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 routine of hauling ladders to install panels. After 20 years defining, installing, and repairing 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 impact windows surpass shutters in ways that go beyond storm day. They alter how a house feels in August, how peaceful your living room stays on a Saturday night, and how positive you are when a storm line spins up faster than predicted.
This is a practical look at why numerous 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 setup right the first time.
Miami-Dade County's Item Control Division sets among the hardest benchmarks in the country for developing parts exposed to windborne debris. Approval is not a marketing sticker. It is earned through specific lab tests that imitate real typhoon conditions.
First comes large rocket effect. A 9-pound 2x4 is contended the glass at roughly 34 miles per hour. That mimics roofing tiles, branches, or pieces of fencing that fly in the eyewall. After the effect, the exact same system deals with cyclic pressure loading, thousands of pressurization and depressurization cycles that imitate rapid wind gusts over hours. If the glass stays in the frame without letting the envelope breach, it passes. The difference between "fulfills Florida building code windows" and "Miami-Dade approved windows" often resides in these test thresholds. Miami-Dade is just stiffer, especially in High Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements, that include Miami-Dade and Broward.
Wind scores differ by opening size and design pressures, denoted as PSF values. On ocean-facing homes or high-rises, I often define systems ranked at +60/ -80 PSF or greater. Inland or in more protected exposures, ratings in the +45/ -60 PSF variety can be sufficient, but you size and specification based on the site's wind map, building height, and surrounding structures. A professional knows that a corner direct exposure at the 2nd story demands different reinforcement than a sheltered window under a deep porch.
Hurricane shutters vs effect windows is not a one-to-one comparison. Shutters can satisfy code, and they're much better than nothing. But 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 security, even if a pop-up storm surprises you while you're stuck on US 1. You also 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, generally PVB interlayer glass or SentryGlas. That interlayer damps noise. On tasks along busy passages like Biscayne Boulevard or near flight paths, I've measured interior noise drops in the 5 to 10 decibel variety, sometimes more when paired with insulated glass units.
Security improves since laminated glass resists forced entry. An intruder can shatter the external lite with a hammer, but the interlayer holds the shards. They fulfill a sticky, persistent membrane instead of a quick course inside. Insurance underwriters know this, which is why policies frequently provide credits for effect windows and doors. In my jobs, premiums typically drop 10 to 25 percent, depending on the carrier and how many openings are protected.
Energy performance is the 3rd pillar. Energy-efficient effect windows with modern low-E impact glass and warm-edge spacers can cut solar heat gain while maintaining visible light. That suggests less cooling need, especially on west and south exposures where the afternoon sun punishes interiors. In one Coral Gables retrofit, we replaced 1980s single-pane sliders with laminated low-E impact units. Summer afternoon peak load stopped by roughly a lots of cooling, and the home's annual electrical power usage fell between 12 and 18 percent. Results vary with shading, attic insulation, and a/c performance, however the instructions is consistent.
Laminated impact glass is the heart of the system, however not all laminated items are equal.
Most domestic cyclone windows utilize 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 expense. For oceanfront or high openings, you may see SGP (ionoplast) interlayers, which are stiffer and stronger than PVB, allowing thinner areas to achieve greater style pressures. For noise-sensitive websites, acoustic PVB formulations modify the polymer to better soak up sound in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range, where traffic and voices sit.
Tempered glass windows come up frequently in conversations because tempered glass is more powerful in bending than annealed glass. That's true, and tempered lites are commonly utilized as the external or inner ply in an effect unit. But tempered alone is not impact-resistant in the hurricane sense. When it stops working, it blows up into small cubes and falls out of the frame, which leaves the opening vulnerable. The effect performance comes from laminated construction, not tempering by itself. Many systems utilize a tempered outer lite laminated to an annealed inner lite, or both tempered, but constantly bonded through a PVB or ionoplast interlayer.
Low-E coverings matter for comfort. A soft-coat low-E tuned for South Florida normally targets a solar heat gain coefficient in the 0.25 to 0.35 range 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 bigger openings. The sweet area depends upon your façade orientation and shading. On east and west elevations, I typically tighten SHGC and accept a small tint to manage early morning and afternoon blasts. On north elevations, I favor greater visible transmittance for daylighting.
Frames are the other half of the story. Aluminum frames control here since they manage big openings and will not swell. Thermal breaks and enhanced glazing gaskets have narrowed the energy space with vinyl. Top quality vinyl impact frames, when reinforced appropriately, can perform well for standard-sized openings and have better insulating values, however I prevent them for really broad sliders or high storefront-style windows in high-wind zones. Wood-clad units look gorgeous in older Mediterranean Revival homes, however they require mindful upkeep and wise flashing. The Florida sun destroys low-cost vinyl and chalks low-grade aluminum finishes rapidly. Search for powder-coated surfaces rated for coastal exposure, and request written warranty details in salt-air environments.
