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 way next-door neighbors track tropical waves, the pre-storm rush to stockpile, and the ritual of hauling ladders to install panels. After twenty years specifying, setting up, and repairing structure 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 comfort, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient effect windows exceed shutters in manner ins which surpass storm day. They alter how a house feels in August, how peaceful your living room stays 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 lots of South Florida house owners are moving from shutters to typhoon impact-resistant windows, how to read the requirements behind "Miami-Dade approved," what materials matter, and how to get the setup right the very first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Department sets among the most difficult criteria in the country for developing components exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is earned through specific laboratory tests that imitate genuine typhoon conditions.
First comes large missile impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That mimics roofing tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the impact, the very same unit faces cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that simulate rapid wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The distinction in between "satisfies Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" frequently lives in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is merely stiffer, especially in High Velocity Cyclone Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings vary by opening size and design pressures, signified as PSF values. On ocean-facing homes or high-rises, I typically specify systems rated at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more protected exposures, ratings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can suffice, but you size and specification based on the site's wind map, constructing height, and surrounding structures. An expert understands that a corner direct exposure at the 2nd story demands various reinforcement than a protected window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can meet code, and they're much better than absolutely nothing. But they ask you to do operate at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a warning and the projection track tightens up, the last thing you desire is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows reside in location. You get constant security, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on United States 1. You also get benefits 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, usually PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On tasks along hectic corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight courses, I've determined interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, sometimes more when coupled with insulated glass units.
Security enhances due to the fact that laminated glass resists required entry. A robber can shatter the external lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the shards. They meet a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a quick path inside. Insurance coverage underwriters know this, which is why policies typically offer credits for effect doors and windows. In my jobs, premiums generally drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the provider and how many openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the 3rd pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with contemporary low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while protecting noticeable light. That implies less air conditioning demand, especially on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun penalizes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E impact units. Summertime afternoon peak load visited roughly a ton of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical energy use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes vary with shading, attic insulation, and HVAC efficiency, however the direction is consistent.
Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated products are equal.
Most domestic hurricane windows use 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, but they add weight and expense. For oceanfront or tall openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and more powerful than PVB, permitting thinner sections to accomplish higher style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB solutions modify the polymer to much better take in noise in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows turn up frequently in discussions due to the fact that tempered glass is more powerful in flexing than annealed glass. That holds true, and tempered lites are commonly utilized as the outer or inner ply in an impact unit. However tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the typhoon sense. When it stops working, it blows up into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The effect efficiency comes from laminated construction, not tempering by itself. Lots of systems utilize a tempered external lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, however constantly bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coverings matter for comfort. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida typically targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 variety while keeping visible light transmission around half or greater. Go too low on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, specifically in bigger openings. The sweet spot depends upon your exterior orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I frequently tighten up SHGC and accept a small tint to handle morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor greater noticeable 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 will not swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy space with vinyl. Premium vinyl impact frames, when enhanced appropriately, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating values, however I avoid them for very wide sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look gorgeous in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand mindful upkeep and clever flashing. The Florida sun destroys low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces rapidly. Look for powder-coated finishes ranked for coastal direct exposure, and request composed service warranty details in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break efficiency. An expensive system installed like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's tension test. The load path is the crux. Effect forces need to take a trip from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and after that into the structure's framing or masonry.
In concrete block construction, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong product. Hollow cells need to be grouted or you require to hit the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to happen. In wood-framed homes, structural screws need to bite into solid trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb positioning matter so the locks engage cleanly and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.

The sealant joint is not just visual. A correctly sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant produce a durable, flexible seal that handles thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too huge and it cures inadequately. On seaside tasks, I never match different metals without a barrier, and I constantly specify 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 integration with the water-resistive barrier are important. If you count on sealant alone, water will find its way in. That moisture 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 against well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are maintained and oiled, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels kept thoroughly can safeguard homes effectively. They likewise assist in specific cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where spending plan 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 hardly ever utilized in summer, a clean motorized roll-down can be sensible, especially if coupling with impact windows and doors in other places stresses the spending 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 managing insurance papers, gas cans, and household logistics. Throughout Typhoon Irma, I saw 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 immediate care waiting space. He endured with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters also rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, in some cases loosening fasteners with time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows offer hurricane evidence windows protection while preserving daytime and view. The convenience grows valuable once you've experienced one storm season with no preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes combat two battles: hidden load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can assist both if defined intelligently.
