Best of all, the shades let in about 80 percent of sunlight, so you’re not in the dark when the power goes out. The fabric’s brute strength comes from Honeywell Spectra fiber—the same stuff used in some bulletproof vests—adapted to stand up to Florida’s tough building codes. To make a wind- and waterproof coating (typically used on outdoor gear) stick to Spectra’s slippery polyethylene strands, the company spent two and a half years finding the correct mix of time and heat for an even coating. Engineers also had to determine the right weave pattern and density to stop large projectiles. It turned out that a slightly loose weave worked best to dissipate the energy of an impact. “After [a string of hurricanes in] ’04, everyone got into the storm-protection business,” says Florida contractor Michael Faraone. “We’ve used some of the other products. This is the only one that really is storm protection.” $20 per sq. ft.; stormarest.com
