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 up, and the ritual of hauling ladders to mount panels. After two decades specifying, installing, and repairing building envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I've seen what holds up and what doesn't. When the goal is genuine protection with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows outperform shutters in manner ins which go beyond storm day. They alter 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 useful take a look at why lots of South Florida house owners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to check out the requirements behind "Miami-Dade authorized," what materials matter, and how to get the setup right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Department sets one of the toughest criteria in the country for building elements exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker label. It is earned through particular lab tests that simulate genuine hurricane conditions.
First comes big missile impact. 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 same unit deals with cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that simulate quick wind gusts over hours. If the glass remains in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The distinction between "meets Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" frequently resides in these test limits. Miami-Dade is simply stiffer, particularly in High Velocity Typhoon Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings vary by opening size and style pressures, represented as PSF worths. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I often define systems ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more safeguarded direct exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF range can be enough, but you size and spec based on the site's wind map, constructing height, and surrounding structures. An expert knows that a corner direct exposure at the second story demands different reinforcement than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one comparison. Shutters can meet 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 caution and the forecast track tightens, the last thing you desire is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows live in place. You get continuous defense, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You also get benefits every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated benefit. Laminated effect glass is basically a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a resistant interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On tasks along busy corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight courses, I have actually window installation experts Boca Raton measured interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, sometimes more when coupled with insulated glass units.
Security improves due to the fact that laminated glass withstands forced entry. A robber can shatter the outer lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the fragments. They fulfill a sticky, persistent membrane rather of a quick path inside. Insurance coverage underwriters understand this, which is why policies often offer credits for effect doors and windows. In my jobs, premiums usually drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the provider and the number of openings are protected.
Energy performance 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 noticeable light. That suggests less cooling 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 season afternoon peak load dropped by roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical power usage fell between 12 and 18 percent. Results differ with shading, attic insulation, and a/c efficiency, but the instructions is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated items are equal.
Most property typhoon windows use a PVB interlayer glass stack, typically 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers enhance impact resistance and sound control, however they include weight and expense. For oceanfront or high openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and more powerful than PVB, permitting thinner areas to attain higher design pressures. For noise-sensitive sites, acoustic PVB formulations fine-tune the polymer to better absorb noise in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows come up frequently in discussions since tempered glass is more powerful in flexing than annealed glass. That holds 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 typhoon sense. When it stops working, it blows up into little cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The effect performance originates from laminated building, not tempering by itself. Lots of systems use a tempered outer lite laminated to Boca Raton impact window options an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, however always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
 
Low-E finishings 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 variety while keeping noticeable light transmission around 50 percent or greater. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, specifically in bigger openings. The sweet spot depends upon your façade 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 because they handle large openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have actually narrowed the energy space with vinyl. Top quality vinyl effect frames, when reinforced effectively, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating values, but I prevent them for very broad sliders or tall storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look stunning in older Mediterranean Revival homes, however they demand mindful maintenance and wise flashing. The Florida sun ruins low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes rapidly. Try to find powder-coated surfaces ranked for coastal exposure, and demand composed 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 path is the core. Impact forces need to take a trip from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and then into the structure's framing or masonry.
In cinder block construction, you desire stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into solid product. Hollow cells need to be grouted or you require to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to happen. In wood-framed houses, structural screws must bite into solid trimmers, not 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 appropriately sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane hurricane proof window options or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a durable, flexible seal that manages thermal expansion. Too little a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it remedies poorly. On coastal jobs, I never pair dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I always define corrosion-resistant fasteners. 10 years later, 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 essential. If you count on sealant alone, water will discover its method. That moisture may disappoint up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a musty smell two cyclone seasons later.
I have nothing versus well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are kept and lubed, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels saved carefully can safeguard homes successfully. They likewise assist in particular cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where spending plan is tight sometimes lean on shutters to meet the Florida building regulations windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is hardly ever used in summertime, a clean motorized roll-down can be affordable, especially if pairing with effect doors and windows elsewhere worries the spending plan. For property owners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a brief bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring trade-offs. They darken the house when released, and they need action at specifically the time you are handling insurance coverage papers, gas cans, and household logistics. During Typhoon Irma, I watched a neighbor attempt 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 room. He survived with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, sometimes loosening up fasteners in time if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows give hurricane evidence windows protection while preserving daytime and view. The convenience grows important once you've experienced one storm season with absolutely no preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle 2 battles: latent load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can help both if defined intelligently.
