Impact Windows in Melbourne, FL

Melbourne homeowners ask about impact windows for one main reason: the city has a little bit of every era of Florida house, and each one handles a storm differently. The village was incorporated in December 1888, a fire in 1919 took out most of the original Front Street downtown, and in 1969 Melbourne absorbed Eau Gallie, roughly doubling its size. That means a single estimate day can take us from a frame house near the river to a 1960s concrete block ranch to a 2000s stucco home with builder-grade sliders.

What changes from house to house

Older homes near downtown and in Eau Gallie often have rough openings that are not square anymore, wood bucks that have soaked up decades of humidity, and odd sizes that no catalog window matches. We measure every opening, check the buck and the sill for rot, and order to fit instead of forcing a stock size. Mid-century block homes are usually easier: masonry openings, aluminum single-hungs and jalousies, and a clear path to a modern impact frame anchored straight into the block.

Newer neighborhoods tend to have larger glass, two-story great rooms and wide sliding doors. Those big panels need higher design pressure ratings, and they are where impact glass makes the biggest difference compared with plywood or panels that someone has to carry up a ladder.

Rain is part of the job here

Melbourne averages about 51 inches of rain a year, mostly from late-afternoon thunderstorms between late May and early October, and Tropical Storm Fay in August 2008 dumped more than 17 inches on the city. A window that survives the wind but leaks around the frame is still a problem. Our installs focus on the parts you never see: the sill pan or sealant bed, the fastener pattern called for in the product approval, and the exterior seal against stucco or block.

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The full set of openings

Most homes have more than windows. A sliding glass door to the lanai, a front entry with a sidelite, and a two-car garage door are often the weakest points in the envelope. We price impact sliding glass doors, impact front doors and wind-rated garage doors alongside the windows so you can see the whole house on one estimate and decide what to do now and what to phase in later. If budget means protecting some openings with accordion shutters or removable hurricane shutters for a season, we will lay that out too.

Permits and paperwork

The City of Melbourne lists window, door and garage door replacement as permitted work, and inside city limits the application goes through the city's EnerGov portal. For shutters, we confirm current rules with the building department. We prepare the opening schedule, product approvals and installation details, file the permit, and schedule the inspections. Your estimate should show the contractor's state license number; if it does not, ask for it. Call (321) 321-4730 with your address and a rough count of windows and doors to get started.