Impact Windows in University Park, FL

Impact windows in University Park go into homes that share a neighborhood with the National Hurricane Center. The NHC moved into a hurricane-resistant building on the Florida International University campus here in 1995, a facility rated to withstand 130 mph winds. The neighborhood grew around FIU, which was built on the former Tamiami Airport site.

Owners and landlords near campus

The 2000 census counted 9,047 housing units in University Park, and the area sits right beside a large university campus. Landlords often choose impact windows because they protect the property whether or not a tenant puts up shutters, and laminated glass is harder to break into. Owners who live here like the quiet that laminated glass brings near busy roads.

Single-family homes and duplexes

Typical projects here include:

• Front windows and the entry door
• Bedroom windows sized to stay code-compliant emergency exits
• A rear impact slider or French door

We write the estimate opening by opening so you can phase it.

Impact entry doors

Near a busy campus, a solid entry door matters for security as much as storms. Impact entry doors use reinforced slabs, laminated glass in any lites and multi-point locks. Each needs a current approval for its size and swing.

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Permits and the CDP change

University Park was merged into the Westchester CDP for the 2020 census, but that only changes census statistics. The area is still unincorporated, so permits go through Miami-Dade County. Expect to provide an NOA for each product and a plan locating each opening.

A research campus on storms

FIU's main campus here covers about 342 acres and houses the International Hurricane Research Center along with the NHC and the Miami National Weather Service office. For homeowners, the practical lesson from that work is simple: a house holds together best when every opening stays closed. One broken window or blown-in door lets wind pressurize the inside and push on the roof. That is why we encourage owners to think of the house as a whole envelope, with windows, sliders, entry door and garage door all protected, even if the work happens in phases.

Working in an occupied home

Many owners near campus work from home or rent rooms, so we plan around the people in the house. We do a few openings at a time, keep walkways clear, and close each room before moving to the next. If tenants live there, we suggest the owner tells them the schedule in advance so rooms can be cleared near each window.

Lessons from Andrew

When Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992, it blew the weather radar and the anemometer off the roof of the Hurricane Center's previous offices. The new building on the FIU campus was built to resist that kind of wind, a good model for any home. Call (786) 699-6948 to talk it through.