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 transporting ladders to mount panels. After two decades specifying, installing, and fixing structure envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what does not. When the goal is genuine security with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows surpass shutters in ways that go beyond storm day. They alter how a house feels in August, how peaceful your living-room stays on a Saturday night, and how positive you are when a storm line spins up faster than predicted.
This is a useful look at why many South Florida homeowners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to read the requirements behind "Miami-Dade approved," what products matter, and how to get the installation right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Department sets one of the hardest standards in the nation for developing parts exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker label. It is earned through particular lab tests that mimic genuine hurricane conditions.
First comes big rocket impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That simulates roof tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the impact, the very same system deals with cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that simulate quick wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference in between "fulfills Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" typically resides in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, particularly in High Speed Cyclone Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings vary by opening size and style pressures, denoted as PSF values. On ocean-facing properties or high-rises, I typically specify units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more safeguarded exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF range can be adequate, but you size and specification based upon the website's wind map, constructing height, and surrounding structures. An expert understands that a corner direct exposure at the 2nd story demands different reinforcement than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can meet code, and they're better than nothing. However they ask you to do operate 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 continuous security, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You also get advantages every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated advantage. Laminated impact glass is essentially a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resilient interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On jobs along hectic corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight courses, I've determined interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, often more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security improves due to the fact that laminated glass resists required entry. An intruder can shatter the external lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the fragments. They meet a sticky, persistent membrane rather of a quick course inside. Insurance coverage underwriters know this, which is why policies typically provide credits for effect windows and doors. In my jobs, premiums generally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the provider and the number of openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the third pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with modern-day low-E effect glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while protecting noticeable light. That indicates less a/c demand, specifically 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 effect units. Summer afternoon peak load dropped by roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical energy usage fell between 12 and 18 percent. Results differ with shading, attic insulation, and a/c effectiveness, but the instructions is consistent.
Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated items are equal.
Most property typhoon windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, typically 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers improve effect resistance and sound control, however they add weight and expense. For oceanfront or tall openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, allowing thinner areas to achieve greater design pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulas modify the polymer to much better absorb noise in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows come up typically in conversations due to the fact that tempered glass is stronger in flexing than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are commonly utilized as the outer or inner ply in an effect unit. However tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the hurricane sense. When it stops working, it blows up into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The effect efficiency originates from laminated building, not tempering by itself. Lots of systems use a tempered external lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, however always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coatings matter for comfort. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida usually targets a solar heat gain coefficient in 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 larger openings. The sweet area depends on your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I typically tighten SHGC and accept a minor tint to handle morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor higher visible transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames dominate here due to the fact that they manage big openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy space with vinyl. Premium vinyl effect frames, when reinforced correctly, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating values, however I prevent them for extremely broad sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look stunning in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand cautious upkeep and wise flashing. The Florida sun ruins cheap vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces rapidly. Look for powder-coated surfaces ranked for seaside exposure, and demand written warranty details in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break efficiency. A costly system installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load course is the crux. Impact forces have to take a trip from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and after that low-E tempered glass into the structure's framing or masonry.
In cinder block building, you desire stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong product. Hollow cells must 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 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 simply visual. A properly sized backer rod and premium polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant create a long lasting, flexible seal that handles thermal growth. Too little a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it cures improperly. On seaside tasks, I never ever match different metals without a barrier, and I constantly define corrosion-resistant fasteners. Ten years later on, you will see who took shortcuts.
Flashing is the other non-negotiable. Pan flashing at sills, self-adhered membranes at jambs and heads, and combination with the water-resistive barrier are important. If you rely on sealant alone, water will discover its method. That wetness may not show up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a musty smell two hurricane seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing versus well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are kept and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels stored thoroughly can secure homes effectively. They likewise assist in particular cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget is tight in some cases lean on shutters to meet the Florida building regulations windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is seldom utilized in summer, a tidy motorized roll-down can be affordable, specifically if pairing with impact doors and windows in other places worries the spending plan. For house owners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a brief bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring compromises. They darken your home when released, and they require action at exactly the time you are handling insurance coverage documents, gas cans, and household logistics. During Hurricane Irma, I enjoyed a next-door neighbor attempt to install steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we invested the next hour in the urgent care waiting space. He endured with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, in some cases loosening fasteners over time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who wish to set it and forget it, effect windows provide cyclone evidence windows coverage while preserving daylight and view. The convenience grows important once you've experienced one storm season with absolutely no prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes combat 2 fights: hidden load from humidity and reasonable load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can help both if defined intelligently.
