Jacksonville Beach · 2024
A block cottage re-skinned for the coast
Fourteen original single-pane aluminium windows, four blocks from the ocean, in the wind-borne debris region.
Before and after
Drag the handle to compare. Photographs are illustrative for this demo site.
The brief
What they came to us with
The owners had bought the cottage as a long-term rental and wanted it brought up to a standard where it would not need attention every season. Insurance was the immediate driver, comfort was the second.
Every glazed opening on the house needed either impact-rated glazing or an approved protection system, and they wanted impact glass so nobody would have to put up panels.
What we did
- Fourteen impact-rated windows and two impact-rated doors, each with a design pressure rating and a Florida Product Approval number on the permit set
- Openings surveyed individually, because five of the fourteen were out of square by more than half an inch
- Stucco repair and re-coat on two elevations, with a sample board approved before the full coat
- Interior renovation: flooring, paint, bathroom and kitchen updates
- Attic insulation brought up to current levels and the ducts sealed
What made it difficult
Design pressure by opening
Pressure requirements are not uniform across a house. Corner zones carry higher pressures than field zones, so the two units nearest each corner were specified at a higher rating than the rest. Ordering one rating for the whole house would have been cheaper and wrong.
Out-of-square openings
Five openings in a 1961 block wall were out of square enough that a stock unit would not have sealed. Those were re-bucked and the block was patched before the units went in.
Corrosion
Every exterior fastener and connector on this job is stainless. Four blocks from the ocean, standard galvanised hardware shows rust within a couple of seasons.
Lead time
Impact units were quoted at 12 to 14 weeks and arrived in 15. We sequenced the interior work first so the crew was never waiting on glass.
How it finished
- Every opening is impact-rated with documented product approval, which the insurer wanted to see.
- The house is noticeably quieter, which surprised the owners more than the storm rating did.
- No shutters to store, put up or take down.
They specified different ratings for the corner windows and explained exactly why. Nobody else even mentioned it.
More from the archive
Three other jobs
Avondale · 2025
A 1926 frame house taken back to studs
Whole-home renovation, rewire, rear addition
$412,000 (sample figure) · 38 weeks
Mandarin · 2025
A 1974 ranch with the spine wall removed
Structural opening, whole-house flooring, service upgrade
$238,000 (sample figure) · 24 weeks
San Marco · 2024
A rear addition under the 50 percent rule
620 sq ft addition, flood-zone compliance, mechanical redesign
$286,000 (sample figure) · 31 weeks
Start where every one of our projects starts
A two hour site visit, then a written budget band inside a week. No drawings, no deposit.