Low-E impact glass utilizes microscopically thin metal layers to reflect infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the right finish stacks, you can block a big portion of radiant heat and UV. UV clog in laminated units comes largely from the interlayer itself, which generally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, lowering fading of materials and floor covering. Include the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your air conditioning crazy midafternoon.
I assess glass specifications with three numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by decreasing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to room temperature, which minimizes condensation threat. SHGC drives how much solar heat enters. VT influences how intense the interior feels. Balance is key. Some property owners want 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 already do some shading. Others choose a more powerful tint for glare control on waterside lots that show severe light.
In useful terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to contemporary low-E laminated double-glazed units can decrease peak solar gains by 30 to 50 percent on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior surfaces, and a correctly sized variable-speed heating and cooling, and you begin to construct resilience. If the grid goes down and you switch to a generator, a lower cooling load means a smaller sized generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notice of Approval, or NOA, is the document you request. It information the commercial storefront glazing authorized setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures evaluated. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a display room. Verify the NOA matches the precise model and alternatives you are buying, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting office will want this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system supplies FL numbers that show code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Velocity Cyclone Zone, Florida building code windows can depend on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Lots of leading producers carry both. Where spending plans enable, I choose NOA items even outside the zone because the screening is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They will not inform you effect efficiency, but they reveal U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. Aim for air leak at or listed below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is better for humidity control, however make certain your home still has actually balanced ventilation. Sealing the envelope and disregarding fresh air is a recipe for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more upfront than shutters. There's no spin around that. Installed costs vary with size, shape, surface, and gain access to. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening expenses frequently land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for standard sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, custom-made arches, and coastal-grade finishes 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 typically tilts in favor of effect windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of assurance. If you prepare to offer within a year and require to reveal compliance quickly, shutters might make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I take note of hardware and accessories. Multi-point locks on sashes 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 ought to be crafted 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 style. Reflective movies can run afoul of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare toward neighboring homes. In coastal environments, highly reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros know which coverings balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a big offer. Dark bronze or black frames look wonderful on modern homes, but in Florida sun inexpensive surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated finishings supply the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for coastal direct exposures whenever budget plans allow.
Historic districts frequently need profiles that simulate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, however lead times extend and costs climb. Anticipate additional evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a contractor familiar with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often specify a narrow list of authorized items for harmony. They likewise care about sound control in between units. If your building sits straight on Collins Avenue or deals with a hectic beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated alternatives. Work with building management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and minimal parking can include days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, require special attention in design pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every system that looks sturdy in a display room satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor terrace. Do not rely on brochure maximum sizes. Use the NOA tables that represent your site's zone, favorable and unfavorable pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest tasks begin with a determined survey and exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and identify any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposal, the professional reveals you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, lists anchor types, and describes how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.
On install day, they get rid of one opening at a time to keep the house protected. They protect floorings, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to preserve interior finishes. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photo anchors for the authorization file, particularly if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to confirm drainage courses and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and documents in order.
Six months later on, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no secret rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not need to require a roller modification after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact score does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can split under extreme impacts, but it should remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends out particles into the glass, you may see star cracks or spidering. The window did its task. Replace 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, however they do not alternative to a checked, anchored system. Your insurance company and structure department will not count films as protected openings.

Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows decrease air leak. That's terrific, however it increases the significance of an appropriately sized a/c with good dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat pleases quickly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your heating and cooling pro to check reasonable heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You desire constant, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is simple but not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lubricate hardware every year with a silicone-based item that will not gum up in heat. Small practices extend lifespan.
There are genuine reasons to blend solutions. A set of seldom used garage windows can keep removable panels to shave budget. A deep-set patio with very little sun direct exposure might do great with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a new roof deck accessory or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also safeguard outdoor cooking areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age elegant hardware prematurely.
If you pick shutters, purchase quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual bypasses for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign responsibility for deployment and practice once beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the early morning you wish to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about making it through the huge one. They improve daily living. The living-room stays cooler and quieter. The a/c 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 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 clients, that intangible is the deciding factor. They know storms will come. They likewise understand life in South Florida is too excellent 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 self-confidence when the spaghetti models point our way in September.
If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific assessment. Match your direct exposures to create pressures, select the right laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and employ a team that appreciates the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: protection that never asks for a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.
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