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Low-E impact glass utilizes microscopically thin metallic layers to reflect infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the best finishing stacks, you can obstruct a big part of convected heat and UV. UV clog in laminated units comes largely from the interlayer itself, which normally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, decreasing fading of fabrics and floor covering. Add the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your a/c crazy midafternoon.
I assess glass specs with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by decreasing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to room temperature, which decreases condensation risk. SHGC drives how much solar heat enters. VT influences how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is essential. Some property owners desire the crisp, clear look of greater VT, even if it suggests accepting a couple of degrees more heat in late afternoon, because their landscaping and roofing overhangs currently do some shading. Others prefer a stronger tint for glare control on waterfront lots that reflect harsh light.
In useful terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to contemporary low-E laminated double-glazed systems can lower peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior surfaces, and an appropriately sized variable-speed a/c, and you start to construct durability. If the grid goes down and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load indicates a smaller generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance, or NOA, is the document you request for. It information the approved setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures evaluated. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a display room. Confirm the NOA matches the specific design and alternatives you are purchasing, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you remain in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing workplace will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Product Approval system offers FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Velocity Cyclone Zone, Florida building regulations windows can count on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Lots of top manufacturers bring both. Where budgets allow, I prefer NOA items even outside the zone since the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They will not inform you effect performance, but they reveal U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Aim for air leakage at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is much better for humidity control, but make sure your home still has actually balanced ventilation. Sealing the envelope and ignoring fresh air is a dish for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more in advance than shutters. There's no spin around that. Installed costs differ with size, shape, surface, and access. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening expenses often land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, customized arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recoup value:
If you prepare to own the residential or commercial property for five years or more, the mathematics often tilts in favor of impact windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of peace of mind. If you plan to sell within a year and require to show compliance quickly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I take note of hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on casements 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 should 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 films can contravene of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare towards surrounding properties. In coastal ecosystems, extremely reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros understand which finishings balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a huge deal. Dark bronze or black frames look fantastic on modern homes, but in Florida sun low-cost surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coverings offer the best color retention and chalk resistance. I define them for seaside direct exposures whenever budget plans allow.
Historic districts often need profiles that imitate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times lengthen and costs climb. Anticipate extra review by architectural boards, and line up a professional familiar with these UV blocking glass submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often define a narrow list of approved items for harmony. They likewise care about sound control between units. If your building sits straight on Collins Opportunity or faces a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated choices. Deal with building management on staging and lift access. Weekend work windows and minimal parking can add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, need unique attention in design pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every unit that looks strong in a showroom satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not rely on catalog optimum sizes. Use the NOA tables that represent your site's zone, favorable and negative pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest projects start with a determined survey and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and identify any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. During proposal, the contractor reveals 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 eliminate one opening at a time to keep your house safe and secure. They safeguard floorings, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to protect interior finishes. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They picture anchors for the license file, especially if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to validate drain courses and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and documentation in order.
Six months later on, your windows still close with 2 fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no secret rattle during thunderstorms. You did not have to call for a roller adjustment after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact score does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can break under severe impacts, but it ought to remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends particles into the glass, you might see star cracks or spidering. The window did its job. Change the sash or IGU after the event.
Window movies do not convert non-impact windows into cyclone impact-resistant windows. They can add shatter resistance, but they do not replacement for a tested, anchored system. Your insurer and structure department will not count movies as protected openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows minimize air leak. That's fantastic, however it increases the importance of a properly sized a/c with great dehumidification. If your system is extra-large, the thermostat pleases quickly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your HVAC pro to inspect sensible heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You want stable, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is uncomplicated however not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and oil hardware every year with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Little practices extend lifespan.
There are legitimate reasons to mix services. A pair of hardly ever utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave budget plan. A deep-set porch with minimal sun exposure might do great with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a new roofing deck accessory or a fortified garage door. Shutters can likewise protect outdoor kitchens or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age expensive hardware prematurely.

If you select shutters, buy quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook bypasses for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign responsibility for implementation and practice once beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the morning you want to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not only about making it through the huge one. They reshape daily living. The living-room remains cooler and quieter. The air conditioner cycles calmly instead of racing at 4 p.m. You sleep without freight trains of wind noise when a squall line passes at 2 a.m. When a typhoon threatens, your preparation list gets shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and concentrate on people rather than panels.
For much of my customers, that intangible is the choosing aspect. They know storms will come. They also understand life in South Florida is too great to live inside a fortress that only awakens in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February morning and peaceful confidence when the spaghetti designs point our way in September.
If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to develop pressures, pick the ideal laminated glass stack for wind and heat, choose frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and work with a crew that respects the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: defense that never ever requests a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.