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 defining, installing, and troubleshooting structure envelopes from Secret Largo to Palm Beach, I've seen what holds up and what doesn't. When the objective is genuine protection with year-round comfort, Miami-Dade approved, energy‑efficient effect windows exceed shutters in manner ins which go beyond storm day. They change how a home feels in August, how quiet your living-room stays on a Saturday night, and how confident you are when a storm line spins up much faster than predicted.
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This is a useful 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 products matter, and how to get the setup right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Department sets one of the most difficult criteria in the nation for developing components exposed to windborne particles. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is earned through particular lab tests that replicate genuine hurricane conditions.
First comes large rocket effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at approximately 34 miles per hour. That imitates roofing system tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the impact, the very same unit deals with cyclic pressure loading, countless 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 between "meets Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade authorized windows" often lives in these test limits. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, especially in High Speed Hurricane Zone requirements, which include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind rankings differ by opening size and style pressures, represented as PSF worths. On ocean-facing homes or high-rises, I often specify units ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or higher. Inland or in more secured exposures, scores in the +45/ -60 PSF range can suffice, but you size and spec based upon the site's wind map, building height, and surrounding structures. A professional knows that a corner direct exposure at the second story demands various support than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one contrast. Shutters can meet code, and they're better than nothing. But they ask you to do operate 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 reside in place. You get continuous defense, 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 basically a sandwich: two panes of glass bonded by a resilient interlayer, typically PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps sound. On jobs along busy corridors like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight courses, I have actually measured interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel range, often 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 fulfill a sticky, persistent membrane rather of a fast course inside. Insurance underwriters understand this, which is why policies frequently provide credits for effect doors and windows. In my tasks, premiums usually drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the provider and the number of openings are protected.
Energy performance is the 3rd pillar. Energy-efficient impact windows with modern-day low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while maintaining visible light. That means less air conditioning need, specifically on west and south direct exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E effect systems. Summer afternoon peak load stopped by roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's annual electricity use fell in between 12 and 18 percent. Outcomes differ with shading, attic insulation, and heating and cooling efficiency, but the direction is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, but not all laminated products are equal.
Most residential cyclone windows use a PVB interlayer glass stack, typically 0.030 to 0.090 inches thick in single or several plies. Thicker interlayers improve impact resistance and sound control, but they include weight and cost. For oceanfront or high openings, you might see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and more powerful than PVB, permitting thinner sections to achieve greater style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulas 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 often in discussions due to the fact that tempered glass is stronger in bending than annealed glass. That holds true, and tempered lites are frequently used as the external or inner ply in an impact system. However tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the typhoon sense. When it fails, it explodes into little cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening susceptible. The effect performance originates from laminated building and construction, not tempering by itself. Numerous systems utilize a tempered outer lite laminated to an annealed 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 generally targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 range while keeping noticeable light transmission around 50 percent or greater. Go too low on SHGC and the glass can look gray or green, especially in bigger openings. The sweet area depends upon your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I typically tighten up SHGC and accept a slight tint to manage morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I lean toward higher visible transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames dominate here because they handle big openings and won't swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy space with vinyl. High-quality vinyl effect frames, when reinforced properly, can perform well for standard-sized insulated impact windows openings and have better insulating worths, but I prevent them for extremely large sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look beautiful in older Mediterranean Revival homes, however they demand mindful maintenance and clever flashing. The Florida sun destroys inexpensive vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes quickly. Try to find powder-coated surfaces rated for coastal exposure, and demand composed service warranty information in salt-air environments.
Window setup can make or break performance. An expensive system set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load course is the core. Impact forces have 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 want stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into strong material. Hollow cells should be grouted or you require to hit the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to occur. In wood-framed homes, structural screws need to bite into strong trimmers, not just sheathing. Shimming and plumb alignment matter so the locks engage cleanly and the weatherstripping compresses evenly.
The sealant joint is not just aesthetic. A properly sized backer rod and premium polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant produce a durable, versatile seal that manages thermal expansion. Too small a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it remedies inadequately. On coastal tasks, I never ever pair dissimilar metals without a barrier, and I constantly define corrosion-resistant fasteners. 10 years later, you will see who took shortcuts.
Flashing is the other non-negotiable. Pan flashing at sills, self-adhered membranes at jambs and heads, and integration with the water-resistive barrier are important. If you rely on sealant alone, water will discover its way in. That moisture might disappoint up as a drip. It may rot a sill plate gradually, then betray itself as a buckling floor or a moldy odor 2 hurricane seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing against well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are preserved and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels kept thoroughly can safeguard homes successfully. They likewise help in certain cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget is tight sometimes lean on shutters to fulfill the Florida building regulations windows requirement for safeguarded openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is rarely used in summertime, a clean motorized roll-down can be reasonable, particularly if coupling with impact windows and doors elsewhere stresses the spending plan. For house 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 your home when released, and they need action at specifically the time you are handling insurance coverage documents, gas cans, and family logistics. Throughout Hurricane Irma, I viewed a next-door 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 immediate care waiting space. He endured with stitches. His living room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under continual winds, sometimes loosening up fasteners with time if not maintained.
For long-term owners who wish to set it and forget it, effect windows offer typhoon evidence windows coverage while protecting daytime and view. The benefit grows valuable once you have actually experienced one storm season with no prep beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes fight 2 battles: latent load from humidity and sensible load from direct solar heat gain. Impact glass upgrades can help both if defined intelligently.
