Crash Test: The Sledgehammer Challenge  

— Why Missile Impact Testing Is Like Smashing a Windshield

If wind load testing tells us how much pressure your hurricane screen can take, missile impact testing tells us how well it handles flying debris. Think of it like this: your screen is a car windshield, and that 2x4 sailing through the air during a hurricane? That's the sledgehammer. This is where your hurricane screen either steps up or shatters.

Crash Test Dummy Analogy:
Imagine you're driving at 50 mph and a rock hits your windshield. Now imagine that rock is a 9-pound wooden beam flying at 34 mph. That’s the kind of real-world punishment your screen needs to survive. In Florida, we call this Large Missile Impact Testing — and it’s not optional in High Velocity Hurricane Zones (HVHZ).

What the Test Involves:
A cannon-like device fires a 2x4 wooden missile into the screen at 34 mph (50 feet per second). The screen has to stop it without tearing or letting it through. If it fails, debris can shoot into your home like a spear.

The second part? The pressure test. After surviving the impact, the screen still has to withstand 9,000 cycles of positive and negative pressure to simulate what happens during the chaos of a storm.

Why This Matters to Homeowners:
Lots of screen companies skip this test because their products aren't built to survive it. If you're in a hurricane-prone area, especially in South Florida, this testing is your baseline — not a bonus. Screens that pass this test aren’t just decorative; they’re protective.

Why MagnaTrack Passes (and Others Don’t):
MagnaTrack motorized screens have passed Large Missile Impact Testing because of their patented self-tensioning track system. Most competitors? They bolt the screen tight and hope it holds. When debris hits, those screens rip or pop out of the track. MagnaTrack's flexible system absorbs the impact, re-tensions, and stays in place.

Florida Living Outdoor Tip:
If the screen you're considering hasn’t passed TAS 201, 202, and 203, it’s not hurricane-tested. Don’t take a salesperson’s word — ask for the certification. And if you want the toughest screen tested like a crash-test dummy’s windshield, MagnaTrack is the only name that should be on your quote.

"Don’t guess. Test. Find out how Florida Living Outdoor installs certified MagnaTrack hurricane screens that have survived the toughest impact tests in the industry."
👉 Visit our Hurricane Protection Page