Is Your Garage Door Hurrican Secure?

The garage door covers the largest opening into your home and may pose a major threat to your property if you live in a hurricane prone region.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA), the loss of a garage door during a hurricane can cause an uncontrolled buildup of internal pressure resulting in a blowout of the roof and supporting walls.

“Code-compliant garage doors are critical to preserving a home’s structural integrity during a hurricane,” says Steve Roser, General Manager, Storm Force. “Because of their size, garage doors are more susceptible to wind damage than other exterior openings – especially two-car garage doors. Unless you have a tested, hurricane resistant door installed, high winds can force it out of the opening.”

To meet the International Building Code, garage doors must have additional bracing, heavier gauge tracking and other necessary hardware to help keep them in place under extreme winds. Homeowners with an older garage door may not even realize that it poses a threat.

Single-car garage doors usually resist wind forces better than two-car garage doors. A reinforced door is a small investment that can minimize major damage and property loss. And, if your door has weathered a previous storm, it needs to be inspected for hidden damage or vulnerabilities.

Here are points to keep in mind when selecting a hurricane reinforced garage door:

• Determine the wind load requirements for your county and make sure your garage door is wind pressure rated. The local building code authority can provide code information and a Storm Force garage door technician can perform an on-site inspection.
• Understand “storm ready” vs. “add-on” reinforcement. Two kinds of reinforced garage doors are available. With the “add-on” system, a homeowner has to install long posts in the floor and ceiling to reinforce the door before the storm hits, and then remove them again afterwards to resume normal operation.“Storm-ready” models require no advance set-up. Reinforcement is built into the structure of the door and is engaged by simply closing it, a timesaving convenience in the event of a sudden evacuation notice. This type of door is particularly beneficial to vacation home and rental property owners because they have peace of mind knowing that the garage door is secure as long as it’s closed.

• Choose a door that has heavy-duty rollers, hinges, springs and track to provide additional strength and help keep the door in place.
• Retrofitting an older door with new hardware will not provide the structural support needed for the current building codes. It is important to have a trained garage door professional install the appropriate door for your area.’

Storm Force (www.stormforce1.com)
provides protection with its group of
companies including Hurricane Home
Protection, Replacement Glass, Shower
Enclosure Installations, and Hurricane
Garage Doors, located at 4160 Corporate
Square Naples, FL 34104. Using top-of-theline
products in a range of forms and styles,
Mark and his team ensure clients receive
exceptional service, safe, tailor-made solutions, and added value for
their home or building. Mark can be reached at 239.261.5495 or
email at mark@stormforce1.com