Yes, all of our fabric shutters are certified storm shutters which have been tested to both Florida Building Code standards, as well as the International Building Code standards. Some hurricane fabric products include the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ) of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.

Standards tested include:

• TAS 201 (Miami-Dade and Florida): Impact Test Procedures.
• TAS 202 (Miami-Dade and Florida): Criteria for Testing Impact & Nonimpact Resistant Building Envelope Components Using Uniform Static Air Pressure.
• TAS 203 (Miami-Dade and Florida): Criteria for Testing Products Subject to Cyclic Wind Pressure Loading
• ASTM E330 (International): Test Method for Structural Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference.
• ASTM E1886 (International): Test Method for Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, Doors and Storm Shutters Impacted by Missiles and Exposed to Cyclic Pressure Differentials.
• ASTM E1996 (International): Specification for Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, Doors and Storm Shutters Impacted by Windborne Debris in Hurricanes.

You can view our Product Approval by downloading the following PDF, or visiting www.floridabuilding.org.
Download PDF

StormWatch fabric shutters are approved for use in the HVHZ so they do not need a Miami-Dade NOA. Miami-Dade and Broward Counties are the HVHZ. Not all hurricane screens or fabric shutters are the same, most hurricane fabric is not rated for the HVHZ.
Source: Miami-Dade Legislative Item, adopted 7/10/2001, File Number: 011990

StormWatch Mesh fabric shutters are HVHZ rated. These storm shutters have a 150MPH Exposure C "Coastal" Wind Zone rating at a 14'2" span. Non HVHZ rated fabric shutters including our grommet screens have a 140MPH Exposure C at 8'5" span. Hurricane screens with spans smaller than rated spans will have higher wind speed ratings. Hurricane screens with spans larger than rated spans will have a lower wind speed rating. Larger than rated hurricane screens need site specific engineering to ensure the structure can withstand the loads large that screens will place on the building.

Yes, for large missiles (TAS 201 and ASTM E-1996). The hurricane fabric easily withstands significant and repeated impacts without damage. It is one of the best features of fabric shutters.

If the structure is outside the HVHZ (Miami-Dade and Broward Counties), there is no required setback between the hurricane fabric and the window. This is because the job of the fabric shutter is to protect the opening, and not necessarily the glass. If something heavy enough hits the hurricane fabric hard enough, the glass behind it may break; however, because the opening is still covered, your home is still protected from water intrusion and pressurization. Think about it in terms of a window with impact glass, the glass will break if something hits it, but nothing is going through it, and the opening is still sealed.

If the structure is inside the HVHZ, a minimum separation of 1" from the glazing at the storm shutter's maximum deflection for the span is required. This is a not an issue for most openings. Real world impact tests of impact glass, metal panels, aluminum rolling shutters and accordion shutters have surprising results.

Click below for videos of how these shutters stand up to impact strikes (wiki video).

Wiki News Video
Impact Glass Video

All three are destroyed in the impact test, and all three cause the glass to be broken behind the shutter. It doesn't matter what covers your window; in the real world, the glass is going to break, at least with fabric shutters you won't have to buy a new shutter or replace an expensive impact window.

No, UV light quickly degrades Kevlar making it useless for applications where sun exposure is an issue, like hurricane shutters in Florida.
Source: Dupont's Technical Guide KEVLAR Aramid Fiber (page II-13)