Hurricane season is upon us. According to the National Weather Service, peak hurricane season for both Pacific and Atlantic coasts is between August and October. This year’s hurricane season is predicted to have typical activity, so it is still important your home is prepared. As always, safety is a concern during hurricanes, so be sure to stock up on household supplies including water and food to last at least three days. Other items to have on hand are batteries, flashlights, a first aid kit, cash, sleeping bags, pillows, chairs, blankets, etc. The Red Cross has a great Hurricane Safety Checklist available on their website. Additionally, close and shutter your windows, use sandbags if necessary, put as many things away in storage, and check your windows, doors, and garage door for security and reinforcement.
The garage door is typically the largest opening to your house making it the most vulnerable. Ensuring your garage door is supported properly is incredibly important during hurricane season as a destroyed garage door opens the rest of your house to vulnerability. Once a garage door is compromised, the potential of having your roof blown off during a hurricane increases immensely. Confirm your garage door complies with local building codes and uses proper reinforcements to meet local wind load requirements. If your garage door is older and was installed before the newer hurricane codes went into effect, it is important to either replace it or reinforce it for safety. Newer garage doors are typically built to the newer codes and are typically reinforced with steel struts. Older garage doors can be retrofitted with steel struts or by purchasing a reinforcement kit from a variety of garage door installers.
Keeping your home and family safe during hurricane season is a top priority. Confirming your home is reinforced or built to code will help bring peace of mind. Garage doors using steel strut and angle reinforcement stand a greater chance of remaining in place during high wind loads, giving you one less thing to worry about in the event of an emergency.
