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 stock up, and the ritual of transporting ladders to mount panels. After 20 years specifying, setting up, and repairing structure envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what doesn't. When the objective is real security with year-round convenience, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient impact windows outshine shutters in manner ins which exceed storm day. They change how a home feels in August, how peaceful your living-room remains on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up faster than predicted.
This is a useful take a look at why many South Florida house owners are moving from shutters to cyclone impact-resistant windows, how to check out the requirements behind "Miami-Dade approved," what materials matter, and how to get the installation right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Department sets one of the most difficult criteria in the country for constructing parts exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is made through particular laboratory tests that imitate real hurricane conditions.
First comes big missile impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That simulates roofing tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the impact, the same system deals with cyclic pressure loading, countless pressurization and depressurization cycles that imitate quick wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference in between "satisfies Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" frequently lives in these test limits. Miami-Dade is simply stiffer, particularly in High Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings vary by opening size and style pressures, represented as PSF worths. On ocean-facing homes or high-rises, I frequently specify units ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more secured exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can suffice, 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 2nd story needs different support than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can fulfill code, and they're much better than absolutely 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 up, the last thing you desire is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows reside in place. You get constant protection, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on United States 1. You likewise get benefits every day of the year.
Noise control is the most underappreciated benefit. Laminated impact glass is essentially a sandwich: two panes of glass bonded by a resilient interlayer, normally PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On tasks along busy passages like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I have actually determined interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security enhances due to the fact that laminated glass withstands required entry. A robber can shatter the outer lite with a hammer, however the interlayer holds the shards. They satisfy a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a fast course inside. Insurance coverage underwriters know this, which is why policies often use credits for effect windows and doors. In my jobs, premiums usually drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the carrier and the number of openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the third pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with modern-day low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while maintaining noticeable light. That implies less cooling need, particularly 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 effect systems. Summertime afternoon peak load stopped by roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's yearly electrical power use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Results differ with shading, attic insulation, and a/c performance, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated products are equal.
Most domestic typhoon windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, typically 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or multiple plies. Thicker interlayers enhance effect resistance and sound control, but they add weight and expense. For oceanfront or high openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, permitting thinner sections to accomplish greater design pressures. For noise-sensitive sites, acoustic PVB formulations fine-tune the polymer to better absorb sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows come up frequently in discussions due to the fact that tempered glass is more powerful in flexing than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are commonly used as the outer or inner ply in an impact system. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the hurricane sense. When it fails, it takes off into little cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The impact efficiency originates from laminated construction, not tempering by itself. Lots of systems use a tempered external lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, but always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coatings 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 half or greater. Go too low on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, specifically in bigger openings. The sweet area depends upon your exterior orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I typically tighten up SHGC and accept a slight tint to manage early 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 deal with big 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 effectively, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating values, however I prevent them for extremely large sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look gorgeous in older Mediterranean Revival homes, however they require cautious maintenance and clever flashing. The Florida sun destroys low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes quickly. Look for powder-coated surfaces ranked for seaside direct exposure, and demand written warranty information in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break efficiency. A pricey unit set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's tension test. The load path is the crux. Effect forces need to travel from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and after that into the structure's framing or masonry.
In concrete block construction, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong material. Hollow cells must be grouted or you need to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed homes, structural screws should bite into solid trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb alignment matter so the locks engage cleanly and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not simply aesthetic. A correctly sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a long lasting, flexible seal that deals with thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it remedies improperly. On seaside tasks, I never ever combine dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I always specify corrosion-resistant fasteners. 10 years later on, you will see who took shortcuts.
Flashing is the other non-negotiable. Pan flashing at sills, self-adhered membranes at jambs and heads, and combination with the water-resistive barrier are essential. If you rely on sealant alone, water will find its way in. That wetness might disappoint up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a moldy odor 2 typhoon seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing versus well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are preserved and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels saved thoroughly can secure homes successfully. They also help in particular cases.
Second homes or seasonal rentals where budget plan is tight often lean on shutters to meet the Florida building code windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is seldom utilized in summertime, a clean motorized roll-down can be reasonable, especially if pairing with effect doors and windows somewhere else worries the budget plan. For homeowners who prepare to move within a year, shutters can be a short bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring compromises. They darken your house when released, and they require action at specifically the time you are juggling insurance coverage documents, gas cans, and family logistics. During Typhoon Irma, I watched a next-door 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 continual winds, sometimes loosening fasteners gradually if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows give typhoon proof windows protection while preserving daytime and view. The benefit grows important once you've experienced one storm season with zero preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle two fights: hidden load from humidity and practical load from direct solar heat gain. Impact glass upgrades can assist both if defined intelligently.
