Impact storefronts
in South Florida
Aluminum framing, laminated impact glass, one approved assembly
- Laminated impact glass, usually 9/16 inch, clear or Low-E
- Aluminum framing in the finish the architect specifies
- A Florida Product Approval or a Miami-Dade NOA for every assembly
- Doors, sidelites and fixed panels detailed as one system
What we actually install
Maximum View storefront
The retail workhorse
Heavier commercial framing
Impact rated automatic sliders
Every assembly ships with its approval number
Florida Product Approval
Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance
HVHZ is Miami-Dade and Broward
Drawings first, dimensions from you, closeout that clears
Takeoff and budget
Shop drawings
Approvals to the permit set
Fabrication and supply
Installation to your dimensions
Waterproofing and closeout
Eight manufacturers, one point of contact
We quote to the spec, and we tell you when the spec fights itself
On a commercial job the glass numbers are not a preference, they are a line in the specification: a visible light transmittance, a solar heat gain coefficient, a U-factor, sometimes a light to solar gain ratio the energy model depends on. We buy Solarban from Vitro through our fabricators and we quote what the spec calls for. Solarban 70XL is a triple silver coating, which is how it holds 64 percent visible light at a 0.27 solar heat gain.
Where it gets interesting is a beachfront job. The marine turtle ordinance sets a ceiling on visible light transmittance, and the architect’s daylight target is a floor. Those two can be written into the same set of documents by two different consultants who never spoke. We raise that at bid time, not at glass release, because at glass release it is a change order and a lead time.
| Glass | Visible light | Solar heat gain | Light to solar gain | Under the 45% turtle threshold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solarban 60 with clear | 70% | 0.39 | 1.79 | No |
| Solarban 70XL with clear | 64% | 0.27 | 2.37 | No |
| Solarbronze with Solarban 70XL | 38% | 0.26 | 1.46 | Yes |
| Solargray with Solarban 70XL | 32% | 0.24 | 1.33 | Yes |
Solarban is made by Vitro Architectural Glass, formerly PPG. These are Vitro’s published figures for a one inch insulating unit with a half inch airspace and two quarter inch lites. Most of what we install is nine sixteenths laminated impact, which is a different buildup and carries different numbers. We give you the figures for the exact glass on your quote, not these.
The turtle ordinance, in procurement terms
Florida’s model lighting ordinance for marine turtle protection, Rule 62B-55 of the Florida Administrative Code, defines tinted glass as glass with an inside to outside light transmittance of 45 percent or less, and the coastal construction section of the Florida Building Code points at the same standard. It applies where interior light is visible from the nesting beach.
In Palm Beach County the requirement sits in the Unified Land Development Code and Environmental Resources Management enforces it, with nesting season running March 1 through October 31. Martin, Broward and Miami-Dade each have their own ordinance, and individual coastal towns can be stricter than the county. The building department with jurisdiction has the last word, so we confirm the number with them before the glass is released.
Practically: on a coastal elevation, expect a tinted substrate under the coating rather than clear. It is the same coated product on a gray or bronze lite, so it does not cost you solar performance. What it costs is daylight, and that is the trade the design team needs to sign off on before we order.
What ends up in the submittal
Glass type and buildup, the manufacturer’s published performance data for that exact makeup, the Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance for the assembly, and signed and sealed shop drawings. If the job is in a turtle lighting district we include the transmittance value against the ordinance so the reviewer is not asked to take our word for it.
If your spec names a competing product, tell us at bid. We will price the named product and, if there is an equal worth looking at, we will show both instead of substituting quietly.
Storefronts we have built in South Florida
Everything your precon team asks for, in one packet
- Certificate of insurance, issued to your entity
- W-9 and Florida license SCC131154568
- Project references with general contractor contacts
- Shop drawings and product approvals per opening
- Commercial bids from 48 hours, residential estimates same day
Impact storefronts, answered
How fast can you turn a bid around?
Commercial bids go out from 48 hours once we have the elevations and the glazing schedule. Residential estimates are same day. If a package is large or the drawings raise questions we will tell you the date we can hit rather than let it slip quietly.
Can I use shutters instead of impact glass on a storefront?
Code lets you protect a glazed opening either way. On a retail front, shutters mean somebody has to deploy them before every storm and the elevation reads closed while they are up. Impact glazing is installed once and never needs a decision at six in the morning.
What is the difference between a Florida Product Approval and a Miami-Dade NOA?
Both approve a tested assembly. The FL number is the statewide route. The Miami-Dade NOA is tested to the TAS protocols and is required inside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which is Miami-Dade and Broward. An NOA is accepted anywhere in Florida.
Do you work inside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone?
Yes. Bal Harbour and Hallandale Beach are both HVHZ jurisdictions and both are finished jobs.
Can you install at night or in phases?
Yes. The Orlebar Brown storefront at Bal Harbour Shops went in at night so the mall kept trading. Phasing is a change order line, not an obstacle.
Do you supply and install, or install only?
Either. Most jobs are supply and install, which is where we can hold the schedule. If the system is already bought we will install to it, but we will want to see the approval first.
Send plans, get a real number
- 7830 Byron Dr Ste 4, West Palm Beach, FL 33404
- (561) 584-8485 · Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm
- [email protected]
- Licensed and insured, FL SCC131154568