When you order any 3 garage door brace packs, receive free shipping. Applied automatically in the cart!
]]>Garage door is where a storm's danger comes home - risks and safety.
We know you'd rather forget the trauma of last year's hurricane season and pray we never have another one like it.
Keep praying, and welcome to another season.
This week hurricane forecaster William Gray predicted 15 named storms, including eight he expects to swirl into hurricanes. He says 59 percent of the storms are likely to hit the U.S. East Coast, including Florida.
You know what to do, right? You surely had enough practice last year.
Stock up on canned food, batteries and water. Check.
Take outside furniture and plants inside. Check.
Put up hurricane shutters. Check.
Secure the garage door. What was that again?
If you don't secure your garage door properly, you may be placing your home and family in grave jeopardy. The garage door, the largest and weakest opening in your house, is the area of your home most likely to fail first. And yet, 96 percent of those surveyed in a recent Mason-Dixon poll said they didn't know how to strengthen their garage doors.
If strong winds blow it in or out during a storm, storm damage experts say it could lead to a buildup of internal pressure that could cause a blowout of the roof and supporting walls.
"The primary problem resulting from a garage door that is sucked out or blown in is the internal house pressure," says Robert C. Stroh, associate dean for research in the College of Design, Construction and Planning at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
"The engineers call it negative pressure. It creates a vacuum on the roof. When the garage lets go, it increases the amount of uplift, much like blowing up a balloon."
Jason Smart, project engineer and building code specialist for the Institute for Business & Home Safety in Tampa, has seen firsthand what unsecured doors can do in a storm. The institute is a national non-profit organization funded by insurance companies.
Smart and two other engineers surveyed post-hurricane damage after last year's storms. The best example is the tale of the neighboring houses in Punta Gorda Isles, where Hurricane Charley came ashore last August.
"One house had the garage door completely blown in," Smart says. "The house next door with a properly reinforced door stayed intact. Tiles from the house across the street punctured it, but the garage door stayed intact because it was properly braced. It held up and prevented internal pressurization."
Typically when the garage door failed, he says soffits failed throughout the house, allowing windblown rain to enter the house, damaging drywall and furnishings.
Older doors at risk
After Hurricane Andrew, building officials bolstered the building codes to withstand higher-force winds. Garage doors in Miami/Dade and Broward must meet a wind load of 150 miles per hour. In Palm Beach County, the wind load is 140 miles per hour.
Kurt Gurley, associate professor of civil and coastal engineering at the University of Florida in Gainesville, says older garage doors weren't engineered to handle the wind pressure, which is measured in pounds per square inch. The bigger the door, the higher the pressure, making a double-car garage more vulnerable.
Not sure your garage door meets the new codes? Gurley suggests looking on the door for a sticker that gives the pressure rating, wind speed rating or Miami/Dade County approval.
If your door doesn't meet the code, you have three choices. Two types of doors are made with additional bracing, a heavier gauge track and hardware to keep them from failing during high winds.
The most-expensive option is what the industry calls a "passive system." Typically, prices range from $1,300-$1,900 for a two-car garage. The experts agree this is the best solution for the elderly or infirmed or those who want a door they can get out of quickly.
"With this door, you shut it, lock it and it's done," says Kriste LaMay, co-owner of Broten Garage Door in Pompano Beach. "We have enough to do when preparing for a storm and you don't want to have to worry about the garage door."
The difference in cost between those required in Palm Beach and the stronger door required in Miami-Dade and Broward is only about $70, LaMay says.
"Usually we sell the stronger door in Palm Beach," she says. "People want the best door they can buy. Do you really think that wind speeds are going to be higher in Broward than in Palm Beach?"
The other option is the "active system," which requires the homeowner to install vertical wind posts before the storm and remove them afterward. The cost of a two-car garage door is about $1,000.
One disadvantage of the more expensive system is weight. The door is about 150-250 pounds heavier than the system that requires attachment of vertical wind posts, says Kent Seevers of the Overhead Door Company in Riviera Beach.
"There is more maintenance and more wear and tear on this type of door," says Seevers, who sells both types of doors.
Retrofit it
For those who don't have the money to spend on a new door, the other viable option is a retrofit kit. They are available through companies such as Secure Enterprises in Plantation, maker of Secure Door. The price to retrofit a doublewide garage is about $300. It requires two kits at $149.99 each, although some folks use three kits for extra protection.
The product, which has the more stringent Miami-Dade County approval, was tested on a lower-quality steel door that was equivalent to those builders installed before the code was changed, says John Stumpff, Secure Door's chief operating officer.
"A door like we tested with three braces will withstand winds to 180 miles per hour and with two braces it will meet winds to 169 miles per hour," Stumpff. "But we would not encourage anyone to put our product on a door that is in bad condition."
Although the product was designed as a do-it-yourself project, Stumpff says many folks choose to hire an installer. The vertical wind posts, made of extruded high-strength aluminum, must go into the concrete garage floor and through the header and structure of the garage door. They are attached with hinges to the door. Experts we interviewed suggest you hire a professional to ensure they are installed correctly.
The Secure Door retrofit system has been used in some of the state's Windstorm Damage Mitigation Training and Demonstration Centers, Stroh says.
"My best advice is to keep your garage doors closed and reinforce them," says the University of Florida's Stroh, who specializes in techniques and materials that minimize hurricane damage in new and exiting homes. "Installing two supports, like those from Secure Door, will protect you in 150 mile-per-hour winds as long as the door is solid and not rotted."
