Hurricane proofing a garage door: the short answer
To hurricane proof your garage door, find its wind label, check the tracks, struts and springs, and fix weak parts before the season. Doors without a rating need a fitted brace or a new wind rated door. When a storm is coming, close and lock the door and clear the area around it.
If you live in Florida, it pays to hurricane proof your garage door before the season starts. Do not wait until a storm is two days out. The garage door is the biggest opening on most homes. When it gives way, wind can rush inside and push on the roof and walls from within. This checklist shows what to check, what to fix and what to leave alone.
The good news is that most of it takes an afternoon. Some steps are free. Others are worth a technician’s visit while there is still time to book one.
Why the garage door matters so much in a storm
The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes calls garage doors the largest and weakest openings on a home. A wide door has a lot of surface for the wind to push on. It also has the least support in the middle.
When a door bows in and fails, wind floods the garage. The pressure inside the house rises while the storm keeps pulling at the roof from outside. That is how a failed door can lead to roof and wall damage. FLASH also notes that a wind rated or reinforced door can protect a home from that kind of pressure damage.
Step 1: find the wind label on your door
Most wind rated doors carry a label on the inside, often on an end stile or the bottom section. Clopay explains that the label lists the maker, the model, the positive and negative design pressure, and the test standard.
Take a photo of that label today. It tells you, your insurer and any technician what the door was built to handle. If there is no label, the door may predate today’s wind rules. That alone is a strong reason to have it checked.
Step 2: check the parts that hold the door
A rated door only performs if its parts are sound. With the door closed, look at the tracks on both sides. They should be straight and firmly bolted to the wall. Loose brackets or missing screws weaken the whole door.
Look at the steel struts across the back of the panels. Rated doors use them to stiffen the door against wind. A bent strut or a missing bolt needs fixing before storm season. So do rusted hinges, which are common near salt water.
Then test the balance. Disconnect the opener with the door closed, lift it halfway by hand and let go. A healthy door stays roughly in place. If it drops or shoots up, the springs need attention. Book spring repair before the season, not during it.
Step 3: decide on a brace or a new door
If your door has no wind rating, you have two main options. A bracing kit adds vertical posts behind the door, anchored to the floor and the header. It stiffens an older door when a storm is coming. It must fit your door, and it has to be put in place before the wind arrives.
The longer term fix is a new wind rated door built for your address. In Florida, a new door must meet the Florida Building Code and carry a Florida Product Approval. It also needs a permit. We’ll tell you what your city requires before work starts. Our hurricane rated garage doors page explains the ratings in more detail.
Step 4: get the garage ready when a storm is coming
When a storm is coming, these moves help you hurricane proof your garage door:
- Close the door fully and lock it with the slide lock, if it has one.
- Put your bracing kit in place, if you have one.
- Move bikes, bins and loose items away from the inside of the door.
- Bring outdoor items like grills and planters inside, so they cannot hit the door.
- Know how to open the door by hand if the power goes out.
That last point matters after the storm. Power can stay out for days. Our guide on how to manually open a garage door covers the release cord. It also lists the safety checks to do first.
After the storm: what to look for
Before you run the opener, look at the door. Dents, bowed panels, a door that sits crooked, or tracks pulled from the wall all need a technician. A door that took a hit may look fine but bind halfway. Do not force it.
Want to hurricane proof your garage door before the next storm, or check one after it? Call Majestic Garage Door at (813) 774-1127. We answer 24/7 across Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida. We check the door, the label and the hardware, and agree on the price before any work starts.
Questions about garage doors in hurricanes
Put it in once a hurricane watch or warning covers your area, while there is still daylight and calm weather. Do a test fit early in the season, so you know every part is there and fits your door. Remove it after the storm before you run the opener again.
It is not a substitute for a rated door or a brace. A car does not support the middle of the panels, where doors usually bow first. If the door fails, the car can be damaged too. Park inside if there is room, but secure the door itself with a brace or a rating.
Design pressure shows how much wind load the door was tested to resist. The positive number is for wind pushing in, and the negative number is for suction pulling out. Higher numbers mean a stronger door. Your local code sets the minimum your address needs.
It can, if the glass is impact rated as part of a tested door. Plain glass is a weak spot, because flying debris can break it and let wind into the garage. If your door has regular windows, ask whether impact rated glass or a different door makes sense for your home.
Usually, yes. The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes notes that single car doors generally resist wind better than two car doors. A wider door has more surface for wind to push on. A double door needs good bracing or a strong wind rating to match.
Sources on hurricane proof garage door
- Can Impact Rated Garage Doors Save Your Home in a Hurricane or Tornado? Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)
- Look for the Label to Confirm Your Garage Door is Hurricane Ready Clopay