Can Your Garage Door Survive a Hurricane?

Answer 1

Every year, when hurricane season comes around, homeowners are warned to be prepared in case a storm should strike. People are told to have supplies on hand, board up or cover their windows and have an evacuation plan ready. One area that many people overlook is their garage.

A garage door covers a large area and if it fails during a hurricane, substantial damage to the structure as well as your car or anything in the garage is possible. Winds of over 100 miles per hour can easily pull the garage door off of its track and expose the entire garage to the outside elements.

Most garage doors that are installed to factory specifications are not designed to hold up to the winds of a major hurricane. If you live in a hurricane-prone area of the country, you can reinforce your garage door to make it much stronger in the event of high winds.

The process is really not very difficult. If you are handy working with wood and have a few basic tools, you can have your garage door upgraded in a few hours. Even if you are not the do-it-yourself type, you can hire a handyman or a company that sells and installs garage doors to retrofit your garage door.

Most manufacturers and retailers of garage doors advise the consumer of the strength of their doors and how well it can stand up to wind and flying debris. They usually offer a kit that can reinforce the panels and also secure the door to the floor.

If you do not have a kit, you can reinforce your garage by buying a few 2" x 4" pieces of lumber and attaching them to the back of the garage panels. That will inhibit the chances of your garage door from bending in when hit by a major storm. Also, be sure to attach the bottom of your garage door to the cement floor of the garage.

When a hurricane strikes, the most important thing is to keep the swirling wind from breaching the windows or doors and creating a vacuum. If your garage door has a small opening, the wind can get in and create a drop in pressure that will cause your garage door to push outward. If the force of the wind is sufficient, you might find your entire garage door sitting on top of your driveway. Be smart and reinforce your door now.