Window installation can make or break efficiency. An expensive unit set up like a handyman swap-out will not pass a storm's stress test. The load path is the essence. Impact 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 concrete block building and construction, you desire stainless or hot-dipped galvanized anchors embedded into solid material. Hollow cells must be grouted or you need to hit the bond beam. Tapcons in soft, unfilled block are a failure waiting to take place. In wood-framed homes, structural screws need to 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 correctly sized backer rod and high-quality polyurethane or silyl-modified polymer sealant produce a long lasting, versatile seal that handles thermal growth. Too little a bead and it tears under movement. Too big and it remedies improperly. On seaside tasks, I never combine different metals without a barrier, and I constantly specify corrosion-resistant fasteners. Ten 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 flooring or a moldy odor two typhoon seasons later.
I have absolutely nothing against well-designed shutters. Accordion shutters that are maintained and lubricated, roll-down shutters with battery backups, and even detachable panels kept carefully can secure homes successfully. They likewise help in particular cases.
Second homes or seasonal leasings where budget plan is tight in some cases lean on shutters to meet the Florida building code windows requirement for protected openings. On specialized openings like a lanai that is rarely utilized in summer season, a clean motorized roll-down can be sensible, specifically if pairing with impact windows and doors elsewhere 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 compromises. They darken your home when deployed, and they require action at specifically the time you are handling insurance coverage papers, gas cans, and family logistics. Throughout Hurricane Irma, I enjoyed a neighbor attempt to mount steel panels hours before landfall. The ladder sank in saturated soil, a panel slipped, and we spent the next hour in the immediate care waiting space. He survived with stitches. His living-room window did not. Shutters likewise rattle and can vibrate under sustained winds, in some cases loosening up fasteners gradually if not maintained.
For long-lasting owners who want to set it and forget it, impact windows give cyclone evidence windows protection while maintaining daytime and view. The convenience grows important once you have actually experienced one storm season with zero preparation beyond locking the sash.
South Florida homes battle two fights: latent 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 noticeable light through. With the ideal finish stacks, you can block a big part of convected heat and UV. UV blockage in laminated systems comes mostly from the interlayer itself, which typically 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 conditioner insane midafternoon.
I examine glass specs with 3 numbers: U-factor, SHGC, and VT. While U-factor matters more up north, it still helps here by minimizing nighttime heat flow and keeping the interior glass temperature closer to space temperature, which minimizes 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 look of higher VT, even if it implies accepting a couple of degrees more heat in late afternoon, since their landscaping and roofing overhangs already do some shading. Others choose a more powerful tint for glare control on waterside lots that reflect extreme light.
In practical terms, going from clear single-pane sliders to modern-day low-E laminated double-glazed systems can minimize peak solar gains by 30 to 50 percent on the most exposed sides. Couple that with tuned overhangs, light-colored exterior surfaces, and an appropriately sized variable-speed HVAC, and you begin to construct 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 Notice of Acceptance, or NOA, is the file you ask for. It details the authorized setups, sizes, anchors, and pressures checked. It is insufficient to hear "these are Miami-Dade authorized windows" in a display room. Verify the NOA matches the exact design impact windows in Boca Raton and choices you are buying, consisting of the glazing makeup and hardware. If you are in Broward or Miami-Dade, your allowing workplace will desire this paper trail.
Statewide, the Florida Product Approval system provides FL numbers that show code compliance. In the remainder of the state outside the High Speed Hurricane Zone, Florida building regulations windows can count on Florida Item Approval without Miami-Dade specific NOAs. Many top producers carry both. Where budgets permit, I prefer NOA products even outside the zone due to the fact that the testing is stiffer.
NFRC labels manage energy metrics. They won't inform you effect performance, but 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 actually stabilized ventilation. Sealing the envelope and disregarding fresh air is a dish for indoor air quality complaints.
Impact windows cost more upfront than shutters. There's no spin around that. Installed costs vary with size, shape, surface, and access. On uncomplicated single-family homes, per-opening costs frequently land 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 value:
If you prepare to own the home for five years or more, the math often tilts in favor of effect windows, particularly when you factor the intangible of peace of mind. If you plan to sell within a year and require to show compliance quickly, shutters may make more short-term sense. Context matters.
I take notice of hardware and devices. Multi-point locks on casements and awnings enhance seal compression and security. For sliders, robust tandem rollers in stainless real estates move smoother and last longer on sandy patios. Look at the sill design on moving doors. Weep systems must be crafted to drain heavy rains without letting wind-driven water blow back in. Ask to see a cutaway sample in the showroom.
