 Hurricane Fabric is the largest hurricane fabric manufacturer and the only factory direct manufacturer who's system is easy enough for anyone to install. Our dealer network extends to farther than any other manufacturers. Call today or send us an email and we will put you in touch with a local dealer of our product. We are also the largest Internet direct hurricane screen company with our systems available for a corporate custom installation in: Hawaii, Mexico, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas, Guam, Australia, Puerto Rico, Grand Cayman, Bahamas, Long Island, New York, North Carolina, Myrtle Beach, Gulf Shores, Alabama, South Carolina, Cape Fear, New Orleans Louisiana, Lafeyette, Humble, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Galveston, Port Arthur Texas and Houston, Sea Island Georgia, Bermuda, Long Island, Baja, Cancun, Florida, Naples, Ft. Myers, Destin, Ft. Walton Beach, Sarasota,Tampa, Jacksonville, Stuart, Daytona Beach,Jupiter, Palm Beach, Marco Island, Palm Beach County,Hawaii, Maui, Boca Raton, Jupiter, Vero Beach, Coco Beach, Amelia Island Plantation, Melbourne, Central Florida, Orlando, Panhandle, Palm Beach Gardens, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and virtually all the Caribbean Islands including Martinique, Barbados, St Thomas, St Lucia, St Martin, Puerto Rico, Grand Bahama, Hotels, and Resorts. Call our helpline now for a company installed hurricane protection system.
 Armor Screens Storm Protection Fabric. Armor Screens system has a decent buckle and strap system (only if installed properly) but it is by far the most difficult to put up and take down. Buckle and Strap system also need to be re tensioned during a long hurricane as the buckle's become loose. Traditional buckle and strap systems are antiquated by today's standards, and there are safer systems out their, But if you are in the market for a Buckle Strap system, than Armor Screens are the way to go. A few warnings: Do not use these unless you are going to be present during a hurricane to re tension the system during the storm. Make certain that ALL buckle and strap Armor Screens are secured from the inside and that you do not need to go outside to re tighten your system. Buckle and Strap Armor Screens are not recommended for large structures as it becomes impossible to retinsion all the buckle and straps if you have more than 40 screens. Armor Screens grommet system was a knock off of Storm Cats system and we do not recommend the use of this system as it is questionable whether it can stop and impact with a wind load on the system. Some parts of this system are produced in China.
Storm Catcher Corp. Storm Protection Fabric has 4 very different systems. Offers an easy to use Direct Mount system, a very unique Smart Track system which Pulte Homes uses, the traditional buckle/strap. Storm Catcher's electric roll down system is also used by most people for sun protection and eliminates the need for a separate system for this purpose. Cost estimate $12-14 per square foot. The roll down costs is between $33-50 per square foot. Storm Catcher is not Miami Dade Approved or been tested to High Velocity Hurricane Zones (HVHZ)! Do not use storm catcher if you live in a coastal region. Storm Catcher is Made in the USA.
Force 12. This Texas based hurricane screen manufacturer is probably the second largest and has a buckle/strap system similar to the Armor Screen system as well as a patented "C" lock track system. This track system allows a user to open and close their hurricane protection screens like a window curtain. If you are on a high-rise balcony this system also doubles as sun protection when engaged. Force 12 controls much of the Western Gulf of Mexico market share. The Force 12 system also offers a unique emergency exit system and is Miami/Dade Approved. Cost estimates $12 per square foot. Force 12 is Made in the USA. (The only exception to this is the Diamond Screens grommets which are made in China)
Hurricane Armor This Jacksonville, Florida based manufacturer started as a result of extreme market demand. Hurricane Armor makes a buckle/Strap system with limitations on size. Hurricane Armor also has a direct mount system which for cost conscious consumers makes for a more economical system. This system uses the preferred trampoline fabric which offers visibility during the storm. Cost estimate $12-16 per square foot.
We are the category killer of the storm fabric protection
industry and offer greater manufacturing capacity and a reduced manufacturing cycle time - thus a lower price.
Our patented High Modulus Clip is second to none for both safety and ease of installation! We are the only manufacturer of hurricane screens that has a flexible enough system to order online and deliver a system that is easy enough for the do it yourself er (DIY). DIY installation can save you thousands of dollars--but if you do not feel comfortable, we gladly install our unique storm system for you!
