Impact Windows in Tradition, FL

Homeowners in Tradition often assume a newer house needs nothing, then find out the builder used shutters, not impact windows, or put impact glass on the front and left the back of the home relying on panels. Core Communities started building Tradition in 2006 on a former cattle ranch west of the I-95 interchange at Gatlin Boulevard, and the plan leaves room for more than 18,000 homes. With that many houses built over a short span, we see the same few questions again and again, and most of them start at the back door.

Why the slider is the first thing to look at

The big glass door that opens to the lanai is usually the largest single opening in a Tradition home. A wide slider catches a lot of wind, and if its glass fails during a storm, pressure inside the house rises fast and can push up on the roof. Swapping a standard slider for an impact sliding glass door removes the need to wrestle tall panels into a track every time a storm is forecast.

We look at the panel count, the track type and how the door meets the lanai floor. Some owners want a two-panel door replaced with a three- or four-panel unit, or a pocket slider that tucks into the wall. Changing the size of the opening is structural work and needs more planning and engineering, so we tell you up front whether your idea is a straight swap or a bigger project.

Windows on the rest of the house

Once the slider is handled, owners often move on to bedroom and great-room windows. Builder windows in newer homes are generally in decent shape, so the reason to change them is protection and convenience, not rot. Impact units come in single-hung, horizontal roller, casement and fixed picture styles. Bedroom windows have to keep a code-compliant escape opening, so we check that a new style does not shrink the clear opening below what egress requires.

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HOA review before any work starts

Tradition is a master-planned community, and its neighborhoods have architectural rules about frame color, grid patterns and sometimes glass tint. Those rules differ by neighborhood, and we cannot approve anything on the association's behalf. What we can do is give you a written scope with product names, colors and a layout of each opening so your submission is complete the first time. We order product after you have approval.

Permits through Port St. Lucie

Tradition sits inside Port St. Lucie city limits, so the city's building department issues the permit. The city lists window and door replacement as permitted work, and a full slider change falls in that group. We pull the permit, include the product approval sheets, and meet the inspector.

Thinking about the garage too

The garage door is another large opening, and many newer homes have a non-rated or lightly rated door. If you are already planning windows and a slider, ask us to look at the garage door at the same visit so you get one plan for the whole house.