Florida product-approved under FBC #30798. A patented dual-pull magnetic track that uses magnetic fields to dampen wind load and debris impact, on spans up to 30 feet wide and 20 feet tall.
Most motorized screens hold the fabric edge in a fixed track or a zipper. MagnaTrack does neither. The Defender system runs a low-friction Keder interlock with neodymium magnets down both sides — a dual-pull magnetic track carrying more than ten times the pulling force of any other system on the market.
It is the only system in the world that uses magnetic fields to dampen the impact of wind loads and flying debris while holding the screen flat and uniform across the opening.
Self-Adjusting Technology is built into every system, so the screen deploys in windy conditions without the hang-ups and rewraps common to other products, and the self-adjusting sidetracks prevent the fabric bellowing that opens a gap at the edge. If the screen is knocked out of the track by a body impact, it self-corrects.
US Patent No. 11421474.
Wide-span lanaiDeployedFinished install
The fabric
Defender screens use OmegaTex, a screen fabric manufactured by Twitchell and used by many hurricane screens on the market. It blends high-tenacity core yarns encapsulated in a durable vinyl, and it defends against hurricane debris, insects and solar rays.
It is self-extinguishing, which most competing polypropylene screen fabrics are not — those break down under UV and are really storm-only. OmegaTex is rated for use year-round, so the screen earns its keep for the eleven months a year there is no hurricane.
The housing
The box is the thing people notice from the street, and on MagnaTrack it is worth understanding before you commit. The Defender system runs four housing sizes and steps up through them as the screen gets bigger: 6 inch extruded, 7.5 inch extruded, 8.5 inch extruded and 10 inch roll formed.
Two things follow from that. The jump from 7.5 inches to 10 is substantial and very visible on an elevation. And the largest, the 10 inch, is roll formed rather than extruded and is not available in custom colors — so on the very biggest openings you lose the color match at the same time as the box gets deepest.
Worth knowing too: anything over 22 feet wide requires a 2 by 2 inch angle attached to the weight bar. We will tell you exactly which housing your openings land on and show you the dimension before anything is ordered. Nobody should find out what the housing looks like after it is on the wall.
Design pressure, honestly
A 30-foot screen and an 8-foot screen are not the same product in engineering terms. The wider the span, the lower the design pressure that assembly can carry. That is physics, and it is true of every wide-span system made by anybody.
It is also why we calculate design pressure per opening under ASCE 7-22 using your address, roof height, exposure category and the actual dimensions of the opening, rather than quoting one number off a brochure. If a span needs to come down, or a post needs to go in to make the numbers work, we will tell you before you buy rather than after.
Specifications
Rating
Exceeds Miami-Dade NOA, Florida Building Code and Texas TDI
Florida approval
FBC #30798
Patent
US Patent No. 11421474
Maximum span
30 ft wide x 20 ft tall (limitations apply)
Edge retention
Dual-pull neodymium magnetic track on a low-friction Keder interlock
Fabric
OmegaTex by Twitchell — high-tenacity core yarns in durable vinyl, self-extinguishing
Housing
6" extruded / 7.5" extruded / 8.5" extruded / 10" roll formed — steps up with size; the 10" roll formed is not available in custom colors
Uneven floors
Accommodates up to 4 inches of bias
Automation
Bond Bridge — works with the major smart-home platforms
Construction
Extruded aluminum housing, tracks and weight bar; stainless fasteners; glass-filled nylon end caps; powder coated
Also serves as
Insect and solar screen — usable year-round
Warranty
Aluminum components
15 years
Screen materials
10 years
Electric motors
5 years
Electrical components (excluding motors)
2 years
Vinyl welding / stitching
1 year
Progressive Screens limited warranty, to the original purchaser. Like every manufacturer warranty it excludes normal wear, acts of God and failure to follow the cleaning and maintenance instructions — which is one practical reason to keep a documented service record.
How the job runs
1
Schedule a call
We start on the phone. A few questions about your openings and your home tells us what you are working with and whether we are the right fit.
2
Estimate on site
We come to the house, look at every opening and the structure around it, and give you a real number.
3
Measure and design
Precise measurements and a system designed per opening — product, span, mounting, motor, color. Design pressure is calculated here.
4
Procurement and manufacturing
Built to your measurements. Permitting is handled as part of the job in parallel.
5
Installation and inspection
Our own crews install, then we schedule the final inspection and upload the photos. You do not chase the county.
6
Maintenance
These are mechanical systems in salt air and they need servicing. We offer a maintenance package that cycles, cleans, lubricates and documents every opening once a year — or we will show you how to do it yourself and leave you the instructions.
Questions we get asked
What do the magnets actually do?
They dampen the impact of wind load and flying debris while holding the screen flat across the opening, and the magnet track carries more than ten times the pulling force of other systems. If the screen is knocked out of the track by a body impact, it self-corrects.
How big can it go?
Up to 30 feet wide and 20 feet tall, limitations applying. Bear in mind design pressure falls as span increases — we calculate it per opening.
How big is the box?
There are four: 6 inch extruded, 7.5 inch extruded, 8.5 inch extruded and 10 inch roll formed. It steps up as the screen gets bigger, and the 10 inch is roll formed and cannot be custom colored. We confirm which one your openings land on before anything is ordered, and show you the dimension.
Can I use it when there is no storm?
Yes. OmegaTex is rated for year-round use as an insect and solar screen. Cheaper polypropylene screens are storm-only because UV destroys them.
What fabric is it?
OmegaTex, manufactured by Twitchell and used across many hurricane screens on the market. Some people call these Kevlar screens — that is a nickname, not the material.
What is the large-missile impact test?
A nine-pound 2×4 is fired at the product at speed, and it is then cycled through thousands of pressure changes to simulate a storm. Passing it is what earns a Florida product approval for wind-borne debris. We have footage of a 2×4 being fired at one of these.
Can you see through a closed hurricane screen?
Yes. It is a fabric system, so with the screen down you keep a filtered view out and air still moves through it. That is the practical difference between a screen and an aluminum shutter, which closes the opening completely.
What happens if the power goes out?
Motorized systems have a manual override, which matters, because the one thing you can count on in a hurricane is losing power.
How do I clean the track?
Rinse the tracks with fresh water and clear out sand and debris. Grit in a track is the most common cause of a system binding, and salt air is what kills hurricane hardware, so a rinse a few times a year does more good than anything else. Avoid harsh solvents on the fabric.
