STS Impact Windows, Doors & Roofing is a veteran-owned company based in South Florida that specializes in premium hurricane protection solutions, including impact windows, doors, custom storefronts, and roofing. Combining over 25 years of industry experience with military precision, STS provides expert installation, full transparency, and outstanding customer service, backed by a leading 3-year installation warranty. Their comprehensive services ensure security and peace of mind for both residential and commercial clients, with a strong focus on quality, reliability, and efficiency.
View on Google MapsSTS Impact Windows and Doors specializes in hurricane protection solutions, offering high-quality impact windows, storm-resistant doors, custom storefronts, and professional roofing services. With expert installation, full transparency, and outstanding customer service, the company ensures homes and businesses stay secure and energy-efficient.
STS Impact Windows and Doors is located at 1000 Holland Dr Suite 10, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States. The company proudly serves residential and commercial clients across Florida and throughout the United States, delivering reliable storm protection solutions. View their location on Google Maps.
Yes, STS Impact Windows and Doors is a veteran-owned company recognized for its dedication, integrity, and service to the community. This background adds an extra level of trust and reliability for homeowners and businesses seeking storm protection solutions.
STS Impact Windows and Doors provides a wide range of services including the installation of hurricane impact windows, impact doors, custom commercial storefronts, and roofing services. Each project is backed by expert craftsmanship, a 3-year installation warranty, and over 25 years of industry experience.
The company proudly serves both residential homeowners and commercial property owners. From protecting family homes to fortifying businesses with hurricane-rated storefronts, STS Impact Windows and Doors delivers customized solutions that ensure safety, durability, and efficiency.
Clients benefit from the company’s focus on quality, reliability, and efficiency. Their impact-resistant windows and doors not only enhance security and hurricane protection but also improve energy efficiency, reduce noise, and increase property value. With a 3-year installation warranty, customers can trust in long-term performance and peace of mind.
STS Impact Windows and Doors has been recognized with multiple industry honors, including the South Florida Veteran Owned Business Excellence Award, Best Hurricane Protection Provider 2023 Florida, and the Angi’s Super Service Award for Window Installation. These awards highlight their commitment to excellence, customer satisfaction, and industry leadership.
You can reach STS Impact Windows and Doors by phone at 561-600-1018 or visit their website at stswindows.com. They are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm and are available on Facebook and Instagram for updates and project showcases.
Business Name: STS Impact Windows & Doors
Address: 1000 Holland Dr #10, Boca Raton, FL 33487, United States
Phone: (561)-600-1018
Hurricane season shapes life along Florida's coasts. You feel it in the method neighbors track tropical waves, the pre-storm rush to stock up, and the routine of carrying ladders to mount panels. After twenty years specifying, installing, and repairing building envelopes from Key Largo to Palm Beach, I have actually seen what holds up and what does not. When the objective is genuine defense with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade authorized, energy‑efficient impact windows exceed shutters in ways that exceed storm day. They change how a home feels in August, how peaceful your living-room stays on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up faster than predicted.
This is a practical 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 very first time.
Miami-Dade County's Product Control Department sets among the toughest standards in the nation for constructing components exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker label. It is earned through specific lab tests that mimic genuine typhoon conditions.
First comes large rocket effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is shot at the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That simulates roof 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 remains in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The distinction in between "meets Florida building regulations windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" frequently lives in these test limits. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, especially in High Velocity Typhoon Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind rankings differ by opening size and style pressures, denoted as PSF worths. On ocean-facing residential or commercial properties or high-rises, I often define units rated at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more protected exposures, rankings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can suffice, but you size and specification based upon the site's wind map, building height, and surrounding structures. A professional knows that a corner exposure at the second story needs different reinforcement than a protected window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one comparison. Shutters can fulfill 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 want is a ladder, a dead cordless drill, and a missing wing nut.
