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 twenty years specifying, installing, and troubleshooting structure envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what does not. When the goal is genuine security with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient impact windows surpass shutters in ways that surpass 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 much faster than predicted.
This is a practical take a look at why numerous South Florida house owners are moving from shutters to hurricane impact-resistant windows, how to read the standards behind "Miami-Dade approved," what materials matter, and how to get the installation right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Department sets among the most difficult benchmarks in the country for building components exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is earned through specific laboratory tests that mimic real cyclone conditions.
First comes big rocket impact. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That mimics roof tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the impact, the exact same unit deals with cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that mimic 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 regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" frequently lives in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is simply stiffer, especially in High Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind ratings vary by opening size and design pressures, signified as PSF values. On ocean-facing properties or high-rises, I typically define units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more safeguarded exposures, ratings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can suffice, however you size and specification based upon the website's wind map, developing height, and surrounding structures. An expert understands that a corner direct exposure at the 2nd story demands various support 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 nothing. However they ask you to do operate at the worst possible time. When a watch turns to a warning and the projection track tightens, the last thing you desire is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows live in location. You get continuous security, 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 effect glass is essentially a sandwich: 2 panes of glass bonded by a durable interlayer, generally PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On tasks along hectic passages like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight courses, I have actually determined interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security enhances because laminated glass resists required entry. A robber can shatter the external lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the fragments. They meet a sticky, stubborn membrane rather of a fast path inside. Insurance underwriters know this, which is why policies often offer credits for effect windows and doors. In my tasks, premiums typically drop 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the carrier and how many openings are protected.
Energy efficiency is the 3rd pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with contemporary low-E effect glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while protecting visible light. That implies less air conditioning need, especially on west and south exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we changed 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect units. Summertime afternoon peak load visited roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's annual electrical energy use fell between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes differ with shading, attic insulation, and HVAC efficiency, however the direction is consistent.
Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated items are equal.
Most residential cyclone windows utilize a PVB interlayer glass stack, frequently 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers improve impact resistance and sound control, however they add weight and cost. For oceanfront or tall openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and more powerful than PVB, allowing thinner areas to accomplish greater design pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulations fine-tune the polymer to much better soak up sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz variety, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows turn up typically in conversations due to the fact that tempered glass is stronger in flexing than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are commonly utilized as the outer or inner ply in an impact system. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the cyclone sense. When it stops working, it explodes into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The effect performance originates from laminated construction, not tempering by itself. Lots of systems utilize a tempered outer lite laminated to a hardened inner lite, or both tempered, but always bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E finishings matter for convenience. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida usually 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 larger openings. The sweet area depends on your exterior orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I typically tighten SHGC and accept a minor tint to handle 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 manage big openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have actually narrowed the energy space with vinyl. Top quality vinyl impact frames, when reinforced properly, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating values, however I prevent them for really wide sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad systems look stunning in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they demand cautious upkeep and clever flashing. The Florida sun destroys cheap vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces rapidly. Look for powder-coated surfaces rated for coastal direct exposure, and demand composed service warranty information in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break performance. A pricey unit set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's tension test. The load course 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 material. Hollow cells should be grouted or you require to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed houses, structural screws should bite into solid trimmers, not simply sheathing. Shimming and plumb positioning matter so the locks engage easily and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not just aesthetic. An appropriately sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant create a long lasting, flexible seal that handles thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it cures improperly. On coastal jobs, 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 integration with the water-resistive barrier are crucial. If you count on sealant alone, water will find its way in. That wetness may disappoint up as a drip. It might rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling flooring or a moldy smell two typhoon seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing versus properly designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are kept and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels stored thoroughly can safeguard homes efficiently. They also help in specific cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget plan is tight sometimes lean on shutters to satisfy the Florida building regulations windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is seldom utilized in summer season, a clean motorized roll-down can be reasonable, especially if pairing with impact windows and doors somewhere else worries the spending plan. For property owners who plan to move within a year, shutters can be a short bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring trade-offs. They darken your house when deployed, and they need action at specifically the time you are managing insurance coverage papers, gas cans, and family logistics. Throughout Hurricane Irma, I enjoyed a neighbor try 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 space. He endured with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters also rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, often loosening up fasteners in time if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who wish to set it and forget it, impact windows offer cyclone evidence windows coverage while protecting daylight and view. The convenience grows important once you've experienced one storm season with zero prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle 2 battles: hidden load from humidity and reasonable load from direct solar heat gain. Effect glass upgrades can assist both if specified intelligently.
