Protecting Your Home: Hurricane-Rated Garage Doors

Hurricane damage can be costly for even the most insured homeowner, which is why it’s so important to take precautions when possible. In Florida, hurricane-rated garage doors are an important investment, Broward County has the highest rating with 3 stiles for an 8x7 or 9x7 door. These hurricane-rated garage doors are specifically designed to withstand the intense winds and flying debris that can come with hurricanes. Recently, Wendy, a customer near Presidente Supermarket in Fort Lauderdale, decided to replace her old garage door with a brand-new 9x7 Amarr hurricane rated garage door.

A hurricane-rated garage door is designed to withstand a specified wind rating and extreme pressures during hurricanes. These doors are reinforced with additional materials, such as heavy-duty steel and specialized hardware, that allow them to resist impacts from flying debris. Most importantly, they meet local building codes in areas like Fort Lauderdale, which require homes to have protection against hurricane damage.

As a resident in Florida you must understand the difference between a standard garage door and a hurricane-rated garage door. When a hurricane comes, the wind pressure outside sucks out the door which a non-hurricane rated garage door is impossible to withstand because it only has one metal strut, it doesn’t have enough braces and its strut is only 3 inches and 1 inch thick . With a hurricane-rated garage door, it can withstand winds of up to 200 mph, because it is connected to the structure of the house with more braces and it has 10 points on each side of the section, with a 5 inches and 3 inches struts for each section.

Hurricane garage doors are built to resist debris that might get thrown around during a hurricane, which can severely damage a standard door. In areas like Fort Lauderdale, it’s often mandatory to have a hurricane-rated garage door that meets a local building code, whereas a non-hurricane rated door may not meet local safety standards.

Wendy reached out to Unity Garage Door Repair & Installation a few months ago for a quote on replacing her old garage door with a 9x7 Amarr hurricane-rated garage door which cost $1,675. After considering her options, she scheduled an installation, and our experienced technician arrived fully prepared for the job.

Here’s new door installation in Fort Lauderdale process:

Removing the Old Door
First, the technician carefully removed the existing garage door by disconnecting it from the tracks, opener, hardware and put off the tension from the springs. We remove one section at a time, remove the hinges, rollers, brackets and lay the section flat.

Installing New Door
Next, we installed the reinforced tracks that are specifically designed for hurricane-rated garage doors. We also secured heavy-duty hardware. Once the tracks were in place, our technician mounted the 9x7 Amarr hurricane-rated garage door. We do section by section, starting from the bottom section up to the last top section and reconnect the cables, opener and put the tension back to the spring.

After installation, we made sure the door was perfectly aligned, balanced, and operating smoothly. Our technician also tested the garage door opener to ensure it was functioning properly with Wendy’s new residential garage door.

Installing a new garage door that is hurricane-rated is a smart investment as it not only protects your home from flying debris that could damage your property, but also because many insurance companies offer lower premiums for homes with hurricane-rated garage doors, as they lessen the risk of damage. They are also built to last longer with proper maintenance, they are water-repellent meaning they will not swell shut in the event of heavy rain.

As a licensed local garage door company, in Broward County all our garage doors are hurricane proof and pass all Florida codes and regulations. If you're considering replacing your garage door and want to upgrade to a hurricane-rated garage door, at Unity Garage Door Repair & Installation we provide a free estimate to our customers.

Our garage door services are available in Fort Lauderdale and surrounding cities like Plantation, Davie, and more. Contact our expert garage door fitters for a free quote today!