Easy Ways to Wind Proof Your Garage Door And Make It More Resistant to Strong Winds

A wind proof garage door helps minimize the damage caused by tornadoes, high winds, and debris generated during extreme weather. Ordinary garage doors are the weakest point in your home’s envelope. Once the garage door is damaged, your house is vulnerable to both the positive pressure of wind blowing against your door, and the negative pressure of wind sucking the door outwards. Gale-force winds can blow out windows and doors and weaken roofs and walls. Loose siding, tree branches, patio furniture, and the like can be smashed into your garage door. Especially when combined with heavy rain, all this can lead to substantial structural damage.

Colorado endures a wide range of extreme weather conditions that can cause damage to your property. From heavy snowfall and winter storms to floods, hailstorms, and tornadoes, prevention is better (and less costly) than a cure. Discover how you can make your garage doors more resistant to strong winds here.

Why a Wind Load-Rated Garage Door is Important for Your Home

In regions prone to high winds, such as Colorado, or areas vulnerable to hurricanes, installing a wind load-rated garage door is a key step in protecting your home. A standard garage door is often the weakest part of a building’s structure, making it highly susceptible to wind pressure during severe weather events. Wind load garage doors are designed to withstand extreme wind pressures, such as those from a Category 3 hurricane or other high wind events, minimizing the risk of structural damage to your home.

The design pressure of a garage door refers to its ability to resist wind forces, both positive and negative. This is particularly important in regions within certain wind zones, where local building codes require garage doors to meet specific wind load standards. Reinforced garage doors come with additional components, such as stronger hinges, brackets, and rollers, which enhance their ability to handle high wind loads.

By ensuring your garage doors meet local code requirements, you not only comply with regulations but also significantly reduce the risk of door failure during a storm, giving you and your family peace of mind.

Inspect Your Existing Garage Door

From the outside, it is difficult (if not impossible) to tell whether your existing garage door is tornado-proof. Your best bet is to get a garage door technician to check it out to determine whether it can endure a heavy wind load.

An architecture and engineering term, wind load refers to the amount of pressure exerted on the surface area of a structure when wind blows against it. To avoid collapse, the force of the wind must be absorbed and transferred to the foundations. Consider this: a regular, non-insulated, 20' by 20' garage door weighs 1,600 pounds. An 88-mph wind force triples the weight of the door to 4,800 pounds.

Modern garage door manufacturers’ specifications include a wind load (WindCode) rating. Because different areas or locations throughout the U.S. have different design wind load requirements, check your local codes for more information.

Manufacturers make use of built-in support structures and sturdy installation hardware to create wind-resistant garage doors. Constructed with a minimum of one layer of steel, insulation layers, and wood or aluminum paneling, these doors can withstand both positive and negative pressures.

Understanding Wind Zone and Design Pressure for Garage Door Systems

Garage doors in the U.S. are subject to strict wind zone classifications and building codes to ensure they can withstand certain wind speeds. The National Weather Service and local building departments determine which areas require higher standards for garage doors based on the likelihood of hurricane winds or other extreme wind conditions.

The term design pressure is a critical factor in understanding how well a garage door system can resist wind forces. It is measured in pounds per square foot (PSF) and indicates the maximum wind velocity a door can handle without failing. In wind zone 2, for example, doors must meet higher design pressure ratings to comply with the Florida building code and other state regulations.

To ensure your garage door meets local requirements, it's important to consult with your local building department or a certified technician who understands the wind load design criteria specific to your area. This way, you’ll have a garage door system that can endure the pressures of high winds and protect your home or business during severe weather.

Determine if Your Garage Door is Wind-Ready Versus an Add-On

Many homeowners who do not have impact-resistant garage doors retrofit protective mechanisms. Garage door bracing kits include aluminum or steel braces and brackets mounted above the lintel, into the floor, and on the sides at hinges. Before a storm, braces slide vertically or horizontally into the brackets and lock in place.

Adding on a bracing system may affect the tension of the door’s counterbalance. The effectiveness of the add-ons depends on the strength of the existing door. A minimum 14-gauge garage door track is needed.

While these measures are suitable short-term solutions, they take time and energy to put into place ahead of a storm or wind event. They are also not attractive. What’s more, because they are less effective than wind-resistant garage doors, most homeowner insurance providers do not recognize them.

The Benefits of Installing a Hurricane-Resistant Garage Door