Low-E effect glass utilizes microscopically thin metallic layers to reflect infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the best coating stacks, you can obstruct a big portion of radiant heat and UV. UV obstruction in laminated systems comes largely from the interlayer itself, which normally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, lowering fading of materials and flooring. Include the low-E, and you suppress the solar heat that drives your air conditioning insane midafternoon.
I assess glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still assists here by reducing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to room temperature, which reduces condensation danger. SHGC drives just how much solar heat enters. VT affects how intense the interior feels. Balance is crucial. Some homeowners want the crisp, clear appearance of greater VT, even if it suggests accepting a couple of degrees more heat in late afternoon, due to the fact that their landscaping and roofing system overhangs already do some shading. Others choose 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 minimize peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior surfaces, and a properly sized variable-speed HVAC, and you start to build resilience. If the grid goes down and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Acceptance, or NOA, is the file you request for. It information the approved configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures tested. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a showroom. Confirm the NOA matches the exact model and options you are buying, including the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing office will desire this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system offers FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Speed Cyclone Zone, Florida building regulations windows can count on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Many top manufacturers carry both. Where budget plans permit, I prefer NOA products even outside the zone due to the fact that the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels handle energy metrics. They will not tell you impact performance, however they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. Go for air leak at or below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is much better for humidity control, but make sure your home still has actually stabilized 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 expenses vary with size, shape, surface, and access. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening expenses often land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for basic sizes. Big multi-panel sliders, custom-made arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover worth:
If you prepare to own the residential or commercial property for 5 years or more, the math often tilts in favor of impact windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of peace of mind. If you prepare to sell within a year and need to show compliance rapidly, shutters might make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I pay attention to hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless real estates slide smoother and last longer on sandy patio areas. Look at the sill style on moving doors. Weep systems ought to be engineered to drain heavy rainfall without letting wind-driven water blow back in. Ask to see a cutaway sample in the showroom.
Tint colors and reflectivity are more than style. Reflective films can run afoul of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare towards surrounding properties. In coastal communities, extremely reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros know which coverings balance performance with compliance.
Color stability is a huge offer. Dark bronze or black frames look fantastic on contemporary homes, but in Florida sun low-cost surfaces chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coverings provide the very best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside direct exposures whenever budget plans allow.
Historic districts frequently need profiles that imitate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times extend and costs climb. Anticipate additional evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a contractor knowledgeable about these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations sometimes specify a narrow list of approved items for harmony. They also appreciate noise control between systems. If your building sits directly on Collins Opportunity or deals with a busy beach boardwalk, push Boca Raton window installation costs for acoustic laminated options. Deal with structure management on staging and lift access. Weekend work windows and restricted parking can include days and dollars.

Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, require unique attention in design pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every unit that looks durable in a showroom meets the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not depend on catalog optimum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that represent your website's zone, favorable and unfavorable pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The finest projects begin with a measured survey and exposure analysis. You map each opening, note the substrate, and identify any framing abnormalities or settlement cracks. During proposal, the contractor shows you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, notes anchor types, and explains how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repairs, not pretend no damage will occur.
On set up day, they eliminate one opening at a time to keep your house protected. They safeguard floorings, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out 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 permit file, particularly if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to verify drain courses and seals. The inspector sees a cool jobsite, clear labels, and documentation in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite efficiently, and there is no secret rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not have to call for a roller modification after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can split under severe effects, however it ought to stay in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends debris into the glass, you might see star fractures or spidering. The window did its task. Replace the sash or IGU after the event.
Window films do not transform non-impact windows into cyclone impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, however they do not alternative to a checked, anchored system. Your insurance provider and structure department will not count films as protected openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows reduce air leak. That's excellent, however it increases the importance of an appropriately sized a/c with great dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat pleases quickly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your HVAC pro to examine sensible heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You desire consistent, longer cycles, not brief bursts.

Maintenance is straightforward however not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lube hardware annually with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small habits extend lifespan.
There are legitimate factors to mix options. A set of rarely utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave budget plan. A deep-set deck with very little sun direct exposure may do great with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a new roofing deck attachment or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also protect outdoor kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.
If you select shutters, purchase quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual bypasses for roll-downs make a difference. 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 want to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about enduring the huge one. They reshape daily living. The living room stays cooler and quieter. The AC 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 much shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on people rather than panels.
For a number of my clients, that intangible is the choosing element. They know storms will come. They likewise understand life in South Florida is too great to live inside a fortress that only gets up in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February morning and quiet self-confidence when the spaghetti designs point our method September.
If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific evaluation. 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 hire a team that respects the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: security that never ever requests for a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.