Low-E impact glass utilizes microscopically thin metallic layers to show infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the ideal finishing stacks, you can obstruct a big part of convected heat and UV. UV obstruction in laminated units comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which usually filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, decreasing fading of materials and floor covering. Add the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your air conditioning crazy midafternoon.
I evaluate glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still assists here by decreasing nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to space temperature, which decreases condensation danger. SHGC drives just how much solar heat goes into. VT influences how intense the interior feels. Balance is key. Some house owners want the crisp, clear look of higher VT, even if it suggests accepting a couple of degrees more heat in late afternoon, because their landscaping and roof overhangs already do some shading. Others choose a more powerful tint for glare control on waterfront 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 window installation costs 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior surfaces, and a properly sized variable-speed heating and cooling, and you start to develop durability. If the grid decreases and you switch to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller generator and fewer gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Approval, or NOA, is the file you ask for. It details the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures checked. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a display room. Confirm the NOA matches the exact model and options you are purchasing, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your permitting workplace will want this paper trail.


Statewide, the Florida Product Approval system supplies FL numbers that show code compliance. In the rest of the state outside the High Velocity Cyclone Zone, Florida building regulations windows can count on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Numerous leading producers bring both. Where spending plans allow, I prefer NOA products even outside the zone since 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 leak. Aim for air leakage at or below 0.3 cfm/ft ². Tighter is better for humidity control, however make sure your home still has stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and ignoring fresh air is a dish for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more in advance than shutters. There's no spin around that. Set up costs differ with size, shape, surface, and gain access to. On uncomplicated single-family homes, per-opening expenses typically land between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for standard sizes. Big multi-panel sliders, customized arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recover worth:
If you plan to own the property for five years or more, the math typically tilts in favor of effect windows, especially when you factor the intangible of peace of mind. If you prepare to offer within a year and need to reveal compliance rapidly, shutters might make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I pay attention to hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on sashes and awnings enhance 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 sliding doors. Weep systems should be Boca Raton window installation costs crafted to drain pipes heavy rains without letting wind-driven water blow back in. Ask to see a cutaway sample in the showroom.
Tint colors and reflectivity are more than fashion. Reflective films can run afoul of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare toward surrounding properties. In coastal ecosystems, extremely 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 offer. Dark bronze or black frames look wonderful on modern homes, but in Florida sun cheap finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coverings provide the 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, however lead times lengthen and costs climb. Expect additional review by architectural boards, and line up a specialist knowledgeable about these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often define a narrow list of approved products for uniformity. They likewise care about sound control in between units. If your building sits directly 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 minimal parking can add days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, need unique attention in design pressure, deflection, and running hardware. Not every unit that looks tough in a display room fulfills the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not depend on brochure maximum sizes. Utilize the NOA tables that correspond to your site's zone, favorable and negative pressures, and mullion mixes if any.
The finest projects begin with a measured survey and direct exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and recognize any framing irregularities or settlement cracks. During proposition, the contractor reveals you the NOA and the Florida Product Approval, lists anchor types, and discusses how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They plan for stucco or drywall repairs, not pretend no damage will occur.
On set up day, they remove one opening at a time to keep your house safe and secure. They secure floorings, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to preserve interior finishes. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The team checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They picture anchors for the authorization file, particularly if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a regulated spray to confirm drain courses and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and documentation in order.
Six months later on, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite efficiently, and there is no secret rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not have to call for a roller change after the first week. That is the standard.
Impact score does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can crack under extreme effects, however it should remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends out debris into the glass, you may see star fractures or spidering. The window did its job. 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, but they do not replacement for a tested, anchored system. Your insurance company and structure department will not count films as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient impact windows decrease air leak. That's terrific, however it increases the value of a correctly sized HVAC with excellent dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat pleases rapidly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your HVAC pro to inspect practical heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You desire stable, longer cycles, not brief bursts.
Maintenance is uncomplicated however not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and oil hardware every year with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small routines extend lifespan.
There are legitimate factors to mix solutions. A pair of rarely used garage windows can keep detachable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set porch with minimal sun direct exposure might do fine with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a brand-new roofing system deck accessory or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also secure outdoor kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age expensive hardware prematurely.
If you select shutters, buy quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook overrides for roll-downs make a difference. Appoint obligation for deployment and practice as soon as outside of a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you require 32 wing nuts is not the morning you wish to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about making it through the big one. They improve daily living. The living room remains cooler and quieter. The AC 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 hurricane threatens, your preparation list gets shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on people instead of panels.
For much of my customers, 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 awakens in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows provide you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and peaceful confidence when the spaghetti designs point our way in September.
If you are weighing the choice, start with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to design pressures, select the right laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and employ a team that respects the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: security that never requests for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.