Impact Windows in Miami Lakes, FL

Miami Lakes homes are built around water, so impact windows here are often only half the conversation. The other half is the sliding glass door that opens onto the lake. The town was planned starting in 1962 by Sengra, now the Graham Companies, on what had been the Graham family dairy farm, with curving roads and curving lakes laid out by landscape architect Lester Collins. A house that faces one of those lakes usually has its largest glass on the water side, which is exactly where storm protection matters most.

Sliding doors are the big opening

An impact sliding glass door uses the same laminated glass as an impact window, but the panels are much larger and the frame has to carry far more load. On a lakefront lot in an open exposure, wind pressure on that wall can be higher than on the street side. The door's product approval lists the design pressures it was tested to, and our job is to match a door that meets or beats the pressure calculated for that opening. Two-panel, three-panel and pocketing configurations all come in impact versions. Taller frames and wider spans are possible, but each step up narrows the list of approved products.

Thresholds and water

The sill of a slider is where water gets in during a sideways rain. We pay attention to the threshold height, the pan under the door and the slope of the patio outside. On some homes, the patio was poured close to level with the floor, so a low-profile sill has to be matched with careful sealing and a flashing pan. If the slab slopes toward the house, we will tell you before installation, not after the first storm.

Get a Free Estimate

Matching the planned look

The town incorporated in December 2000, and many of its neighborhoods have associations with architectural rules. Frame color, grid style and tint can all be regulated. Get approval from your association before the permit goes in. We can provide the product sheets, color samples and a marked-up elevation for that review.

Windows on the street side

Once the slider is settled, most owners turn to the bedrooms and the front of the house. Single-hung impact windows are the common choice on the older homes east of the Palmetto, while some newer homes have larger fixed picture windows that call for a heavier frame. Laminated glass also blocks most ultraviolet light, which helps floors and furniture that sit in the afternoon sun off the lake.

Garage doors

Many Miami Lakes houses have attached garages facing the curving streets. An impact garage door with reinforced sections and tested tracks closes the widest opening on the house. Associations often regulate garage door style and color, so include it in the same review as windows.

The town's size

Miami Lakes covers about 5.66 square miles of land and 0.85 square miles of water, and its 2020 census count was 30,467 people in 12,090 housing units. The town has its own building department; check its current submittal requirements before scheduling.