Garden Windows

Garden Windows in Palm Beach, FL | Winslow Windows & Doors

A garden window is a projecting, box-style impact window with glass on three sides and a built-in shelf base. It creates a small indoor greenhouse over your kitchen sink or breakfast nook while still meeting Florida’s hurricane code. In Palm Beach, where coastal homes blend Mediterranean styling with strict wind-zone requirements, these windows give you display space for orchids, herbs, or collectibles without sacrificing impact protection. Winslow Windows & Doors installs garden windows across our PGT, CGI, CWS, ES Windows, ECO, and Mr-Glass lines, and we build every opening to the Florida Building Code High-Velocity Hurricane Zone standard. Call (561) 831-7863 to talk through sizes and finishes.

Call (561) 831-7863

Product Overview - Garden Windows

A garden window projects outward from the wall plane, typically 12 to 18 inches, which means glass on the left, right, front, and top. The shelf base sits level with your counter or slightly above it, giving you a sunlit ledge for plants or display pieces. What separates an impact-rated garden window from a standard one is the glazing package on every exposed pane: laminated impact glass with a PVB interlayer that holds the glass in the frame if debris strikes it. The frame itself is engineered aluminum or vinyl, with the projection supported by a structural sill and top brace designed for outward cantilever loads.

In hurricane-prone construction, a projecting window is the hardest profile to get right. The geometry creates more surface area for wind pressure, and the four glass planes multiply the number of potential impact points. That’s why the compliance path matters: each configuration carries Miami-Dade NOA (Notice of Acceptance) and Florida Product Approval numbers, and the frame is tested under TAS 201, TAS 202, and TAS 203 protocols. You get the architectural benefit of a bay-like projection with the same impact protection you’d expect from any other rated opening in your Palm Beach home. We have been installing these in kitchens across Palm Beach for years, from historic Flamingo Park cottages to newer builds in Ibis and Mirasol.

Technical Specifications

Every garden window we sell is configured per opening, with design pressures matched to your wind zone, up to +/-100, never higher. Here’s what you can specify:

• Frame materials: Aluminum or vinyl, both engineered for coastal exposure.
• Glass options: Laminated impact glass with PVB interlayer, Low-E insulated glass, tinted glass, or clear glass.
• Finish colors: White, Almond, Bronze, Black, or Tan.
• Sill options: Shelf sill, which functions as the display base for plants or decorative items.
• Compliance documentation: Miami-Dade NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers available per configuration, tied to Florida Building Code HVHZ requirements.
• Size range: Widths and projections are configurable per opening; we size the projection to your counter depth during measurement.

The shelf sill deserves attention because it’s what makes a garden window a garden window. It’s a flat, load-bearing surface integrated into the frame, not an aftermarket insert. The shelf supports the weight of potted plants while the laminated glass above and around it keeps those same plants protected behind code-rated glazing.

Hurricane & Compliance Performance

Laminated Impact Glass
The standard glazing on every garden window we quote uses a PVB (polyvinyl butyral) interlayer sandwiched between two lites of glass. Under impact, the glass may crack but the interlayer holds the shards in the frame, which keeps wind, rain, and debris from breaching the building envelope. This is true on all four glass planes, including the sloped top.

Miami-Dade NOA / Florida Product Approval
Each garden window configuration carries a Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance and a Florida Product Approval number. These are specific to size, frame material, and glass combination, not generic to the product line. When we quote your project, the approval numbers for your exact configuration go on the quote and the permit submittal. Verify on your specific quote.

FBC / HVHZ Compliance
Our garden windows are engineered to Florida Building Code High-Velocity Hurricane Zone requirements. HVHZ is not a suggestion: it’s the governing construction standard for Palm Beach County, which sits inside the state’s most stringent wind-borne debris region. Any garden window you buy for a Palm Beach home must meet it.

TAS 201 / 202 / 203 Testing Context
The HVHZ-rated products we install are tested under the TAS protocol family. TAS 201 covers large-missile impact, TAS 202 covers cyclic wind-pressure loading, and TAS 203 covers forced-entry resistance. Together these simulate the sequence of a hurricane: the debris hit, the repeated pressure cycles, and the post-storm security concern.

Design Pressure for Your Wind Zone
Design pressure is the structural rating of the window expressed in pounds per square foot (PSF), not a wind speed. We match each garden window to the design pressures required for your specific wind zone, up to +/-100, never higher. A window engineered for a stronger zone than your home needs costs more and gains nothing. A window engineered for a weaker zone fails inspection.

