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 next-door neighbors track tropical waves, the pre-storm rush to stock ASTM E1996 compliance up, and the ritual of hauling ladders to install panels. After two decades defining, installing, and repairing structure envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I've seen what holds up and what does not. When the objective is real defense with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient effect windows outperform shutters in ways that exceed storm day. They change how a home feels in August, how peaceful your living room remains on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up much faster than predicted.
This is a useful look at why numerous South Florida property owners are moving from shutters to typhoon impact-resistant windows, how to check out the requirements behind "Miami-Dade authorized," what products matter, and how to get the setup right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Division sets one of the most difficult criteria in the country for constructing components exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker label. It is made through particular lab tests that replicate real hurricane conditions.
First comes large rocket effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That mimics roofing tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the effect, the very same system deals with cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that mimic quick wind gusts over hours. If the glass remains in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference in between "fulfills Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" typically resides in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is merely stiffer, especially in High Speed Typhoon Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings vary by opening size and style pressures, signified as PSF values. On ocean-facing properties or high-rises, I often specify units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more protected exposures, ratings in the +45/ -60 PSF range can suffice, however you size and specification based upon the website's wind map, constructing height, and surrounding structures. An expert understands that a corner exposure at the 2nd story needs different support than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can fulfill code, and they're better than absolutely nothing. But they ask you to do work at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a caution and the projection track tightens up, the last thing you want is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows live in location. You get constant protection, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You also get advantages every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated advantage. Laminated effect glass is essentially a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resistant interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On jobs along hectic passages like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight courses, I have actually measured interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security improves due to the fact that laminated glass withstands forced entry. A robber can shatter the external lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the shards. They meet a sticky, stubborn membrane rather of a fast path inside. Insurance underwriters know this, which is why policies frequently provide credits for impact doors and windows. In my projects, premiums typically drop 10 to 25 commercial storefront glazing code percent, depending on the carrier and the number of openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the third pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with contemporary low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while maintaining noticeable light. That implies less cooling demand, specifically on west and south exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we changed 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E impact units. Summer afternoon peak load stopped by approximately a ton of cooling, and the home's annual electrical power use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes differ with shading, attic insulation, and heating and cooling effectiveness, however the direction is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated items are equal.
Most domestic hurricane windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, frequently 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or numerous plies. Thicker interlayers enhance impact resistance and sound control, but they add weight and cost. For oceanfront or tall openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, permitting thinner areas to attain greater style pressures. For noise-sensitive sites, acoustic PVB formulas fine-tune the polymer to better take in sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows show up often in conversations due to the fact that tempered glass is more powerful in bending than annealed glass. That holds true, and tempered lites are frequently utilized as the impact windows outer or inner ply in an impact unit. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the typhoon sense. When it fails, it takes off into little cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The effect efficiency originates from laminated building and construction, not tempering by itself. Numerous systems use a tempered outer lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, but 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 half or higher. Go too low on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, specifically in bigger openings. The sweet area depends upon your exterior orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I frequently tighten SHGC and accept a minor tint to manage early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I lean toward greater noticeable transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames dominate here because they handle large openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. High-quality vinyl impact frames, when strengthened correctly, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating values, however I avoid them for very large sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look stunning in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they require mindful maintenance and smart flashing. The Florida sun damages low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces quickly. Try to find powder-coated finishes ranked for coastal exposure, and demand composed guarantee information in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break performance. An expensive system set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load path is the core. Effect forces have to travel from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and after that into the structure's framing or masonry.
In cinder block construction, you desire stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong material. Hollow cells need to be grouted or you need to hit the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed homes, structural screws need to bite into strong trimmers, not simply sheathing. Shimming and plumb positioning matter so the locks engage easily and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not simply visual. A properly sized backer rod and top quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a durable, flexible seal that handles thermal expansion. Too little a bead and it tears under motion. Too huge and it cures improperly. On coastal tasks, I never ever match different 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 combination with the water-resistive barrier are vital. If you depend on sealant alone, water will find its way in. That moisture may not show up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a musty smell 2 typhoon seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing versus well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are preserved and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels saved carefully can protect homes efficiently. They likewise help in specific cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where spending plan is tight often lean on shutters to satisfy the Florida building regulations windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is rarely used in summer, a tidy motorized roll-down can be sensible, particularly if pairing with impact doors and windows elsewhere worries the budget plan. For house owners 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 exactly the time you are handling insurance documents, gas cans, and household logistics. Throughout Typhoon Irma, I saw a next-door neighbor try to install steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we spent the next hour in the immediate care waiting space. He made it through with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, sometimes loosening fasteners with time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who want to set it and forget it, effect windows offer typhoon evidence windows coverage while protecting daytime and view. The convenience grows valuable once you have actually experienced one storm season with no prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes fight 2 battles: 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 best finish stacks, you can obstruct a big part of radiant heat and UV. UV blockage in laminated units comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which typically filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, minimizing fading of fabrics and flooring. Add the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your air conditioner crazy midafternoon.
