openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have actually narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Premium vinyl effect frames, when reinforced appropriately, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating worths, however I avoid them for really large sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look gorgeous in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand careful upkeep and smart flashing. The Florida sun ruins inexpensive vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes quickly. Look for powder-coated finishes rated for coastal direct exposure, and request written warranty details in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break efficiency. An expensive system set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load path is the essence. Impact forces need to travel from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and then into the structure's framing or masonry.
In concrete block construction, you desire stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong product. Hollow cells should be grouted or you require to hit the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed houses, structural screws need to 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 simply aesthetic. An effectively sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant create a durable, versatile seal that manages thermal growth. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it treatments inadequately. On coastal tasks, I never ever match dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I constantly 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 crucial. If you count 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 cyclone seasons later.
I have nothing versus properly designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are preserved and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels stored thoroughly can protect homes efficiently. They likewise help in impact window code requirements particular cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget plan 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 summer, a tidy motorized roll-down can be affordable, especially if pairing with impact windows and doors in other places worries the budget. For homeowners who prepare to move within a year, shutters can be a brief bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring compromises. They darken the house when deployed, and they require action at specifically the time you are juggling insurance coverage papers, gas cans, and household logistics. Throughout Typhoon 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 endured with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters also rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, often loosening up fasteners gradually if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who wish to set it and forget it, impact windows offer hurricane proof windows protection while protecting daylight and view. The benefit grows important once you've experienced one storm season with zero prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle 2 battles: hidden load from humidity and practical load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can help both if defined intelligently.
Low-E impact glass utilizes microscopically thin metal layers to reflect infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the ideal finish stacks, you can obstruct a large portion of convected heat and UV. UV blockage in laminated systems comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which usually filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, lowering fading of materials and floor covering. Include the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your air conditioning crazy midafternoon.
I assess glass specifications 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 tempered vs laminated closer to room temperature, which decreases condensation threat. SHGC drives how much solar heat enters. VT affects how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is crucial. Some property owners want the crisp, clear look of greater VT, even if it means accepting a couple of degrees more heat in late afternoon, since their landscaping and roofing overhangs currently 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 modern 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 outside surfaces, and a properly sized variable-speed heating and cooling, and you begin to construct strength. 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 for. It details the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures tested. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a display room. Verify the NOA matches the precise design and options you are buying, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting office will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system provides FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Speed Typhoon Zone, Florida building regulations windows can depend on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Numerous leading manufacturers bring both. Where spending plans allow, I prefer NOA items even outside the zone because the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels handle energy metrics. They will not tell you impact efficiency, however they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. Go for air leakage at or below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is better for humidity control, but make sure your home still has stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and neglecting 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 costs vary with size, shape, surface, and gain access to. On uncomplicated single-family homes, per-opening costs typically land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, custom arches, and coastal-grade finishes raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover worth:
If you plan to own the home for five years or more, the math often tilts in favor of effect windows, especially when you factor the intangible of peace of mind. If you prepare to sell within a year and require to reveal compliance quickly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I take notice of hardware and accessories. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless real estates glide smoother and last longer on sandy patios. Take a look at the sill design on sliding doors. Weep systems need 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 movies can contravene of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare towards neighboring properties. In coastal communities, highly reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros know which coatings balance performance with compliance.
Color stability is a big offer. Dark bronze or black frames look fantastic on contemporary homes, however in Florida sun cheap finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated finishes offer the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I define them for coastal direct exposures whenever budgets allow.
Historic districts frequently require 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 familiar with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations in some cases define a narrow list of approved products for uniformity. They also care about sound control in between units. If your structure sits straight on Collins Opportunity 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 minimal parking can include days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, need unique 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 veranda. Do not depend on catalog maximum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that correspond to your site's zone, favorable and unfavorable pressures, and mullion mixes if any.
The finest jobs begin with a determined study and exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and identify any framing irregularities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposal, the professional reveals you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, notes anchor types, and describes how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.
On install day, they get rid of one opening at a time to keep your home protected. They secure floorings, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to maintain interior finishes. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photo anchors for the license file, particularly if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to validate drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and paperwork in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with 2 fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no mystery rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not have to require a roller modification after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can break under severe impacts, however it ought to remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends debris into the glass, you may see star cracks 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 add shatter resistance, but they do not alternative to an evaluated, anchored system. Your insurance provider and structure department will not count movies as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows decrease air leak. That's excellent, but it increases the importance of an appropriately sized HVAC with great dehumidification. If your system is extra-large, the thermostat satisfies quickly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your heating and cooling pro to inspect practical heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You desire constant, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is straightforward however not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lubricate hardware yearly with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Little habits extend lifespan.
There are legitimate factors to blend solutions. A pair of hardly ever utilized garage windows can keep detachable panels to shave budget plan. A deep-set porch with minimal sun direct exposure may do fine with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a new roof deck accessory or a prepared garage door. Shutters can likewise protect outdoor kitchens or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age elegant hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, invest in quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook bypasses for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign duty for deployment and practice once outside of a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you require 32 wing nuts is not the morning you wish to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not only about making it through the big one. They improve daily living. The living room stays 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 cyclone threatens, your preparation list gets shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on individuals instead of panels.
For a lot of my clients, that intangible is the deciding element. They know storms will come. They likewise know life in South Florida is too excellent 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 morning and quiet self-confidence when the spaghetti designs point our method September.
If you are weighing the choice, start with a site-specific evaluation. Match your direct exposures to develop 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: security that never ever requests a ladder and a better home every day of the year.