Impact windows live in place. You get continuous protection, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on United States 1. You likewise get advantages 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 resistant interlayer, usually PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On jobs along hectic corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I have actually determined interior sound drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security enhances because laminated glass resists required entry. A burglar can shatter the external lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the fragments. They satisfy a sticky, persistent membrane rather of a fast path inside. Insurance coverage underwriters understand this, which is why policies often offer credits for effect doors and windows. In my projects, premiums usually drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the carrier and how many openings are protected.
Energy performance is the third pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with contemporary low-E effect glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while preserving noticeable light. That indicates less cooling need, specifically on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun penalizes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we changed 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. Outcomes differ with shading, attic insulation, and a/c effectiveness, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated effect glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated items are equal.
Most residential 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 add weight and cost. For oceanfront or high openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, permitting thinner sections to achieve higher design pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB solutions modify the polymer to better soak up noise in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows come up often in discussions since tempered glass is more powerful in flexing than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are typically utilized as the external or inner ply in an effect unit. However tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the cyclone sense. When it stops working, it takes off into little cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The effect efficiency originates from best impact windows available laminated building, not tempering by itself. Numerous systems use a tempered external lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, however always 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 50 percent or higher. Go too short on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, especially in larger openings. The sweet area depends on your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I frequently tighten SHGC and accept a small tint to handle early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor higher noticeable transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames dominate here since they handle large openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and improved glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy gap with vinyl. Top quality vinyl effect frames, when enhanced appropriately, can carry out well for standard-sized openings and have much better insulating values, but I avoid them for extremely wide sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look beautiful in older Mediterranean Revival homes, but they require mindful maintenance and wise flashing. The Florida sun destroys low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum surfaces quickly. Look for powder-coated finishes rated for coastal exposure, and demand written warranty information in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break performance. A costly unit set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's tension test. The load path is the essence. Effect forces have to travel from the glass through the frame, to the anchors, into the substrate, and then into the structure's framing or masonry.
In cinder block building, you want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into solid product. Hollow cells must be grouted or you require to strike the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to take place. In wood-framed houses, structural screws must bite into strong 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 visual. A properly sized backer rod and premium polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant develop a resilient, versatile seal that deals with thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it remedies poorly. On seaside tasks, I never combine different metals without a barrier, and I always define 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 essential. If you depend on sealant alone, water will discover its method. That wetness may disappoint up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate slowly, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a moldy smell two typhoon seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing versus well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are kept and lubed, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even removable panels kept thoroughly can protect homes effectively. They likewise assist in specific cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget plan is tight sometimes lean on shutters to satisfy the Florida building code windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is rarely used in summer season, a clean motorized roll-down can be affordable, particularly if coupling with effect windows and doors in other places worries the budget. For property owners who prepare to move within a year, shutters can be a short bridge to compliance before a sale.
But shutters bring trade-offs. They darken the house when deployed, and they require action at exactly the time you are juggling insurance coverage documents, gas cans, and household logistics. During Hurricane Irma, I saw a neighbor try to install steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we invested the next hour in the urgent care waiting space. He made it through with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, in some cases loosening fasteners over time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who wish to set it and forget it, effect windows give cyclone proof windows protection while protecting daytime and view. The convenience grows valuable once you've experienced one storm season with zero prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes fight 2 battles: hidden load from humidity and practical load from direct solar heat gain. Impact glass upgrades can help both if specified intelligently.
Low-E effect glass uses microscopically thin metallic layers to reflect infrared energy while letting noticeable light through. With the ideal finishing stacks, you can block a large part of radiant 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 fabrics and floor covering. Add the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your air conditioning insane midafternoon.
