Single-hung windows
A familiar choice for bedrooms and living spaces where simple operation and a traditional profile fit the home.
Impact windows
Choosing impact window styles, frames and glass
Every opening in your home can take a different style. Here is how single-hung, roller, casement and picture windows compare, which frame suits a Fort Lauderdale house or condo, and what the glass choices change.
Window options
Window styles: match the room and how you use it
Impact protection is only part of the decision. Ventilation, sight lines, cleaning access, frame material, and the existing wall condition all affect the right window for each opening.
Horizontal rollers
Useful for wide openings, patios, and rooms where side-to-side operation is more practical.
Casement windows
Hinged operation can provide a broad opening and a clean contemporary appearance.
Picture windows
Fixed glass emphasizes light and views where ventilation is not needed.
Frames
Aluminum or vinyl frames?
Both are approved for Broward County when the product carries the right rating. The choice comes down to looks, budget and how close you live to salt water.
Aluminum
Slim, strong frames that suit modern homes and condo towers. Aluminum handles large openings well and comes in white, bronze and black. Ask for a marine-grade finish if the house faces the Intracoastal or the ocean, because salt air pits bare metal over time.
Vinyl
Thicker frames with chambers inside that slow heat moving through. Vinyl usually costs a little less per window, never needs painting and does not corrode. It is a common pick for single-family homes west of US-1.
Matching what you have
In historic districts such as Sailboat Bend, the look of the frame can matter as much as the rating. Colonial grids, wider frames and bronze finishes help new units sit well on an older facade.
Glass
What the glass choices change
All impact glass is laminated: two panes bonded to a tough clear interlayer that holds the glass in the frame if it cracks. What you add on top changes heat, light and privacy.
Low-E coating
A thin coating that reflects heat and UV. On west-facing rooms it can make a clear difference to afternoon comfort and fading.
Tinted glass
Gray or bronze tints cut glare on the water side of the house. Some associations set the tint color, so check before ordering.
Insulated impact glass
Adds an air space behind the laminated pane. Quieter rooms and lower cooling bills, at a higher price per window.
Obscure glass
Textured glass for bathrooms and street-facing rooms. You keep the light and lose the view in.
Ratings
The approvals Broward County asks for
Fort Lauderdale is in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. Every impact window installed here needs a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance or a Florida Product Approval rated for that zone. The permit lists the approval number for each opening, and the inspector checks it on site.
Each unit also has a design-pressure rating, the wind load it is tested to resist. Upper floors of beachfront condos need higher numbers than a one-story house in Plantation. The right rating for each opening is worked out when the house is measured, not guessed from a brochure.
Want to know what this adds up to? The impact window cost guide lists prices per opening and sample totals.
Planning the project
What a useful window estimate should clarify
- Opening dimensions and existing frame conditions
- Window style, frame material, color, and glass selection
- Removal, installation, sealing, trim, and finish expectations
- Product approvals and permit-document needs
- Which items are included, optional, or outside the quoted scope
Free estimate
Get a price for your windows
Tell us roughly how many windows you have and which rooms. We call back, then measure every opening and price each one in writing.