Energy Performance
Low-E and insulated glass options are available on garden windows, and they make a noticeable difference in a room where the glass area faces direct morning or afternoon sun. In Palm Beach, a west-facing kitchen with an uninsulated garden window will heat up by mid-afternoon. Low-E insulated glass reduces that heat transfer while keeping the greenhouse effect for your plants.

Color & Glass Options

The finish you choose should serve the architecture. In Palm Beach, the dominant home styles are Mediterranean Revival, Bermuda, and mid-century coastal ranch. White and Almond finishes read clean and traditional on the first two; Bronze and Black give a garden window a more contemporary, contrast-forward look that works well on ranch homes and newer construction. Tan splits the difference, a warm neutral that doesn’t compete with stucco and barrel tile.

Glass selection follows the room’s sun exposure. Clear laminated impact glass maximizes natural light and plant growth, which is what most kitchen garden windows are for. Tinted glass cuts glare in rooms that get hard western exposure without adding a window treatment. Low-E insulated glass is the pick if your kitchen runs hot in the summer and you want the window to contribute to whole-home cooling performance. Every pane is impact-rated regardless of which glass you choose. The choice is about light, heat, and privacy, not protection.

Installation by Winslow Windows & Doors in Palm Beach

Installation is where a tested, NOA-rated garden window either performs or fails. The approval documents assume the window is installed correctly: level, plumb, and square, with the perimeter sealed to the specific method the manufacturer and product approval require. We install per AAMA 2400 and 2410 practice, using AAMA 812 low-expansion foam perimeter sealant. If the frame is racked out of square, or the sealant bead is skipped, the window’s tested performance no longer applies.

Our process starts with a pre-install inspection of the rough opening. We check the stud condition, the existing header, and the waterproofing condition around the opening before anything gets ordered. A projecting window hangs weight off the wall plane, so the framing and anchoring matter more than they do on a flush-mount window. Once the window arrives, we set it level, plumb, and square, shim and anchor it to the manufacturer’s approved method, seal the full perimeter, and run a water test on the installation before we trim anything out.

Palm Beach permitting is part of the job. HVHZ jurisdictions require product approval documentation at plan review, and your garden window has to be on the NOA list for the exact configuration you’re installing. We handle the submittal paperwork and coordinate inspections. Coastal exposure in parts of Palm Beach, particularly east of Dixie Highway and in areas off the Intracoastal, can push design pressure requirements toward the upper end of the range. We size the window for that exposure, not for a generic Palm Beach County average.

Frequently Asked Questions - Garden Windows

What wind zone and design pressure is the Garden Window rated for?
The garden window is engineered for design pressures matched to your specific wind zone, up to +/-100 PSF. Palm Beach County sits inside the Florida Building Code High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and we configure each opening to the exact pressure requirements of your address, not a one-size-fits-all rating.

What is the typical lead time on a garden window order?
Most garden window configurations in the impact-rated lines we carry ship in four to eight weeks from order date, depending on the manufacturer and current production schedules. Custom sizes and color-match finishes can extend that. We’ll give you a hard lead time at quote so you can plan the kitchen work around it. Call (561) 831-7863 to start a quote.

Does my permit require a Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval submittal?
Yes, for any garden window installed in Palm Beach County, the permit submittal requires the Miami-Dade NOA and Florida Product Approval numbers for the exact configuration you’re buying. We include those documents in the permit package we prepare for your project. Every configuration we sell has the paperwork available; verify on your specific quote.

Can I customize the size or configuration of my garden window?
Yes, within the tested envelope. Garden windows are quoted per opening, so width, projection depth, frame material, glass type, and finish color are all specified for your project. What you can’t do is order a size outside the tested approval range for that product and expect it to pass inspection. We’ll work within the approved size matrix. Call (561) 831-7863 and we’ll measure and spec it.

How do I maintain the frame of my garden window?
Wash the frame and glass with mild soap and water twice a year, and keep the weep holes on the exterior bottom clear of debris. The shelf sill should be wiped dry after watering plants to prevent standing water on the frame. Check the perimeter sealant annually and recaulk any gaps. In coastal Palm Beach, salt film builds up on exterior surfaces faster, so rinse the frame more often if you’re within a mile of the ocean.

Get a Quote - Garden Windows in Palm Beach

If you’re planning a kitchen update in Palm Beach and want a garden window that actually passes HVHZ code, we’ll measure, spec, and price it for your exact opening. Free on-site measurement, written line-item quote, and all the NOA paperwork for your permit. Call (561) 831-7863 to schedule yours.

Written by the team at Winslow Windows & Doors, serving Palm Beach, FL with hurricane-impact window and door installation.