I assess glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still assists here by decreasing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to space temperature, which decreases condensation threat. SHGC drives just how much solar heat gets in. VT affects how intense the interior feels. Balance is key. Some house owners desire the crisp, clear look of greater VT, even if it indicates accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, because their landscaping and roofing system overhangs already do some shading. Others prefer a more powerful tint for glare control on waterside lots that show extreme 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 effectively sized variable-speed HVAC, and you begin to build durability. If the grid goes down and you switch to a generator, a lower cooling load implies a smaller sized generator and fewer gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Approval, or NOA, is the document you request for. It information the approved configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures checked. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a display room. Confirm the NOA matches the specific design and choices you are buying, including the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting workplace will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system offers FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Speed Hurricane Zone, Florida building regulations windows can count on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Many leading producers bring both. Where spending plans permit, I choose NOA items even outside the zone since the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They won't tell you effect efficiency, but they reveal U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Go for air leak at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft ². Tighter is much better for humidity control, but make sure your home still has stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and ignoring fresh air is a recipe for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more in advance than shutters. There's no spin around that. Installed costs differ with size, shape, finish, and access. On simple single-family homes, per-opening expenses frequently land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, custom-made arches, and coastal-grade finishes raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover worth:
If you plan to own the residential or commercial property for five years or more, the math often tilts in favor of impact windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of comfort. If you prepare to offer within a year and need to reveal compliance quickly, shutters might 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 real estates slide smoother and last longer on sandy patios. Take a look at the sill design on sliding doors. Weep systems must be crafted to drain heavy rainfall 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 neighboring homes. In coastal communities, highly reflective glass can confuse birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros know which finishings balance performance with compliance.
Color stability is a big deal. Dark bronze or black frames look wonderful on contemporary homes, however in Florida sun low-cost finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated finishes supply the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for coastal direct exposures whenever spending plans allow.
Historic districts frequently require profiles that mimic old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times lengthen and costs climb. Anticipate extra evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a specialist acquainted with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations in some cases specify a narrow list of authorized items for uniformity. They likewise appreciate sound control in between units. If your building sits directly on Collins Opportunity or deals with a hectic beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated choices. Work with structure 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 system that looks strong in a display room satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor balcony. Do not depend on catalog maximum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that represent your site's zone, favorable and unfavorable pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest tasks start with a determined study and exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and identify any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. financing impact windows During proposal, the specialist shows you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, lists anchor types, and explains how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They plan for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.
On install day, they remove one opening at a time to keep your house protected. They safeguard floors, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring retrofit window installation out care to preserve interior finishes. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The team checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They picture anchors for the license file, specifically if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to confirm drainage paths and seals. The inspector sees a cool jobsite, clear labels, and documents 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 have to call for a roller adjustment after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can break under severe impacts, however it must 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 films do not transform non-impact windows into cyclone impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, however they do not alternative to a tested, anchored system. Your insurance provider and structure department will not count movies as protected openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient impact windows decrease air leak. That's great, however it increases the importance of an appropriately sized heating and cooling with excellent dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat pleases quickly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your HVAC pro to examine practical heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You want steady, longer cycles, not brief bursts.
Maintenance is straightforward but not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lube hardware yearly with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small practices extend lifespan.
There are legitimate factors to blend solutions. A pair of seldom used garage windows can keep detachable panels to shave budget plan. A deep-set porch with very little sun exposure might do fine with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a new roof deck attachment or a fortified garage door. Shutters can likewise safeguard outside kitchens or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, invest in quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook bypasses for roll-downs make a difference. Appoint duty for implementation and practice when beyond 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 only about enduring the huge one. They reshape daily living. The living room remains cooler and quieter. The air conditioner 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 typhoon threatens, your preparation list gets shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on individuals rather than panels.
For many of my customers, that intangible is the choosing factor. They know storms will come. They likewise know life in South Florida is too good to live inside a fortress that just gets up in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows offer you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early 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 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 crew that respects the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient impact windows deliver what shutters can not: security that never requests for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.