Tornadoes, hurricanes, storms and garage doors


Often being the largest opening on most homes, the 
garage door is usually the most vulnerable to failure under 
high wind pressure such as hurricanes, tornadoes and storms 
in general. The pressure of the wind can destroy the garage 
doors during a storm that allows water and wind to enter 
the house. This can cause significant damage to furniture, 
electronic equipment, the contents in general as well as the 
house’s structure.  The garage door is often overlooked 
when strengthening the structure against high winds.

Massive building failures and strong winds have convinced 
storm-prone communities that residents must be prepared 
to employ active or passive reinforcement systems for their 
garage doors. An active system is that specific type of 
reinforcement that must be installed before a high-wind 
event while passive systems are built into the product and 
don’t need any activation from the owner.  For the home 
owner in hurricane-prone areas there are only two real 
options: either a new garage door with a built in passive 
reinforcement system or a garage door reinforcement kit.

The option of totally replacing the garage door is usually 
an expensive procedure so a garage door reinforcement kit 
would be a good choice if your budget for remodeling your 
garage is low. Although is rather expensive, a new garage 
door offers a more secure and safe option in front of a high 
wind. 

If you’d rather choose the cheapest option, that is to 
reinforce your garage door you can protect your home in 
one of the following ways: first of all install pressure or 
impact resistant devices, such as shutters, panels, accordion 
fold shutters on the garage doors or install pressure/impact 
resistant garage doors that do not require shutters. If your 
existing door is impact resistant but it is not wind pressure 
rated, install an approved garage door bracing system to 
increase the wind pressure resistance.  A pressure/impact 
resistant rating ensures that the device meets the wind pressure 
and debris impact requirements of the Southern Building 
Code Congress International standards or the July 1988 
wind pressure and debris impact requirements of the 
American Society of Civil Engineers adopted in September 
1994.

When adding a garage door bracing first ensure that there is 
enough and relevant documentation that the product has 
been tested at a certified testing laboratory. The product 
should be designed to withstand both positive and negative 
wind pressure. You should contact a local garage door
supplier of approved garage door bracing systems to assist
you in the selection of the necessary system for your needs.

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