HIGH WINDS: Could your garage door put your property at greater risk of damage?

When you live in the Denver area, in a higher elevation, chances are your garage door could be exposed to damage from high winds. This could leave your home or business subject to a greater amount of damage in a wind storm.

Garage doors are susceptible to wind damage, and double-wide doors more vulnerable than single doors. The wind may cause the door to buckle, force it out of the roller track, or the track could be vulnerable to the pressure, especially if it is light weight or the fasteners don’t penetrate the wall deep enough. Wind coming into your home or business through an opening this large poses grave problems for the rest of the structure, especially your roof.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offers the following guidelines to help determine if your garage door is at a higher risk of wind damage:

Look for a sticker indicating wind pressure rating suitable for your location.

If there is no sticker, consider three options:

• Install after-market vertical braces that are code approved and available at a local home improvement store.
• Check with the door manufacturer for a kit to strengthen the door and its track so that it has the properties found in new wind-rated doors appropriate for your location.
• Replace the door with one that is pressure or pressure and impact-rated; see local code requirements.

Source: http://www.disastersafety.org/blog/post?blogPostId=1073

One Clear Choice can retrofit your garage door for high winds. Call us at 303-565-6409 to learn more.