I examine glass specs with three numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by lowering nighttime heat circulation and keeping the interior glass temperature level closer to space temperature, which decreases condensation threat. SHGC drives how much solar heat gets in. VT affects how intense the interior feels. Balance is crucial. Some property owners desire the crisp, clear look of greater VT, even if it means accepting a couple of degrees more heat in late afternoon, since their landscaping and roofing system overhangs already do some shading. Others prefer a stronger tint for glare control on waterfront lots that reflect harsh light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to contemporary low-E laminated double-glazed units can minimize peak solar gains by 30 to half on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior finishes, and a properly sized variable-speed heating and cooling, and you begin to build strength. If the grid decreases and you change to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notification of Approval, or NOA, is the document you ask for. It details the authorized configurations, sizes, anchors, and pressures checked. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade approved windows" in a display room. Verify the NOA matches the specific model and options you are purchasing, including the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing workplace will desire this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Item Approval system offers FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Speed Cyclone Zone, Florida building code windows can rely on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade particular NOAs. Many leading makers bring both. Where budget plans permit, I choose NOA items even outside the zone since the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels deal with energy metrics. They will not inform you impact efficiency, but they show U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leak. Go for air leak at or below 0.3 cfm/ft TWO. Tighter is better for humidity control, but make certain your home still has actually balanced 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. Installed expenses vary with size, shape, finish, and access. On straightforward single-family homes, per-opening expenses often land in 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 value:
If you plan to own the residential or commercial property for five years or more, the math 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 show compliance rapidly, shutters might make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I take note of hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings improve seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless housings move smoother and last longer on sandy patios. Look at the sill design on moving doors. Weep systems must be 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 style. Reflective films can run afoul of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare toward neighboring residential or commercial properties. In coastal ecosystems, highly reflective glass can confuse birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros know which coverings balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a huge offer. Dark bronze or black frames look fantastic on modern homes, however in Florida sun low-cost finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated finishings offer the best color retention and chalk resistance. I define them for coastal direct exposures whenever spending plans allow.
Historic districts typically require profiles that imitate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times extend and costs climb. Anticipate extra evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a specialist familiar with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often define a narrow list of approved products for uniformity. They also appreciate sound control between systems. If your structure sits straight on Collins Opportunity or faces a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated alternatives. Deal with building management on staging and lift access. Weekend work windows and limited 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 system that looks tough in a showroom satisfies the wind loads on a ninth-floor balcony. Do not depend on catalog optimum sizes. Use the professional window installation in Boca Raton NOA tables that represent your site's zone, positive and unfavorable pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The best projects begin with a measured survey and exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and determine any framing irregularities or settlement cracks. During proposal, the professional reveals you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, lists 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 your house protected. They safeguard floors, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to preserve interior surfaces. New systems get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photo anchors for the license file, particularly if they will be concealed. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to confirm 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 smoothly, and there is no mystery rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not need to call for a roller modification after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can crack under extreme effects, but it needs to remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends particles into the glass, you may see star fractures or spidering. The window did its job. Replace the sash or IGU after the event.
Window movies do not convert non-impact windows into typhoon 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 movies as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient impact windows decrease air leak. That's terrific, but it increases the value of an appropriately sized heating and cooling with excellent dehumidification. If your system is large, the thermostat pleases rapidly and fails to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your a/c pro to inspect practical heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You desire consistent, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is simple but not optional. Tidy weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lubricate hardware yearly with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small habits extend lifespan.
There are genuine factors to mix services. A set of seldom used garage windows can keep removable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set deck with very little sun exposure might do fine with accordion shutters if you focus on other upgrades like a new roof deck accessory or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also protect outdoor cooking areas 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 bypasses for roll-downs best hurricane proof windows available make a difference. Designate obligation for release and practice as soon as beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the early morning you wish to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about enduring the huge one. They improve daily living. The living-room stays cooler and quieter. The air conditioning 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 people rather than panels.
For a number of my customers, that quality window installation services intangible is the choosing element. They understand storms will come. They also know life in South Florida is too great to live inside a fortress that only awakens in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February morning and quiet confidence when the spaghetti models point our method September.
If you are weighing the option, start with a site-specific assessment. Match your direct exposures to create pressures, pick the ideal laminated glass stack for wind and commercial window installation heat, choose frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and work with a crew that respects the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: defense that never requests for a ladder and a better home every day of the year.