Hurricane doors, most obviously, protect your garage and your entire house from hurricanes and storms. If you live closer to the coast, or in storm-threatened areas, then you’ll probably need a hurricane-rated garage door to protect your home.
Without a hurricane-rated garage door, you’ll face a number of additional problems. In this post, we’ll walk you through the primary dangers in not having a hurricane-rated garage door.
But there are a ton of other advantages to a hurricane rated garage door, as well, in addition to just simple storm protection. We’ll look through some additional benefits to hurricane-rated doors.
To be clear: not everyone needs a hurricane-rated garage door. That’s not the point of this post! But the potential benefits and problems of having or not having a hurricane-rated garage door often extend further than many people think they do.
Potential Problems if you Don’t Have a Hurricane-Rated Garage Door
If you don’t have a hurricane-rated garage door, then you may face a number of problems if you live in an area where there are heavy storms, hurricanes, and flooding. Hurricane-rated doors are great for protecting your home against storms.
Damage to Your Home
First and foremost, if you live in an area that experiences storms and heavy flooding, then a lack of a hurricane-rated garage door can cause damage to your home. Flooding in the garage can easily move into other rooms and cause structural problems. Mold, mildew, damage to support beams, and other long-term effects can make the damage even worse.
Damage to Your Property
Additionally, storms and water can damage the property that is in your garage. Many people store cars and equipment in garages, which can be completely destroyed by water and wind that get into the garage. Even if you have insurance that covers you in such incidents, the hassle of going through claims and replacing everything can be even worse.
Danger for People and Pets
Hurricanes and storms can be dangerous for people and pets who are still in the house. If a storm hits, you’re going to want to have the strongest possible garage door, with additional braces, to ensure that all the people and pets in your home are perfectly safe!
Local Regulations and Building Codes
There are plenty of different regions where building codes in many residential areas actually require that hurricane-doors are installed on houses. This especially pops up in Florida and other places where hurricanes and storms often rip through a city. Doors are usually certified as a certain amount of wind resistance. Some locations require that your doors are rated with a certain amount of wind resistance.
Insurance Problems
There are many locations that require hurricane-rated garage doors to subsidize or qualify for certain kinds of insurance. Many insurance companies, depending on the location, will require that you have a hurricane-rated garage door to qualify for storm protection. If you don’t have the right kind of garage door with the right wind resistance, you might not qualify for certain insurance claims—which can be a nightmare if there is any damage to your home.
Additional Advantages of Hurricane-Rated Garage Door
Reinforced Door and Stability
Older doors often have additional beams and braces to prop up the door when a storm is coming. Newer doors are strong enough to resist wind and storms without additional braces that must be put in place when storms are coming.
Less Maintenance
Hurricane-rated garage doors are even stronger than regular garage doors, which means that you can use them to have a door that requires less maintenance than the average garage door. For many people, the improved maintenance and stability of the garage door is enough to justify purchasing a nicer hurricane-rated garage door. If you’re tired of flimsy doors that seem to require constant checks and repairs, a hurricane-rated door might be ideal!
Insurance Costs
Hurricane-rated doors usually provide benefits to your insurance costs. Many locations will not give you insurance for storms and hurricanes without a hurricane-rated door, and some companies will give you larger discounts for higher wind resistance ratings. The better your door, the more you might be able to save on your insurance premiums.
Security
Garage doors can be an easy point of entry into your home, especially if the door is broken, light, or damaged in any way. Hurricane-rated doors are often a lot stronger, which can be harder for other people to break into.
Stronger Form
Your garage door probably goes through a lot of different bumps and wear and tear throughout the day. Sun, rain, and weather can take a toll on your door over the years, even if there isn’t a major storm that causes immediate and recognizable damage. Additionally, bouncing basketballs, cars, and debris can dent and scratch your door, which require additional repairs. Having a hurricane-rated door can prevent these minor damages from adding up over time, requiring expensive repairs.
Preventing Water Damage
Even if you live in a place where there are no hurricanes, there still might be heavy rainfall or flooding that can get under the door or warp the door. The warping and damage can also hurt your garage or damage the property inside the garage. Hurricane-rated doors can be great for preventing water damage to your door with their bracing and water-repellent form.
Can I Brace a Door On My Own?
It’s definitely not recommended that you brace a door on your own. Obviously, if a storm is coming and you don’t have time to install a new garage door, you can attempt to brace your door with aluminum and steel bracing that is sold specifically for garage doors. But it’s always better to purchase a new hurricane-rated door than try to brace an old one.
When Should I Get a Hurricane-Rated Door Installed?
Let’s be clear—not every single garage needs a hurricane-rated door. If you’re in the middle of somewhere where you don’t expect heavy weather or any kind of rain or snow, you may not need a hurricane-rated door.