Tint colors and reflectivity are more than style. Reflective movies can contravene of neighborhood associations or produce mirror-like glare toward surrounding homes. In coastal environments, extremely reflective glass can puzzle birds or sea turtles in some jurisdictions. Local pros understand which finishings balance performance with compliance.
Color stability is a big deal. Dark bronze or black frames look wonderful on contemporary homes, but in Florida sun cheap finishes chalk and fade. AAMA 2605-rated coatings provide the best color retention and chalk resistance. I specify them for seaside direct exposures whenever budgets allow.
Historic districts typically need profiles that imitate old wood sash sightlines. There are impact-rated windows that fit these requirements, but lead times extend and costs climb. Expect additional evaluation by architectural boards, and line up a specialist acquainted with these submissions.
Condos have another layer of governance. Associations in some cases define a narrow list of authorized products for uniformity. They also care about sound control between systems. If your building sits straight on Collins Opportunity or deals with a busy beach boardwalk, push for acoustic laminated options. Work with structure management on staging and lift gain access to. Weekend work windows and restricted parking can include days and dollars.
Large openings, like a 16-foot-wide slider, need unique attention in design pressure, deflection, and operating hardware. Not every system that looks sturdy in a display room fulfills the wind loads on a ninth-floor veranda. Do not depend on catalog maximum sizes. Use the NOA tables that represent your site's zone, favorable and unfavorable pressures, and mullion combinations if any.
The best tasks start with a measured study and exposure analysis. You map each opening, keep in mind the substrate, and determine any framing irregularities or settlement cracks. Throughout proposition, the specialist shows you the NOA and the Florida Item Approval, lists anchor types, and discusses how each opening will be flashed and sealed. They prepare for stucco or drywall repair work, not pretend no damage will occur.

On install day, they remove one opening at a time to keep your home secure. They safeguard floors, draw back window treatments, and cap sprinklers. Old frames bring out care to maintain interior surfaces. New units 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, especially if they will be hidden. After glazing, they water-test with a controlled spray to verify drain paths and seals. The inspector sees a neat jobsite, clear labels, and paperwork in order.
Six months later, your windows still close with 2 fingers, locks bite smoothly, and there is no secret rattle throughout thunderstorms. You did not have to require a roller modification after the very first week. That is the standard.
Impact rating does not equivalent breakproof. Laminated glass can split under extreme effects, but it should remain in the frame and hold together. After a storm that sends out particles into the glass, you may see star fractures or spidering. The window did its task. Replace the sash or IGU after the event.
Window films do not convert non-impact windows into typhoon impact-resistant windows. They can add shatter resistance, however they do not replacement for a checked, anchored system. Your insurer and structure department will not count films as safeguarded openings.
Interior humidity matters. Tight, energy-efficient effect windows decrease air leakage. That's great, but it increases the significance of a correctly sized heating and cooling with great dehumidification. If your system is extra-large, the thermostat pleases rapidly and stops working to pull enough moisture from the air. Ask your HVAC pro to inspect practical heat ratio, airflow, and run time. You want steady, longer cycles, not short bursts.
Maintenance is uncomplicated however not optional. Clean weep holes on sliders, wash salt spray from frames, and lubricate hardware annually with a silicone-based product that will not gum up in heat. Small practices extend lifespan.
There are genuine reasons to blend options. A pair of rarely used garage windows can keep removable panels to shave spending plan. A deep-set patio with very little sun exposure may do fine with accordion shutters if you prioritize other upgrades like a brand-new roofing deck accessory or a fortified garage door. Shutters can also secure outdoor cooking areas or cabana openings where grease and smoke would age fancy hardware prematurely.
If you pick shutters, invest in quality. Stainless fasteners, smooth tracks, and motors with handbook bypasses for roll-downs make a difference. Appoint responsibility for deployment and practice as soon as beyond a storm watch. Inventory your hardware. The day you require 32 wing nuts is not the early morning you wish to discover you have 29.
Impact windows are not just about making it through the huge one. They improve daily living. The living room remains cooler and quieter. The air conditioner 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 shorter. You lock the sashes, set storm mode on the alarm, and focus on people instead of panels.
For many of my clients, that intangible is the deciding aspect. They understand storms will come. They likewise understand life in South Florida is too good to live inside a fortress that only wakes up in August. Miami-Dade authorized windows give you both: a clear view of Biscayne Bay on a breezy February early morning and peaceful confidence when the spaghetti models point our method September.
If you are weighing the choice, start with a site-specific evaluation. Match your exposures to create pressures, pick the best laminated glass stack for wind and heat, select frames that fit the architecture and conditions, and hire a team that respects the load course. Done right, energy‑efficient effect windows deliver what shutters can not: protection that never ever asks for a ladder and a much better home every day of the year.