Impact Windows in Siesta Key, FL

On Siesta Key, impact windows are less of an upgrade and more of a baseline. The island sits between Roberts Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, much of it only a few feet above sea level, and Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on October 9, 2024, as a Category 3 storm. When a storm comes off the Gulf, homes here feel it before almost anyone else in the county.

150 mph is the design number

A Sarasota County design hazards report for a Beach Road address on the key lists an ultimate design wind speed of 150 mph and a ground elevation just under 3 feet. Every window, slider and door we install here has to carry a Florida product approval with design pressures that suit that wind speed, the height of the opening and its spot on the wall. Corners and upper floors see higher pressures than the middle of a ground-floor wall, so a single house can need more than one rating.

Homes that sit empty part of the year

In the 2020 census, Siesta Key had 7,792 housing units and almost 64% of them were counted as vacant, which on a beach island mostly means seasonal homes and rentals. That changes the shutter conversation. Nobody is around to put up panels when a storm turns toward the coast in September. For a seasonal owner, the usual choices are:

• Impact glass on every opening, so nothing has to be done before a storm.
• Motorized roll-down shutters, which a property manager or neighbor can close with a switch or a remote.
• A mix, with impact windows in most places and roll-downs over the big Gulf-side openings.

Roll-down shutters in salt air

Roll-down shutters store in a box above the opening and drop down on side tracks. They are popular on the key because they also give shade and privacy when you are home. Salt air is hard on them, though. We talk through aluminum slat options, finish, and the motor and manual override, and we show you how to rinse the tracks so sand and salt do not bind them. Power-operated shutters may also need an electrical permit, which we confirm with the building department.

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Sliders facing the Gulf

Most Siesta Key homes and condos have at least one large sliding glass door toward the water. An impact slider is heavy, and the sill has to resist both wind pressure and water pushed sideways by the wind. We look at the threshold height, the track drainage and how the frame is anchored into the slab or the wall before quoting a size.

Condos and associations

If you own a condo on the key, your association likely sets rules for frame color, glass tint and who may do the work. Bring us your association's specifications early and we will match the product to them.

Getting on and off the key

Access is by two bridges: the first was finished in 1917 and the second, at the south end, in 1927. We plan deliveries of large glass units around beach traffic and season. Call (941) 390-3550 to talk about your openings.