Low-E impact glass utilizes microscopically thin metallic layers to reflect infrared energy while letting visible light through. With the ideal finishing stacks, you can obstruct a large part of convected heat and UV. UV obstruction in laminated units comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which generally filters 95 to 99 percent of UV, minimizing fading of fabrics and floor covering. Include the low-E, and you curb the solar heat that drives your air conditioner insane midafternoon.
I evaluate glass specifications with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by decreasing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to room temperature, which reduces condensation risk. SHGC drives just how much solar heat gets in. VT influences how brilliant the interior feels. Balance is essential. Some property owners desire the crisp, clear appearance of higher VT, even if it suggests accepting a few degrees more heat in late afternoon, since their landscaping and roofing overhangs currently 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 modern-day low-E laminated double-glazed units can lower peak solar gains by 30 to 50 percent on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored outside surfaces, and a correctly sized variable-speed HVAC, and you start to construct resilience. If the grid decreases and you switch to a generator, a lower cooling load suggests a smaller sized generator and less gallons of fuel.
Miami-Dade Notice of Approval, or NOA, is the file you request. It details the authorized setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures tested. It is not enough to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a display room. Confirm the NOA matches the precise 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 supplies FL numbers that reveal code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Velocity Typhoon Zone, Florida building code windows can depend on Florida Product Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Numerous top makers bring both. Where budgets allow, I prefer NOA products even outside the zone because the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They won't tell you effect performance, however they reveal U-factor, SHGC, VT, and air leakage. 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 balanced ventilation. Sealing the envelope and overlooking 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 access. On uncomplicated single-family homes, per-opening costs typically land in between 1,200 and 3,000 dollars for standard sizes. Large multi-panel sliders, customized arches, and coastal-grade surfaces raise the numbers quickly.
Where you recoup worth:
If you plan to own the home for five years or more, the math frequently tilts in favor of impact windows, especially when you factor the intangible of assurance. If you prepare to offer within a year and need to show compliance rapidly, shutters might make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I take notice of hardware and accessories. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings improve seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless housings slide smoother and last longer on sandy patios. Take a look at the sill style on moving doors. Weep systems should 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 films can run afoul of neighborhood watch or produce mirror-like glare towards surrounding homes. In seaside ecosystems, extremely reflective glass can confuse birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Regional pros know which coverings balance efficiency with compliance.
Color stability is a big deal. Dark bronze or black frames look fantastic on modern-day homes, but in Florida sun low-cost finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coverings offer the best color retention and chalk resistance. I define them for seaside direct exposures whenever spending plans allow.
Historic districts frequently require profiles that imitate 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 professional acquainted with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations often define a narrow list of authorized products for harmony. They also care about noise control in between units. If your structure sits straight on Collins Opportunity or faces a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated choices. Work with structure management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and limited 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 strong in a display room meets the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not count on brochure maximum sizes. Use the NOA tables that correspond to your site's zone, positive and negative pressures, and mullion mixes if any.
The finest tasks begin with a determined study and exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and identify any framing abnormalities or settlement fractures. Throughout proposal, the specialist shows you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, lists anchor types, and explains how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.
On set up day, they get rid of one opening at a time to keep your house secure. They safeguard floorings, pull back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames come out with care to preserve interior surfaces. New units get dry-fit, shimmed, and anchored per the schedule. The crew checks squareness and diagonals before setting sealant. They photograph anchors for the permit file, specifically if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to verify drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a cool jobsite, clear labels, and documents in order.

Six months later, your windows still close with two fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no secret rattle during thunderstorms. You did not have to require a roller modification after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact ranking does not equal breakproof. Laminated glass can crack under extreme impacts, but it ought to stay in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends out debris into the glass, you may see star cracks or spidering. The window did its job. Change the sash or IGU after the event.
Window movies do not convert non-impact windows into typhoon impact-resistant windows. They can include shatter resistance, but they do not replacement for a tested, anchored system. Your insurance provider and structure department will not count films as protected openings.

Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows lower air leak. That's terrific, but it increases the significance of a correctly sized a/c with excellent dehumidification. If your system is oversized, the thermostat satisfies quickly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your heating and cooling pro to check reasonable heat ratio, air flow, and run time. You desire constant, longer cycles, not brief bursts.
Maintenance is uncomplicated however not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lubricate hardware each year with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small practices extend lifespan.
There are genuine reasons to blend services. A set of hardly ever utilized garage windows can keep removable panels to shave budget. A deep-set deck with minimal sun direct exposure may do great with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a new roofing system deck attachment or a prepared garage door. Shutters can also protect outside kitchen areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age elegant hardware prematurely.
If you pick shutters, invest in quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with manual bypasses for roll-downs make a distinction. Assign responsibility for implementation and practice as soon as outside of a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you need 32 wing nuts is not the morning you wish to find you have 29.
Impact windows are not only about making it through the huge one. They improve daily living. The living room remains 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 hurricane threatens, your preparation list gets much shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and concentrate on individuals rather than panels.
For a number of my clients, that intangible is the deciding aspect. They understand storms will come. They also know life in South Florida is too great to live inside a fortress that only gets up in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows provide you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February morning and quiet confidence when the spaghetti designs point our way in September.
If you are weighing the choice, begin with a site-specific assessment. Match your exposures to create pressures, pick the NOA windows best laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and work with a crew that appreciates the load path. Done right, energy‑efficient impact windows provide what shutters can not: security that never ever asks for a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.