Impact Windows in Rio, FL

Rio is one of the smallest places we serve, and impact windows here are usually about getting good protection on a compact house. The community, pronounced locally as "Rye-oh," sits on the north side of the St. Lucie River across from downtown Stuart, bordered by Jensen Beach. It covers less than a square mile, and more than half of that is water. The 2000 census counted 622 housing units and an average household of about two people, which tells you a lot about the homes: modest, often older, and close to the river.

Fewer openings, more choices

A small home has fewer windows, which makes full impact replacement more reachable than owners often expect. A two-bedroom house might have eight or ten windows and one or two doors. With that count, it often makes sense to do the whole house at once and be finished.

If the budget is tighter, there are good middle paths:

• Impact windows on the bedrooms and living areas, storm panels on small bathroom or utility windows
• Accordion shutters on a front porch or Florida room
• An impact entry door paired with panels on the windows until you can replace them

River exposure

With water making up about 58 percent of Rio's area and an elevation around seven feet, many homes here face open water within a block or two. That exposure raises the design pressure a window or door must meet. We rate each opening based on your lot so you are not overbuying for an inland spot or underbuying for a river-facing wall.

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Old settlement, older houses

Rio was settled in 1893 and platted as Rio St. Lucie, and its post office opened that year before closing for good in 1927. Homes from many decades sit side by side. On older houses, we expect to find worn bucks, out-of-square openings or old jalousie windows, and we repair and square the opening before setting new units.

Permits

Rio is unincorporated Martin County, so the county's Building Department issues the permit. The county's checklist asks for an application, a window and door schedule, a floor plan and product approvals. We fill out the schedule with each opening's size and type and whether it gets impact glass or a shutter.

Jalousie and awning windows

Some older homes near the river still have jalousie windows, with rows of glass slats that tilt open. They are drafty and offer almost no storm protection. Replacing them with impact single-hungs, casements or awning windows is one of the biggest comfort and safety upgrades you can make in an older Florida house.

Doing the work while you live there

In a small house, every room counts. We usually work through the home in a planned order, removing and installing a few openings at a time so no room is left open overnight. Furniture near each window gets moved and covered, and we clean up as we go. Most owners stay home through the job.