Low-E impact glass uses microscopically thin metallic layers to reflect infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the ideal finishing stacks, you can block a big part of convected heat and UV. UV obstruction in laminated systems comes mainly from the interlayer itself, which usually filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, lowering fading of fabrics and floor covering. Add the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your a/c crazy midafternoon.
I evaluate glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by minimizing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to room temperature, which minimizes condensation threat. SHGC drives just how much solar heat enters. VT affects how intense the interior feels. Balance is essential. Some house owners want the crisp, clear appearance of higher 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 units 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 an effectively sized variable-speed HVAC, and you begin to build strength. If the grid goes down and you change 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 file you request for. It details the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures checked. It is inadequate to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a display room. Confirm the NOA matches the exact model and choices you are purchasing, consisting of 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 offers FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Speed Typhoon Zone, Florida building code windows can count on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Many top producers bring both. Where budget plans permit, I choose NOA items even outside the zone since the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels handle energy metrics. They will not inform you effect performance, but they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Go for air leakage at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is much better for humidity control, but 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 costs differ with size, shape, finish, and access. On uncomplicated single-family homes, per-opening costs typically 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 recover value:
If you plan to own the home for 5 years or more, the math often tilts in favor of effect windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of comfort. If you plan to sell 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 sashes and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless housings glide smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Look at the sill style on sliding doors. Weep systems must be crafted to drain pipes 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 style. Reflective movies can run afoul of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare toward neighboring residential or commercial properties. In coastal ecosystems, highly reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros know which finishes balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a huge deal. Dark bronze or black frames look wonderful on modern homes, however in Florida sun low-cost surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated finishings provide the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for coastal exposures whenever budget plans allow.
Historic districts often need profiles that mimic old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times extend and costs climb. Anticipate extra review by architectural boards, and line up a professional familiar with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations sometimes define a narrow list of approved products for uniformity. They also care about noise control in between units. If your building sits straight on Collins Opportunity or deals with a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated options. Deal with building management on staging and lift access. Weekend work windows and minimal parking can include days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, require special attention in design pressure, deflection, and operating hardware. Not every unit that looks sturdy in a showroom satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor balcony. Do not depend on brochure optimum sizes. Use the NOA tables that represent your site's zone, positive and negative pressures, and mullion mixes if any.
The best jobs begin with a measured study and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and determine any framing abnormalities or settlement fractures. During proposal, the specialist reveals you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, notes anchor types, and explains how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They plan for stucco or drywall repairs, not pretend no damage will occur.
On install day, they remove one opening at a time to keep the house safe and secure. They safeguard floors, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to preserve interior surfaces. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photograph anchors for the license file, specifically if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to verify drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and documentation in order.
Six months later on, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no mystery rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not have to require a roller adjustment after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can crack under serious impacts, however it must stay in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends debris into the glass, you might see star cracks or spidering. The window did its task. Change the sash or IGU after the event.
Window films do not transform non-impact windows into hurricane impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, however they do not substitute for an evaluated, anchored system. Your insurer and building department will not count films as secured openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows reduce air leak. That's great, but it increases the significance of an effectively sized heating and cooling with excellent dehumidification. If your system is extra-large, the thermostat satisfies rapidly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your a/c pro to examine practical heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You desire steady, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is simple 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. Little routines extend lifespan.
There are genuine reasons to mix options. A pair of seldom utilized garage windows can keep detachable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set deck with minimal sun direct exposure might do great with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a brand-new roof deck attachment or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also secure outside kitchens or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age elegant hardware prematurely.
If you select shutters, purchase quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual overrides for roll-downs make a difference. Designate responsibility 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 want to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not only about surviving the huge one. They reshape daily living. The living room stays 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 much shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and concentrate on individuals instead of panels.
For a number of my customers, that intangible is the deciding factor. They know storms will come. They likewise understand life in South Florida custom window installation services is too good to live inside a fortress that just wakes up in August. Miami-Dade approved windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and peaceful confidence when the spaghetti models point our way in September.
If you are weighing the option, begin with a site-specific assessment. 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 work with a team that appreciates the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: defense that never ever requests for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.