Hurricane Prep: Doors, Garage Doors and the Weak Points

Why the garage door is the most common structural failure point, and what to check on entry doors before the season.

When wind gets inside a house, the pressure has to go somewhere and it typically goes up through the roof. That is why protecting openings matters more than almost anything else, and why the largest opening in most homes deserves the most attention.

The garage door is the biggest weak point

It is the largest single opening in the building envelope and typically the least reinforced. When a garage door fails in high wind, the wind enters the garage, pressurizes the house from inside, and the roof is what gives way.

What to check:

• Is it rated? Many older doors were installed before current wind requirements and carry no rating at all. Look for a label on the door or the track.
• Bracing. Retrofit bracing kits exist for many doors and are far cheaper than replacement.
• Track and hardware condition. Corroded or loose track fasteners are a failure point regardless of the door's rating.
• The connection to the framing. A rated door bolted into inadequate framing is not a rated assembly.
• Weatherstripping and bottom seal, which is about water intrusion rather than structure but matters in a storm.

If the door is old and unrated, replacement with a rated unit is the definitive fix, and it is one of the higher-value hurricane preparations available.

Entry doors

• Rating. As with garage doors, older exterior doors may not meet current wind-borne debris requirements. Check what applies at your address.
• Hinges and strike. Long screws through the hinges and the strike plate into the framing behind the jamb dramatically improve resistance. This is inexpensive and it is worth doing on every exterior door.
• Deadbolt throw. A deadbolt that only partly engages is not doing its job.
• Frame condition. Rot at the bottom of jambs and at the threshold is common here and it compromises the whole assembly. See our article on wood rot.
• Multi-point locking on French and double doors, where the inactive leaf is often the weak point.

Sliding glass doors

Large glass areas and a track that can fail. Options range from impact-rated replacement to shutters and panels. Our comparison of shutters versus impact glass covers the trade-offs.

At minimum, confirm the track is sound, the rollers work, and the door locks properly.

Do it before the season, not before the storm

This is the practical advice that matters most. Once a named storm is in the forecast cone, every contractor and supplier in Central Florida is booked and materials are gone.

Pre-season is when this work is available, affordable and unhurried. Our hurricane season checklist covers the full list.

Everything loose becomes a projectile

When a storm is inbound, secure or bring inside patio furniture, grills and propane tanks, potted plants, garden ornaments, tools, hoses, trash bins, bird feeders and yard signs. Anything that cannot be moved needs securing.

A patio chair through a window is entirely avoidable damage, and it also breaches the envelope in exactly the way you are trying to prevent.

After the storm

• Check doors and windows for damage that is not obvious — racked frames, damaged weatherstripping, water intrusion in the wall.
• Test that every exterior door still latches and locks properly.
• Look at the garage door track and hardware for movement.
• Photograph anything damaged before moving or repairing it.

Inventive Home Improvement handles doors, windows and shutters across Lakeland, Haines City and Polk County. Call (863) 633-5499 for a free estimate before the season.

Frequently asked questions

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