We are also the only company that has a patented high modulus clip that has both a spring effect as well as tensile strength. This allows our clip to decelerate objects far better then anyone else. All other hurricane screen manufacturers have solid anchor points with no flex. Trampoline fabric will not give and is not a flexible fabric by itself.
A grommet screen is actually a much weaker system as the grommet tears the fabric. Once fabric is torn, it is significantly weakened. Grommets are also static anchor points and do not flex. This explains why many screen manufacturers only test large hurricane screens. They know that their smaller screens will not pass the impact tests. Hard to believe? "Hurricane Screens actually get stronger from an impact standpoint as they get larger". This is just the opposite of a metal accordion system. Whenever you hear a screen company testing a "giant" screen, buyer beware, "impact test a small screen to impress us"....
Fabric panels pay for themselves within 2 years on most homes --just from the insurance discount savings. The choice is clear, fabric storm panels are the answer.
There are new hurricane screen manufacturers starting every day in the hot market of hurricane protection fabric storm systems.
Most of the hurricane protection fabric systems are overkill so do not be fooled by someone who tells you that one system is safer than another—They are all the superior choice and can withstand design pressures from 90PSF to 195PSF for wind and pressure resistance. Each system has its Pro's and Con's but choose fabric and stay safer during a storm!
The entire industry of Hurricane Protection will eventually gravitate towards fabric screens with new manufacturers starting every day. FEMA uses fabric panels to protect many of its installations, airports in Boca Raton, Fl as well as Daytona International use fabric screens. Cingular Wireless Corp. stores use fabric panels—even the most famous golfer in the world uses fabric screening to protect his home in S. Florida.
Fabric storm panels have been called the Category Killer of the Hurricane Protection Industry. The Category Killer phase is just an example of how a product can overtake the majority of market share over the existing standard product. Fabric screens will do to the Hurricane Protection Industry similar to what the DVD did to the VHS cassette tape. Fabric Panels are --Stronger, Cheaper, Safer, and faster to deploy. Most importantly, they do not detract from the look of your structure.
About the Hurricane Screen & Fabric Industry
The Hurricane protection screen/ hurricane fabric industry started in the US about 10 years ago with individuals who began toying with the idea of using lightweight fabric to protect buildings and homes using a geo-synthetic textile (Trampoline Fabric.). This material was found to be stronger and less expensive to manufacture than any other product. The fabric is typically sewn at the border of the screen and different attachment systems are used to secure the fabric to the walls of a home or building. Originally, there were only 3 major manufacturers of this hurricane screen/ storm screen/or storm fabric systems: Storm Catcher Corp., Force 12 Manufacturing and Armor Screen Corp.
As good fortune would have it, none of these companies needed to advertise because of existing market demand for a stronger, more cost-effective product.
 Today there is:
HURRICANE FABRIC's AstroFlex System!
HOW CAN A FABRIC SCREEN PROTECT THE BUILDING?
There is a common misconception that by shielding windows and doors with hard coverings such as storm panels, plywood or other barriers prior to a major storm event, the openings are secure and everyone inside is safe. WRONG! The real objective in preserving the openings is to save the roof, hence the entire structure. Here is how it works:
As hurricane force winds strike the side of a building and are redirected over the roof, the wind speed can accelerate by as much as 30% going over the top. This vacuum puts a tremendous upward strain on the roof, much like the lift of an airplane wing. Any sudden positive pressure change created by a window or door blowing in will force the roof to yield to this pressure and fly off, creating the maximum breach of safety for the inhabitants and the ultimate property damage. With the primary structural component of a building gone, the building is declared a total loss and must be rebuilt from the ground up.
What is the difference between our competitors grommet screens
and our screens
A grommet screen is actually a much weaker system as the grommet tears the fabric. Once fabric is torn, it is significantly weakened. Grommets are also static anchor points and do not flex. This explains why many screen manufacturers only test large hurricane screens. They know that their smaller screens will not pass the impact tests. Hard to believe? "Hurricane Screens actually get stronger from an impact standpoint as they get larger, especially if tested without a wind load". This is just the opposite of a metal panels or accordion shutter systems. Whenever you hear a screen company testing a "giant" screen, buyer beware, "impact test a small screen to impress us". This about it like this, if you throw an object at a small sailboat sail, you may be able to get that object to pass through on a corner hit if you are standing close enough when you throw it. Conversely, if you throw an object at a large sail, the natural luft in the larger sail will have an easier time stopping anything throw at it.
