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 hauling 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 defense with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient effect windows surpass shutters in ways that go beyond storm day. They change how a home feels in August, how quiet your living room remains on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up quicker than predicted.
This is a practical look at why many South Florida homeowners 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 setup right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Department sets one of the most difficult criteria in the country for developing components exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is made through specific laboratory tests that simulate real hurricane conditions.
First comes large missile effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That imitates roof tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the effect, the very same unit faces cyclic pressure loading, countless pressurization and depressurization cycles that simulate fast wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in Boca Raton hurricane proof window installation the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The distinction in between "satisfies Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" often lives in these test limits. Miami-Dade is simply stiffer, especially in High Velocity Typhoon Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind rankings differ by opening size and design pressures, denoted as PSF worths. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I frequently specify systems ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more safeguarded direct exposures, ratings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be enough, but you size and specification based on the site's wind map, building height, and surrounding structures. A professional knows that a corner direct exposure at the 2nd story needs various 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 absolutely nothing. However they ask you to do operate 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 live in place. You get constant defense, 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 benefit. Laminated impact glass is basically a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a durable interlayer, usually PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On jobs along busy corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I've measured interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, in some cases more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security enhances because laminated glass resists forced entry. A robber can shatter the external lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the fragments. They satisfy a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a fast course inside. Insurance coverage underwriters know this, which is why policies typically use credits for impact doors and windows. In my tasks, premiums usually drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the provider and how many openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the third pillar. Energy-efficient effect windows with modern low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while preserving visible light. That suggests less air conditioning demand, especially on west and south exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect units. Summer afternoon peak load dropped by approximately a lots of cooling, and the home's yearly impact windows installation Boca Raton electrical power usage fell between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes differ with shading, attic insulation, and heating and cooling efficiency, 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 Boca Raton hurricane window installation in single or multiple plies. Thicker interlayers enhance effect resistance and sound control, however they include weight and expense. For oceanfront or tall openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, enabling thinner areas to attain higher design pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulas fine-tune the polymer to better soak up noise in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows show up frequently in conversations since tempered glass is more powerful in bending than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are commonly utilized as Boca Raton impact window options 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 takes off into little 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 outer lite laminated to a hardened inner lite, or both tempered, but always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coatings matter for convenience. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida normally targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 range while keeping noticeable light transmission around half or higher. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, specifically in larger openings. The sweet spot depends on your exterior orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I often tighten up SHGC and accept a minor tint to handle 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 due to the fact that they deal with large openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Top quality vinyl impact frames, when reinforced properly, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating values, but I prevent them for very broad sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look lovely in older Mediterranean Revival homes, however they demand cautious upkeep and wise flashing. The Florida sun destroys low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces rapidly. Search for powder-coated surfaces rated for coastal exposure, and request written service warranty information in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break efficiency. An expensive unit installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load path is the crux. 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 cinder block construction, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into solid product. Hollow cells must be grouted or you need to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to happen. In wood-framed homes, structural screws must bite into strong trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb alignment matter so the locks engage easily and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not just aesthetic. A correctly sized backer rod and premium polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a resilient, flexible seal that deals with thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too huge and it remedies poorly. On seaside jobs, I never pair different metals without a barrier, and I always 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 integration with the water-resistive barrier are essential. If you count on sealant alone, water will discover its way in. That moisture might disappoint up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a musty smell 2 hurricane seasons later.
I have 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 successfully. They also assist in particular cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where budget is tight sometimes lean on shutters to fulfill the Florida building code windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is rarely utilized in summertime, a clean motorized roll-down can be affordable, specifically if pairing with effect windows and doors somewhere else stresses the budget plan. For homeowners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a short bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring compromises. They darken your home when deployed, and they need action at precisely the time you are juggling insurance papers, gas cans, and family logistics. Throughout Cyclone Irma, I enjoyed a neighbor attempt to mount steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we spent 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, sometimes loosening fasteners with time if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who wish to set it and forget it, impact windows provide cyclone evidence windows protection while maintaining daylight and view. The convenience grows valuable once you've experienced one storm season with no prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle 2 fights: latent load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Impact glass upgrades can help both if defined intelligently.
