Impact Door Installation in South Florida
A door is a moving part in a wall that has to resist hurricane pressure, keep out wind-driven rain and lock securely every day, and the way it is installed decides whether it does all three. National Glass & Construction installs impact sliding, French, entry, pivot and folding doors for homes and businesses in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Why Installing a Door Takes More Than Installing a Window
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Sills, Floors and Water: A door sits on the floor, so its threshold has to tie into the slab, the interior flooring and the patio or balcony outside. We check finished floor heights before ordering, set the sill level and fully supported, and seal beneath it so water that reaches the threshold drains out instead of into the house. A poorly set sill is a frequent source of leaks at sliding doors.
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Swing, Clearance and Exits: Hinged doors need room to swing without hitting furniture, railings or steps, and outswing doors, common here because wind pressure seats them against the frame, need clear space outside. A home also needs an exit door that opens easily from inside without special effort, which shapes the hardware we specify. Swing and clearance are confirmed with you before the door is built.
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Structure Around the Opening: Large impact doors are heavy and pass wind loads into the wall around them, so the anchors have to reach sound concrete, block or framing. When we find spalled concrete, a rotted wood buck or an opening that is out of square, we repair or rebuild it before the door goes in rather than shimming over the problem.
How We Install an Impact Door, Step by Step
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Measure and Specify: After a free on-site estimate, we take final measurements, confirm the design pressure the opening needs and match it to a door whose product approval covers your county: a Miami-Dade NOA or an HVHZ-valid Florida Product Approval in Miami-Dade and Broward, and typically a Florida Product Approval in Palm Beach.
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Permit, Then Install: We file the permit with the approval documents and schedule installation once the door arrives. On the day, the crew protects the work area, removes the old unit, prepares the opening and anchors the new door with the fasteners and spacing its approval calls for, then seals the perimeter inside and out.
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Adjust, Inspect and Hand Over: A new door is adjusted until it latches, locks and slides without force. We coordinate the inspections the building department requires, make any corrections, and walk you through the locks and care of the hardware before closing out. National Glass & Construction is licensed, insured and bonded, and has handled residential and commercial work since 1986.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you install an impact door where I now have a window?
Often, yes. Turning a window into a door means cutting the wall down to the floor and usually widening or reinforcing the opening, which can affect the structure above it. That kind of change generally needs engineering and has to be shown on the permit, and in a condo it also needs association approval. We review the wall and explain what would be involved at the estimate.
Can a new impact door be installed while my floors are being redone?
Yes, but the order matters. The threshold should be set to the finished floor height, so it helps to know the thickness of the new tile or wood before the door is ordered. If the floors go in first, we install to them; if the door goes in first, we set it to the planned height and the flooring installer finishes up to the sill.
Is installing an impact door in a condo different from a house?
Yes. Condominium associations usually require approval before work starts and set the frame color, glass and style that units must use. Building management may also ask for a certificate of insurance, limit work hours, and require elevator reservations and protection for common areas. We plan deliveries and crew time around those rules.
What happens to my alarm sensors and door locks?
Contact sensors on the old door are disconnected when it comes out, so plan with your alarm company to reinstall them on the new one. Handles and keyed cylinders come with the new unit, and because many impact doors use multi-point locks, not every aftermarket smart lock will fit. If you want one, tell us before ordering so compatibility can be checked.
What adds cost to an impact door installation?
Beyond the door itself, cost rises with the work the opening needs: repairing concrete or replacing a wood buck, changing the opening size, raising or lowering a threshold, and finishing stucco, drywall and trim afterward. Upper-floor or high-rise access, condo building requirements and a higher design pressure at exposed locations also play a part. We spell these out at the estimate.
How long does the installation itself take?
On site, the work generally takes a few days, and larger projects can run from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on the number of doors and the repairs involved. Impact doors are built to order and the permit must be issued before work begins, so we give you a schedule once the order and permit are in place.
Impact Door Installation by City
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Miami-Dade County
We also work in Palm Beach County. See all service areas
Need a Door Installed the Right Way?
Call (305) 599-0909 or request a free estimate. We will look at the opening, the floor and the wall before recommending a door.
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