Understanding The Key Differences Of Hurricane Garage Doors vs. Standard Garage Doors

In sunny South Florida where unpredictable weather patterns are common and hurricanes are almost always guaranteed from June to November, safeguarding your home is a first and foremost concern. With many options for hurricane preparedness for your home, the safety and security of doors and windows stand at the top of the priority list.

While standard garage doors and windows offer functionality, they might not be the safest or strongest choice in the face of a hurricane. To withstand damaging winds and the havoc hurricane gusts can wreak on your home, hurricane garage doors are the premier choice for protecting everything you value most in the world.

If you’re wondering what exactly a hurricane garage door is and what makes it so much more secure than a regular garage door, you’re in luck. Read on to learn the top differences between the two.

What’s The Purpose of a Standard Garage Door?

It may seem like a silly thing to ponder, but have you ever thought about it? Since standard garage doors are so common, most of us don’t think about the integral purpose they serve. They’ve just become a normal part of our everyday lives.

Garage doors are designed to offer basic security from the outside world, some weather protection for our vehicles, convenience of storage, standard insulation properties, and of course, for the curb appeal.

Additionally and maybe most important to think about when it comes to the purpose of a standard garage door is that it is the largest opening to your home. Because of this, it presents the largest, visible surface to the outside and its size makes the garage door the most vulnerable part of your home.

Understanding Standard Garage Doors

Typically, standard garage doors are composed of only a handful of materials including wood, steel, aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass, and wood composite.

One of the most common materials used for garage doors is aluminum or steel. Aluminum and steel both boast long lifespans of up to 30 years with minimum maintenance. Not to mention both materials offer hard-to-beat affordability. Although an affordable and long-lasting material seems amazing on the surface, it’s important to note that these materials are pressed into thin layers which doesn’t account for security issues, wear and tear, or hurricane-force winds.

Despite which traditional material is used, garage doors are most commonly hung on thin, aluminum frames that are susceptible to wear and tear, some rust, and in the worst-case scenario, disastrous malfunction. In a place that is prone to hurricane weather and winds that can clock in at 157 mph or more, it’s easy to see how aluminum frames can bend or snap in an instant.

Understanding Hurricane Garage Doors

Hurricane garage doors are a special type of door, designed to offer added security during extreme weather and beyond. Sometimes these doors are also called wind-rated or impact-resistant garage doors. While these specialty doors still provide all the regular benefits of a standard garage door, they also offer more.

Enhanced Security

Hurricane-rated garage doors are built with multiple, reinforced layers. So, while the garage door itself is composed of the same building materials as a standard door, it isn’t your typical, thin sheet of aluminum, steel, or wood composite. It’s a combination of layered heavy-duty aluminum, steel, insulation, and thick, dense wood.

Wind Load and Impact Resistance

The next key difference between a hurricane door and a standard one are the tracks. We mentioned how thin, aluminum tracks on a standard door can bend and break easily, especially during inclement weather. This happens for one primary reason you may not know about negative wind pressure.

High winds or heavy rain can cause negative wind pressure against the outside of the garage door, eventually causing the garage door to cave inward, bending, snapping, or ripping the door from the frame or the frame from the interior structure beams. Hurricane garage doors are installed using heavy gauge tracks, specially designed to stay in place, even during hurricane winds.

Reinforced Construction Features

Along with the reinforced garage door tracks that help protect your home, these impact garage doors feature a customized door framing system. The same heavy gauge material used for the reinforced tracks is used to install the garage door frame.

Waterproofing and Sealing

A final key difference between a hurricane door and a standard garage door is its waterproofing capabilities. With a standard door, the weather stripping can begin to erode within the first few years of installment. A hurricane garage door comes with extra waterproofing features and enhanced weather stripping to keep even the most torrential downpour out.

4 Additional Benefits to Installing Hurricane Garage Doors

Beyond the structural differences and the added benefits of a reinforced garage door, you’ll get so much more.

1) Increased Peace of Mind

Imagine the ease you’ll feel knowing your home is protected against heavy winds, damaging hail, water, and debris. An impact garage door from STS Impact Windows, Doors, & Roofing offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee and a 3-year installation warranty for extra peace of mind.

2) Potential Insurance Savings

Because of the added security and protective features of a hurricane garage door from one of our leading manufacturers, some insurance companies may offer special discounts or other types of savings.

3) Improved Energy Efficiency

Due to the thick, reinforced, heavy-duty materials used to construct an impact-resistant garage door, many of our customers also report a decrease in their energy bills. Since the door is thicker, it provides more insulation, keeping the inside of the garage from losing cool air while stopping warm air from coming in through the outside.​​​​​​

4) Updated Curb Appeal

On the surface, a garage door doesn’t seem like the most gorgeous of home upgrades, huh? Rest assured that we have a beautiful, heavy-duty, hurricane-resistant garage door to suit any aesthetic. Schedule a free consultation today and see the many available customizable options.

Hurricane Garage Doors From STS Impact Windows, Doors & Roofing in Boca Raton

When it’s time to upgrade your standard garage door for a hurricane-resistant one, trust the experts. At STS Impact Windows, Doors & Roofing, we know how important safety and security are to you. With us, you’re guaranteed a 3-year installation warranty, a fully licensed and insured team, and fast, free, transparent quotes. Get started at 561-600-1018.