Low-E impact glass utilizes microscopically thin metallic layers to reflect infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the ideal finishing stacks, you can block a big portion of convected heat and UV. UV clog in laminated systems comes largely from the interlayer itself, which generally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, lowering fading of materials and flooring. Add the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your a/c crazy midafternoon.
I examine glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still assists here by reducing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to room temperature level, which decreases condensation danger. SHGC drives just how much solar heat gets in. VT affects how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is key. Some house owners desire the crisp, clear appearance 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 choose a stronger tint for glare control on waterfront lots that reflect extreme light.
In useful terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern low-E laminated double-glazed systems can reduce peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored outside surfaces, and an appropriately sized variable-speed heating and cooling, and you begin to develop resilience. 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 Notification of Approval, or NOA, is the file you request for. It details the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures evaluated. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a showroom. Validate the NOA matches the exact model and alternatives you are buying, including the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing workplace will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Product Approval system supplies 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. Lots of top producers carry both. Where budgets allow, hurricane resistant windows solutions I prefer NOA items even outside the zone since the testing is stiffer.

NFRC labels deal with energy metrics. They won't inform you effect performance, but they reveal U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. Aim for air leak at or listed 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 overlooking 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 expenses differ with size, shape, finish, and gain access to. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening expenses typically land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Big multi-panel sliders, custom arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recoup value:
If you plan to own the home for five years or more, the math typically tilts in favor of impact windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of comfort. If you plan to offer within a year and need to show compliance quickly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I focus on hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless real estates move smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Take a look at the sill design on moving doors. Weep systems should be engineered to drain heavy rains without letting wind-driven water blow back in. Ask to see a cutaway sample in the showroom.
Tint colors and reflectivity are more than fashion. Reflective films can run afoul of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare toward surrounding properties. In seaside environments, highly reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros know which finishes balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a big offer. Dark bronze or black frames look wonderful on modern homes, however in Florida sun low-cost surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coverings offer the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside 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, however lead times lengthen and costs climb. Expect additional evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a specialist acquainted with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations sometimes define a narrow list of approved items for harmony. They likewise appreciate sound control in between units. If your building sits straight on Collins Avenue or faces a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated choices. Deal with building management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and limited parking can include days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, require special attention in design pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every unit that looks durable in a showroom fulfills the wind loads on a ninth-floor terrace. Do not depend on catalog optimum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that represent your website's zone, positive and negative pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest jobs begin with a measured study and exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and recognize any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposition, the contractor shows you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, notes anchor types, and describes 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 safe and secure. They secure floorings, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to maintain interior surfaces. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They picture anchors for the authorization file, specifically if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to confirm drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and documentation in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no secret rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not have to require a roller change after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact rating does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can break under extreme effects, however it needs to remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends out 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 typhoon impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, however they do not alternative to a tested, anchored system. Your insurance company and structure department will not count movies as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient impact windows reduce air leak. That's fantastic, but it increases the value of a correctly sized a/c with good dehumidification. If your system is extra-large, the thermostat pleases rapidly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your a/c pro to inspect reasonable heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You want stable, longer cycles, not brief bursts.
Maintenance is simple but not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lube hardware each year with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small routines extend lifespan.
There are genuine factors to mix services. A set of hardly ever utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave budget. A deep-set porch with very little sun exposure may do great with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a new roofing system deck attachment or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also protect outside cooking areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age elegant hardware prematurely.
If you choose shutters, buy quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual overrides for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign obligation for deployment and practice once outside of a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the early morning you wish to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not just 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 cyclone threatens, your preparation list gets shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on people instead of panels.
For a number of my clients, that intangible is the deciding element. They know storms will come. They also know life in South Florida is too excellent to live inside a fortress that just awakens in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows offer you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February morning and quiet self-confidence when the spaghetti designs point our way in September.
If you are weighing the option, begin with a site-specific evaluation. Match your exposures to develop pressures, select the right laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and hire a crew that appreciates the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: protection that never ever requests a ladder and a better home every day of the year.