When a hurricane is threatening the coast, it can be a living nightmare. While weather reports can provide semi-accurate forecasts of where the hurricane may hit, you’re still living your life in the shadow of uncertainty.
Your safety and the safety of those you love are of paramount importance. But questions also arise about your home. Can it withstand the wind and rain? And what about your garage door?
We’re here to tell you hurricane-rated garage doors can make a big difference in protecting your home, your safety and your peace of mind. Will review the top 10 ways these types of garage doors can help protect your home.
In Wilmington, most keep a close eye on the Atlantic during hurricane season. You need a company that will be honest and upfront about the type of garage door that will provide the best service. Overhead Door of Wilmington has a strong tradition of providing the best selection of hurricane-rated garage doors and stellar customer service to help you. Want to know more? Reach out so we can help you determine the right choice for your home.
The Top 10 Ways Hurricane-rated Garage Doors Protect Your Property
1. They Use Sturdy Materials
The materials used to make these doors are more robust than regular garage doors. With steel and fiberglass construction, they protect your home from the hurricane-force winds.
2. They Are Designed to Withstand Flying Debris
With a garage door designed to withstand hurricanes, you’ll also be protected from flying debris that is frequently blown around during these serious storms. You’ll not have to worry about excessive dents or damage.
3. They Have Been Extensively Tested
We stand behind every product we offer, and that’s one reason why you can trust our “hurricane proof” garage doors. These doors are tested by taking a 2.4 board (weighing roughly nine pounds) and launching it at the garage door at roughly 34 mph.
To call these doors hurricane-rated, they must pass this test.
4. They Prevent Water From Leaking Into Your Garage
Flooding causes extensive damage during hurricanes. These rated garage doors have tighter seals, keeping water out. While you should always take precautions with the belongings stored in your garage, doors especially designed for hurricanes minimizes the potential for damage.
5. They Improve Security
Whether you or not you have an approaching hurricane, security is vital. Having a solid garage door with a reliable lock can go a long way toward preventing theft. This is critical, particularly if you have to leave or evacuate the area during a hurricane. You can rest assured that you have this additional level of safety.
6. They Will Not Swell
We’ve already mentioned that these garage doors undergo extensive testing, and this means that they are resistant to swelling. Garage doors can swell if there is excess humidity or heat, causing metal to warp and wooden doors to expand.
7. They Can Help Reduce Your Insurance Premiums
While this isn’t directly related to protecting your property, it is still a significant benefit. Some insurers will offer discounts for those who have hurricane-rated or impact-resistant garage doors because it signifies risk reduction.
However, this can vary among insurance providers, so we suggest that you speak with your representative for more information.
8. They Are Low-Maintenance
Unlike other garage doors, homeowners do NOT have to add braces or other additional layers of protection before every storm.
9. They Have Long-Term Benefits
In Wilmington, memories of past hurricanes are still firmly etched into memory. Fortunately, because wind-resistant garage doors are so reliable, they are a suitable long-term investment that provides continual protection—and they won’t have to be replaced every hurricane season.
10. Overall, They Prevent Excessive Failure
You know that your garage is a large entrance into your home, and if it is compromised, it can cause problems for your entire living area. Garage doors that are hurricane-related dramatically decrease the chances of extensive damage to your home.
Repairing a “regular” garage door that is not designed to withstand hurricanes can be time-consuming and expensive.
What Makes a Garage Door Hurricane-Rated?
We touched base on some of this earlier in the article, but to recap, the key behind a
wind-resistant garage door is its material. Made of sturdy materials like fiberglass and steel, they are specifically designed to withstand flying debris, high winds and other potential problems created by hurricanes.
They are extensively tested to withstand flying debris, and their strong seals successfully keep water out.
What Types of Damage Can a Hurricane Cause to a Garage Door?
It’s easy to imagine the types of damage that hurricanes cause to garage doors. We outline a few of them below:
- Flying debris can cause dents in the door
- Panels can be bent or broken by high winds
- Strong winds can move the door off-track
- The tracks themselves can be damaged
- Flooding can damage electrical components
- Cables can be damaged or broken
This extensive, potential damage perfectly outlines the needs for a garage door specifically designed to withstand hurricanes.
How Can You Provide Extra Protection to Your Garage Door During Hurricanes?
We firmly believe that the best defense against hurricanes is to invest in one of these garage doors geared specifically to protect against hurricane damage. We’re happy to help you select from one of our sturdy, wind-resistant garage doors and find one that not only provides strength, but matches the decor and aesthetics of your home.
However, some extra protection you can provide to your garage door includes:
- Install a pre-made bracing kit (you don’t have to do that if you select hurricane-resistant garage doors.)
- Attach impact-rated panels
- Cover windows with plywood
- Use sandbags
- Clear debris
- Seal cracks
When you fully understand all that goes into securing a typical garage door, you’ll understand that our wind-resistant garage doors aren’t just a good investment, they also save you a lot of time and stress.
Can Existing Garage Doors Be Upgraded to Be Hurricane -Rated?
Because hurricane-rated doors must undergo extensive testing in order to get that designation, your garage door cannot be made hurricane-rated per se. Remember that in order to be up to code in hurricane-prone areas, it should meet specific wind-load requirements.
Obviously, the further inland you are, the less stringent these requirements are.
They often involve getting a retrofitting hit. However, its success hinges upon the strength of the original garage door. For example, an older door in need of repair is still not going to be effective against hurricane winds despite being fitted with one of these specialized kits.
For this and other reasons, we believe getting a garage specifically designed for hurricane resistance is a better long-term investment.
Ready to Select the Right Hurricane-Rated Door? Our Stellar Customer Service and Installation Team Is ready to Help You
Wind load ratings, debris-resistant testing, quality sealing—we know it can be challenging to process all these aspects of quality hurricane-resistant garage doors.
But don’t worry. We’ll make sure you’re up for the challenges Mother Nature may hurl at you.
We’ll evaluate your situation and make recommendations that are right for you. We use professional installers, and we don’t “farm out” our installation services to third-party vendors. Therefore, you know when you’re dealing with Overhead Door of Wilmington, you’re dealing with a company you can rely on.
Get started today by contacting us for an accurate and no-obligation estimate on purchasing and installing your garage door.
Key Takeaways
- Hurricane-rated garage doors are built with reinforced materials like steel and fiberglass to withstand high winds and debris.
- These doors undergo rigorous impact testing to ensure they meet hurricane safety standards.
- Tight seals on hurricane-rated doors help prevent water intrusion and flooding in your garage.
- Stronger construction and locks improve home security, even outside of storm season.
- Unlike standard doors, hurricane-rated garage doors resist swelling caused by heat or humidity.
- Installing a hurricane-rated door can help reduce your homeowner’s insurance premiums.
- They require minimal maintenance and don’t need additional bracing before a storm.
- Investing in a wind-resistant garage door provides long-term protection and peace of mind.
- Hurricane-rated garage doors help prevent catastrophic structural failure to your home during storms.
- You can’t technically upgrade a standard garage door to be hurricane-rated, but you can retrofit limited protection options.
- Extra steps like installing bracing kits, covering windows, and sealing cracks can further safeguard your garage.
- Professional installation by a trusted company ensures your hurricane-rated door performs as designed
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Sources:
Overhead Door, “Essential Guide to Hurricane Proof Garage Doors,”
https://www.overheaddoor.com/blogs/blog-detail/essential-guide-to-hurricane-proof-garage-doors
Villa, Bob, “Storm-Proof Your Garage Doors,” https://www.bobvila.com/articles/383-storm-proof-your-garage-doors/