High-speed winds during a severe storm exerts enormous amounts of pressure on your garage door. When a garage door experiences wind forces that are too high for it to handle, it will begin to buckle inwards. The edges of the garage door will pull away from your garage, creating a gap for wind to enter in, ripping your door entirely off of its track and exposing your garage to storm-force winds. This culminates in extensive water damage, or even, in some cases, your roof being blown off your home. Fortunately, you can prevent expensive repairs and extreme damage by storm proofing your garage door.
Retrofit your garage door with a storm proofing kit
Reinforcing your garage door is a cost-effective way to storm proof your garage. Steel trusses running lengthwise are added to the door in order to prevent it from buckling inwards in high winds. A hole is then drilled into the concrete floor of the garage right next to the garage door. In the case of an impending storm, you fit a steel beam into the hole that serves as a brace – the horizontal trusses transmit the force from storm winds to the vertical brace, which is securely anchored in the foundation of your house.
You can also install track brackets to secure the garage door track to the side of your garage. Some of the pressure from the high-speed winds is transferred to the track of the garage. This can cause the track to twist and break if not properly anchored, which cause your garage door to simply fall off your garage.
With the correct tools, the installation process is simple for the homeowner to do. However, it’s best to contact a professional garage door company and have an expert inspect your current door for its storm readiness. If your garage door has windows that are not impact-resistant, or is made of wood or thin aluminum, debris from strong winds can pierce the door. Wind passing through the hole can quickly rip the entire door apart, regardless of how well it is fortified.
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