Hurricane-Ready, Worry-Free: How Foster Windows & Doors Keeps South Florida Homes Strong

Practical, proactive tips from a family business that’s been protecting Florida homes for 70+ years.

If you live in South Florida, your windows and doors do more than frame the view — they’re the front line between your family and whatever the season sends your way. The good news? You don’t have to feel anxious about it. With the right glass, a little upkeep, and a team that knows local code, getting storm-ready is simply something you check off the list. That’s exactly what Foster Windows & Doors has been helping neighbors do for more than seven decades.

Whether you need a single foggy pane fixed, your impact glass restored, or a whole new home outfitted from the ground up, here’s a friendly, no-pressure guide to getting it done right.

Start with a simple mindset: prepared, not panicked

A lot of storm-season messaging leans on fear. We prefer a calmer approach: when your openings are sound and up to code, you’ve already done the hard part. Impact-rated glass is engineered to take a hit and stay in the frame, which helps keep wind and water out and your home pressurized the way it should be. Knowing your windows can handle it is what lets you sleep through the wind instead of staring at the ceiling.

The smartest move is to look at your windows and doors before the forecast gets busy — early summer is ideal. A quick check now means no scrambling later.

Three ways we help — whatever you actually need

Not every project is a full replacement, and we’d never tell you it was. Foster handles the whole range:

Small repairs. Foggy or sweating glass, a stuck slider, worn weatherstripping, a broken handle or roller, a door that won’t seal — these are quick, affordable fixes that make a daily difference and keep small issues from becoming big ones.

Hurricane / impact glass repair. Cracked, chipped, or compromised impact glass doesn’t always mean a whole new window. In many cases we can repair or replace the laminated glass unit and restore it to its code-ready, storm-rated strength — protecting your investment without replacing the entire frame.

Full new-home installations. Building new or doing a major remodel? We outfit entire homes with impact windows and doors, handle the permitting, and make sure everything meets South Florida’s High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements from day one.

A few stories from the field

The one foggy window that wasn’t worth a whole replacement. A homeowner in Fort Lauderdale called convinced she needed all her windows redone after one developed that cloudy, “fogged-up” look between the panes. We took a look and it was a single failed seal — one glass unit, one afternoon, a fraction of the cost she’d braced for. She kept the rest of her budget for a kitchen refresh. Sometimes the honest answer is the small one.

Beating the storm-season rush. A family who’d just bought an older home wanted impact windows before their first Florida summer. Because they reached out in spring, we had time to measure, permit, and install with zero pressure — and when the first watch was issued that year, the only thing they did was make popcorn. That’s the whole goal: a non-event.

A repair that protected a big investment. After a stray piece of debris cracked the outer layer of a newer impact door, the owner assumed the entire custom door was a loss. We were able to restore the rated glass unit and re-seal it properly — saving them thousands and keeping the door’s storm rating intact.

We’ve been doing this in South Florida for over 70 years, and what hasn’t changed is the approach: tell people the truth, fix what actually needs fixing, and make storm season the least stressful part of owning a home. Whether it’s one window or a whole house, we treat it like it’s our own. —
Terri, Owner, Foster Windows & Doors

Easy, proactive upkeep between visits

Rinse tracks and frames a few times a year — salt air and grit wear out rollers and seals faster than you’d think.
Check weatherstripping and caulking; a tidy seal keeps out water, drafts, and energy loss.
Operate every window and door once before storm season, so a stuck one isn’t a surprise.
Look for fogging — it’s an easy, inexpensive fix early on.
Keep your impact-glass paperwork handy; it can help with insurance and resale.

Frequently asked questions

Can impact glass really be repaired, or do I need a whole new window? Often it can be repaired. If the frame is sound and only the glass unit is damaged, we can frequently restore it to full rated strength — no need to replace everything. We’ll always tell you which option makes sense.

Do you handle the permits for new installations? Yes. For new-home and full-replacement projects we manage permitting and make sure everything meets South Florida’s HVHZ code.

Is it worth calling for just one small repair? Absolutely. A stuck slider, a foggy pane, or worn weatherstripping is a fast, affordable fix — and catching it early prevents bigger problems later.

How far ahead of storm season should I act? Spring and early summer are ideal, so there’s plenty of time to measure, permit, and install without any rush.

Are estimates really free? They are. We’ll come out, assess honestly, and give you a clear, no-pressure estimate.

Ask about PACE financing

Worried about cost? Many South Florida homeowners qualify for PACE financing, which lets you fund qualifying impact windows and doors and repay through your property taxes — making storm-ready upgrades a lot more accessible. Ask us how it works.