Casement Windows

Casement Windows in Fort Lauderdale, FL | Winslow Windows & Doors

Casement windows are the side-hinged, crank-operated workhorses of South Florida impact protection. They open outward like a door, seal tight against wind-driven rain, and give you a full, unobstructed opening when you want the ocean breeze moving through your Fort Lauderdale home. At Winslow Windows & Doors, we install impact casements across our PGT, CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO, and Mr-Glass lines, matching each unit to your specific wind zone and opening size. These aren’t off-the-shelf windows; they’re engineered, specified, and installed to Florida Building Code High-Velocity Hurricane Zone standards. If you’re replacing windows in a Fort Lauderdale home built before the 2001 code changes, casements are often the single biggest upgrade you can make for both storm protection and daily comfort. Call (904) 913-5886 to talk through your project.

Call (904) 913-5886

Product Overview - Casement Windows

Casement windows hinge at the side and crank outward, which gives them a structural advantage over sliding windows in hurricane-prone construction. The sash closes against a full compression seal around all four sides, not just the meeting rail. When the wind pushes against the closed sash, it presses the window tighter into the frame rather than trying to separate it. That’s why this profile has been popular in coastal Florida architecture for decades, from Las Olas Isles’ mid-century ranches to the newer Mediterranean builds in Victoria Park and Rio Vista.

We offer these in aluminum and vinyl frames. Aluminum is the classic choice for Fort Lauderdale’s salt-air environment because it resists corrosion and carries the larger impact loads you see on wide openings and second-story installations. Vinyl adds thermal performance and a lower maintenance profile, and it’s become increasingly common in newer construction and remodels throughout Broward County. Both frame materials, when paired with the right laminated impact glass, hold their structural rating through repeated storm cycles. The crank mechanism itself is engineered for one-hand operation, and the sash stays put at whatever angle you open it to, so you can vent your house exactly as much as you want without the sash flapping in the wind.

For Fort Lauderdale homeowners, the casement solves two problems at once: it meets the code-driven demand for impact protection, and it delivers cross-ventilation in a city where you spend nine months of the year wanting every window open. That’s the appeal. You don’t compromise air flow for storm protection. You get both.

Technical Specifications

• Frame materials: Aluminum or vinyl, specified to your opening size and wind zone.
• Glass options: Laminated impact glass (PVB interlayer), Low-E insulated glass, tinted glass, or clear glass. Multiple combinations available depending on your energy and impact requirements.
• Finish options: White, almond, bronze, black, and tan across the interior and exterior, with custom color possibilities on select lines.
• Screen options: Fixed screen or retractable screen, both sized to the casement profile so the crank and hinge never interfere.
• Operation: Side-hinged crank operation with a full compression seal on all four sides of the sash.
• Sizing: Built to your opening dimensions. We order per-opening, which means no standard-size compromises in Fort Lauderdale’s older mid-century homes where every rough opening is slightly different.

Every casement we install is specified per opening, per elevation, per wind zone. That’s how design pressure works. You don’t buy a “hurricane window” off a shelf; you specify a product that meets the load calculations for the exact wall it’s going into. We do that calculation for you as part of every Fort Lauderdale quote.

Hurricane & Compliance Performance

Laminated Impact Glass
The glass is laminated with a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) interlayer sandwiched between two panes. Under impact, the glass may crack but it stays in the frame, keeping the building envelope sealed against wind and water intrusion. That’s the entire point of impact protection, and it’s what the Fort Lauderdale code expects from this product.

Miami-Dade NOA / Florida Product Approval
Each configuration carries a Miami-Dade NOA (Notice of Acceptance) and Florida Product Approval number. These numbers are issued per specific configuration, meaning the size, glass type, and frame material you choose determines the exact approval number. We verify the approval on your specific quote before you ever sign a contract.

FBC / HVHZ Compliance
These casements are engineered to Florida Building Code (FBC) High-Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) requirements. To be clear, much of Fort Lauderdale lies within the HVHZ, and your building department will ask to see that compliance documentation when you pull a permit. Ours is available.

TAS 201 / TAS 202 / TAS 203 Testing Context
HVHZ-rated products are tested under a protocol family that includes TAS 201 (large-missile impact), TAS 202 (cyclic wind-pressure loading), and TAS 203 (forced-entry resistance). These are the tests that qualify a window for use in places like Fort Lauderdale. When someone says “impact rated,” this is the testing behind it.

Design Pressure for Your Wind Zone
Design pressures are matched to your wind zone, up to +/-100, and never higher. Design pressure is a pounds-per-square-foot rating that tells you how much wind load the window is engineered to handle. We don’t over-spec beyond what your opening and location actually require. You pay for the rating your home needs, not a number that looks good on a brochure.

Energy Performance (Low-E / Insulated Options)
When impact glass alone isn’t enough for sun control, we pair laminated impact glass with Low-E coatings or insulated glass units. In Fort Lauderdale, west-facing openings on older homes can bake in the afternoon. An insulated impact casement on those elevations changes the feel of the room, and it does it without sacrificing the NOA rating.

