Impact Windows in Fruitville, FL

Fruitville is an inland community in Sarasota County, and impact windows here protect family homes that sit a little higher and farther from the Gulf than the keys. The ground is around 30 feet above sea level, so surge is not the main worry. Wind and debris are. Hurricane Milton's gusts reached 107 mph in nearby Sarasota in 2024, and that kind of wind does not stop at the coastline.

A neighborhood of year-round homes

Fruitville's 2020 census count was 15,484 people, up from 13,224 in 2010, with 7,578 housing units and only about 12.5% vacant. Most homes are lived in year-round. For year-round households, the decision is often about convenience and comfort as much as storms: laminated glass cuts noise from busy roads and blocks most UV light that fades floors and furniture.

Sliders first, then windows

Many Fruitville houses are one-story ranch and block homes with a slider to a screened lanai. That slider is usually the largest glass opening in the house. An impact sliding glass door replaces the old panels with laminated glass in a stronger frame, and it often fixes sticky rollers and leaky tracks at the same time. Then windows can follow room by room, or all at once.

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Rain and drainage

Sarasota-area rain falls mostly between March and November. Wind-driven rain is what exposes failed sealant and missing flashing around older windows. During the measure, we look for water stains below sills, soft drywall and peeling paint, which point to openings that have been leaking for a while.

A little history

Charles Reaves settled the area in 1876. Fruitville Elementary was built in 1941 with WPA money, and the county's first municipal airport, dedicated here in 1929, later became Lowe Field and closed in 1961.

Front doors and garage-side entries

Many Fruitville homes have an entry door off the garage as well as the front door. Both need to hold in a storm. An impact entry door uses a reinforced slab, laminated glass in any lites and multi-point locks. If the garage door itself is not rated, wind entering the garage can push on that inner door, so it is worth checking both while we are measuring.

County permits

Fruitville is unincorporated, so permits go to Sarasota County. The county asks for each product's Florida approval documents and a floor plan with current window sizes. We prepare both and schedule the inspections. Call (941) 390-3550 to get on the calendar.