How to Secure Your Garage Door for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season poses serious risks for homeowners throughout the Southeast, and your garage door is often the weakest point in your home’s defense. When a hurricane approaches Augusta, protecting this large opening becomes essential to prevent damage to your vehicles and stored belongings, as well as to safeguard your home’s structural integrity.

This guide explains how to assess your door’s readiness, prepare it for severe weather and understand when professional solutions are necessary.

Is Your Current Garage Door Hurricane-Ready?

Take a few minutes to evaluate your garage door’s ability to handle severe weather:

• Check for wind-load ratings: Look for a manufacturer’s sticker indicating pressure rating and wind-load capacity. Hurricane-resistant garage doors will clearly display this certification.
• Examine the door panels: Thicker, heavier gauge steel or reinforced materials offer better wind resistance than thin, lightweight panels.
• Inspect the track system: Hurricane-rated systems use reinforced vertical tracks that are heavier and more durable than standard residential tracks.
• Count the hinges: More hinges per panel typically indicate a stronger door that can handle higher wind loads.

Amarr WindPro™ Storm Rating

Key Solutions for Garage Door Hurricane Protection

For long-term protection, you have two main options: investing in a complete hurricane-rated system or reinforcing your existing door.

Install Hurricane-Resistant Garage Doors

A hurricane-impact garage door is an engineered system in which every component works together under extreme conditions. These systems feature impact-resistant materials, reinforced tracks, heavy-duty rollers and strengthened hinges.

You can buy hurricane garage doors from trusted manufacturers and certified companies. Hurricane garage door costs vary by size and rating, but this investment protects your entire home structure.

Add a Garage Door Reinforcement Kit

Garage door bracing for hurricane protection provides a budget-friendly retrofit option. These kits use vertical aluminum or steel bracing to strengthen existing doors. Garage door hurricane reinforcement significantly improves wind resistance, though it may not offer the same level of certified protection as a complete hurricane-rated system.

Keep Your Home Safe with These Tips

• Regularly maintain your door. We recommend annual Tune-Ups to make sure all your garage door components stay in working order. If it’s been a while since we last visited, now’s the time to give us a call!
• Add hurricane braces if possible. Most hurricane braces are heavy-duty aluminum or steel supports that reinforce your door and protect it from high winds. Please note that these are trickier to install and you might need the help of a pro.
• Seal any cracks and openings. Prevent leaks by making sure the weather stripping along the windows and perimeter of your door is still in good condition. If it’s looking a little worse for the wear, we suggest getting it replaced before the storms arrive.
• Properly drain the gutters. Clogged gutters are a major cause of excess water in your garage. If your gutters have extra debris inside, water could overflow and run into the interior of your garage door. Even a small amount of standing water can cause damage if left unchecked.
• Remove loose debris in the yard. During a storm, strong winds could pick up items around your house and slam them into your garage door. It’s best to pick up any lawn care tools, trash cans, or outdoor items and store them inside the garage until the storm passes.
• Use flood barriers to block water. If you live close to a body of water or an area prone to flooding, place a flood barrier in front of your garage door to help prevent any drainage from getting inside