Whatever you do to protect your garage, make sure you have a quick means of exit in case or fire or other emergency.
"If you want some way of getting in and out of the house, don't make it your garage doors," Smart says. "It is one of the most important things in your house to brace."
By BY CHARLYNE VARKONYI SCHAUB
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/sfl-hg03garagejun03-story.html
]]>Did you know your garage door may be the most vulnerable part of your home to hurricane damage?
That's because it is typically the largest opening in a home. If left unsecured, the garage door is susceptible to 100-plus-mph winds that can cause it to buckle, allowing wind to penetrate the garage, potentially rip apart a roof and eventually the rest of a structure.
]]>Storm proofing! Did you know your
garage door may be the most vulnerable part of your home to hurricane damage?
That's because it is
typically the largest opening in a home. If left unsecured, the garage door is
susceptible to 100-plus-mph winds that can cause it to buckle, allowing wind to
penetrate the garage, potentially rip apart a roof and eventually the rest of a
structure.
How does a homeowner
secure a garage? How much does it cost? Do you have to hire somebody, or can
you do the work yourself? For answers, we turn to experts such as Jack Stumpff,
president of Secure Enterprises. The Plantation company
is a local manufacturer of garage door bracing systems that can withstand
hurricane-force winds.
"As much as 80
percent of the dollar damage to residences in Hurricane Andrew was attributed
to garage doors. There were garage door failures also reported in Charley and
Wilma and other major storms," Stumpff said. "If the garage door
fails, the roof is likely to be damaged and then the damage to the home is
severe."
While
replacing a garage door with one that is rated to withstand high winds can cost
$2,000 or more, there are alternatives that cost much less — and can be
installed by do-it-yourselfers.
"Braces are the
cheapest way to go when securing a garage door, the most expensive being
replacing an old garage door with a wind-rated door. Everything else falls in between,"
said George Palmer, owner of All Florida Hurricane Depot, which sells various
hurricane-proofing products for garage doors in Broward, Palm Beach and
Miami-Dade counties.
"The main idea
is to secure a garage door so it is resistant to strong winds and will not blow
in or suck out," Palmer said. "Protecting your garage ultimately
means protecting your home."
Both Palmer and
Stumpff say there are at least four choices for consumers to consider when it
comes to fortifying garage doors in a home or condominium:
Consider purchasing an impact-resistant garage door. Prices start around $900 for a
single-car garage door without windows that can withstand winds of 150 mph and
the blow of a 9-pound, 2-by-4 wooden stud traveling at 34 mph, which would meet
Miami-Dade and Broward County building code requirements. The price of a
double-car garage door can start around $1,500, including installation. It pays
to shop around, and you may be able to get a better price outside of hurricane
season, which runs June through November. For more information, check the
Florida Emergency Management Agency Web site at http://www.floridadisaster.org.
Add braces to a garage door. Jack Stumpff’s company manufactures what are
called Secure Door Vertical bracing systems, which are sold at Lowe's home
improvement stores in South Florida, local dealers and online at www.securedoorbraces.com. The
cost is about $158 per brace, and Stumpff recommends at least one brace for a
single-car garage and up to three for a double-car garage to meet wind load
standards in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The same is true for some parts
of Palm Beach County, but consumers may be able to use fewer than three braces
for double-car garages because standards vary throughout Palm
Beach County and other areas of the state. To be
safe, check with your local code enforcement department, he said.
You can hire a
professional to install such braces, or if you are handy with tools, install
them yourself by drilling into the garage floor and top of the garage door
frame (called the lintel) to attach brackets that hold the braces in place. The
braces can be easily removed and are only attached when a storm approaches.
Each brace takes about five minutes to install.
Install hurricane panels. These systems use a series of metal or aluminum panels
affixed to the outside of the garage door and secured with screws, clips or
track systems. These are the same products many people use to secure windows
and front doors. The cost for metal panels can start around $300 for a
single-car garage and $500 for a double-car garage. The cost for aluminum
panels can range from about $400 for a single-car garage to about $600 or more
for a double-car garage. Check whether your condominium or homeowners’
association regulates the types of panels that can be put on your home, or if
local building codes require special permits to install panels.
Install garage-door netting. The cost for these fabric-like products starts at about $10
per square foot, which translates to about $600 for single-car garage and
$1,200 for double-car garage, Palmer said. Netting should only be attached when
a storm is approaching, however homeowners should practice attaching beforehand
to get an idea how long it will take to get the job done in an emergency.
While it may cost
cash to secure your garage door, the good news is that after doing so you may
be in a better position to request a discount from your home insurance agent,
Palmer said.
To be as safe as
possible, look into hiring a home inspector to check your garage opening and
the rest of your home. A private inspector generally charges about $300 to
examine a three-bedroom home. A more thorough inspection by an engineer can
cost about $1,000.
dvasquez@tribune.com,
or 954-356-4219, or 561-243-6600, ext. 4219. To see more columns from Daniel
Vasquez, go to SunSentinel.com/vasquez.
Check out Daniel Vasquez's Consumer Talk blog for ways to spend your money wisely,
use technology to make life easier and keep your family safe and healthy at
SunSentinel.com/consumerblog.
By Daniel Vasquez
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/sfl-hg03garagejun03-story.html