Now imagine a non-flexible anchor point (such as a grommet or buckle and strap), if there is no give to the anchor point, then the trampoline fabric has no luft if there is a wind load on the system. Hurricane Fabric's flexible Clip is the only approved hurricane screen system that adds flex to the fabric. This flex allows our system to decelerate an object better than any other polypropylene screen system on the market today.
Our flexible fabric membrane installed across the opening outside each window or door actually catches and abates the major force of the wind, allowing only about 3% of the wind to penetrate the fabric. In other words, with a 100 MPH wind hitting the fabric dead on, the wind force between the fabric barrier and the opening is a mere 3 MPH, not enough to create anywhere near the sudden pressure change required to lift the roof. Even in the event of a hit by debris and possible glass breakage, which can happen even with hard coverings, there would still be no major pressure change from the outside to the inside that could cause the demise of the roof and structure.
Unlike hard coverings such as metal or plastic storm panels or plywood coverings which often are pulled off and turned into missiles themselves, the fabric wind abatement system is normally installed as one piece per opening, is very light and almost impossible to dislodge once deployed properly.
Huge areas may be protected by the one-piece fabric wind abatement system such as large storefronts, lanais and covered sidewalks, and since the system is translucent, while it is deployed business can remain fully open with all the benefits of natural light until right up to the storm.
Also, the product is compactly folded and stored in duffel bags, taking up very little space between uses.
Now here is the straight scoop on each manufacturer as well as pricing information:
HurricaneFabric.com... We are the first hurricane protection screen company to successfully eliminate the sewn seam. The sewn border of the screens added to the overall cost and complexity of installation of these systems. Moreover, the sewn seam was the largest manufacturing constraint to any of the manufacturers mass marketing these products, or pricing the systems accordingly. Basically, we make more product, have completely automated manufacturing, and our U.S. Bank e-commerce site is designed to save you money. Stronger, Less Expensive, Safer--Engineered Performance.
Many people, however, are not aware of these hurricane screens because there is still not enough production capacity at any of the manufacturers to meet the demand for this product--so most of the companies do little or no advertising. For this reason the cost to purchase this superior option will continue to increase until this demand can be met.
Right now, purchasing HurricaneFabric's AstroFlex System is similar to being the first person on your block with a plasma television. In fact, it is common to hear stories of individuals who become angry after they have made an accordion shutter purchase and later find out that there was a less visible, less expensive product available.
Fabric hurricane protection screens are by far the superior choice for storm protection. The wind test is higher than any other material, impact tests with very little or no damage to the Fabric Screen System and when the fabric panels get torn or punctured they can simply be patched using a patch kit. All other forms of protection need to be replaced when damaged. The first areas of storm screen degradation occur along the sewn hem of the screen which can easily be combated with a U.V. protector—but this must bond to the material. This is the main reason our hurricane storm protection system is less costly than other comparable storm fabric systems.
The biggest selling point of the storm fabric, besides the safety aspects, is that it does not detract from the look of your home when it is not being used.
Accordion hurricane shutters are fairly awful to look at 365 days a year, especially when you care about the aesthetics of your home. Fabric Storm panels are a 'no-brainer' alternative.
Metal Panels are heavy and not very safe. Window Film by any manufacturer, is not hurricane protection and its almost criminal to use small missile representations to translate as hurricane protection to a residence, Metal roll-downs are expensive and Hurricane Impact Glass allows as much water intrusion as a regular window (In Fact Citizens Insurance does not give any discount for using it) and most people don't want to deal with it. Many other insurance companies do not give a discount for hurricane impact glass.
Lexan panels impact test to the Miami/Dade requirements but no rigid system wind tests as high as fabric. The odds of an object breaking your glass are slim when compared to the odds of wind and design pressure. Remember, wind and dangerous low pressures outside your home do the most damage during a hurricane. It is also important to remember that your system is only as strong as the attachment points that are holding that system to your home or business, and fabric places less stress on these attachment points when compared to any other system.
|