Color & Glass Options

The finish palette runs white, almond, bronze, black, and tan, and each one works differently in Fort Lauderdale’s architectural mix. White and almond are the safe picks for older Florida ranches and cottages, especially in neighborhoods like Sailboat Bend and Shady Banks where the homes are smaller and the trim is simple. Black casements have become the standard for modern coastal builds and for Mediterranean-influenced homes with dark roof tiles and wrought-iron accents, particularly in the pricier pockets of Colee Hammock and Harbordale. Bronze splits the difference, and it hides the grime from Fort Lauderdale’s rainy season better than lighter colors.

Glass choice depends on what the opening faces. Clear impact glass is what you want on a shaded east elevation where you want maximum natural light and a clean view out over the water. Tinted glass helps on southern and western exposures where the afternoon sun loads the room with heat. Low-E insulated glass adds a real thermal break, and for bedrooms near busy streets or the airport approach, the extra pane also knocks down noise in a way a single laminate doesn’t. This is a decision we walk through opening by opening, not as a blanket choice for the whole house.

Installation by Winslow Windows & Doors in Fort Lauderdale

An impact casement is only as good as the installation around it. The NOA rating applies to the product, but the building envelope performance depends on how the product is set into your wall. In Fort Lauderdale, with the coastal humidity, the afternoon thunderstorms, and the occasional direct hit, the perimeter seal is everything.

Our installation process starts with a pre-install inspection of the rough opening. We’re checking for wood rot, for undersized headers, for existing water intrusion, for anchors that will actually bite. In older Fort Lauderdale homes, we regularly find openings that have settled out of square, and forcing a new casement into that opening is how you end up with a window that binds, leaks, or fails the final inspection. We address the opening before we ever set the window.

We set every unit level, plumb, and square, following AAMA 2400/2410 practice for field installation of windows and doors. The perimeter gets an AAMA 812 low-expansion foam sealant, which fills the void without bowing the frame, and the exterior gets the flashing and trim detail that your specific elevation requires. After the window is set, we water test it. After that, we clean up the site and walk you through the operation and maintenance of the unit. For Fort Lauderdale projects in HVHZ jurisdictions, we also keep your permit documentation ready, including the NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers, so you’re not scrambling when the inspector asks for them.

Improper installation compromises the NOA-rated system. That’s not a sales line; it’s the reality of how these products fail in the field. A window that leaves the factory rated for your wind zone can leak in a passing thunderstorm if the perimeter seal is wrong. We install these windows every week in Fort Lauderdale, and we do it the same way on a small cottage as on a waterfront estate.

Frequently Asked Questions - Casement Windows

What wind zone / design pressure is the Casement Windows rated for?
The design pressure is matched to your specific wind zone, up to +/-100, and never higher. Your Fort Lauderdale home’s wind zone depends on your exact location, elevation, and exposure. We calculate the required design pressure for each opening when we quote your project, and you only pay for the rating your building department actually requires. Call (904) 913-5886 for an exact specification on your home.

What is the lead time?
Lead times vary by manufacturer and configuration. Custom sizes, specific finish colors, and insulated glass options all add production time compared to standard clear impact casements. We’ll give you a realistic lead time estimate when you place your order, and we’ll coordinate the installation schedule around it so you’re not living with a boarded-up opening. Call (904) 913-5886 to check current lead times on the lines that fit your project.

Does it require a Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval submittal for my permit?
Yes. In Fort Lauderdale and most Broward County jurisdictions, your permit package will need to include the NOA or Florida Product Approval number for each casement configuration being installed. We provide that documentation as part of your quote and permit submittal. It’s not something you’ll need to chase down on your own.

Can I customize the size or configuration?
Yes. We order each casement to your specific opening dimensions rather than forcing a standard size into a non-standard opening. This matters in Fort Lauderdale’s older homes, where rough openings are rarely plumb or square. The crank orientation, screen type, frame material, glass package, and finish are all selected per opening. Call (904) 913-5886 and we’ll spec your windows exactly.

How do I maintain the frame?
Aluminum frames are low-maintenance. Rinse them with fresh water a few times a year, especially if you’re within a few blocks of the ocean in Fort Lauderdale. Salt film builds up and, over time, can pit the finish. Vinyl needs even less. Keep the track and hinges free of sand and debris, lubricate the crank mechanism occasionally with a silicone-based lubricant, and wipe the weatherstripping down once or twice a year so the compression seal stays pliable. That seal is what makes the casement work, so treat it well.

Get a Quote - Casement Windows in Fort Lauderdale

Replacing windows in Fort Lauderdale is a project that pays you back every summer, and casements are the profile we’d put in our own homes. We’ll measure every opening, calculate the required design pressure, pull the NOA documentation, and give you a line-item quote that spells out exactly what you’re getting. Call (904) 913-5886 to schedule a free on-site measurement and start your project.

Written by the team at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Fort Lauderdale, FL.