Extreme and erratic weather is officially something all business owners need to consider in their commercial facilities’ budget, safety, security and operational procedures. This could mean deep colds and extreme heats to heavy rains and high winds. Commercial-grade doors can now come with glass that’s treated and reinforced to fight intrusion, winds and flying debris.
Overhead doors can also be made with materials and construction that can stand up to those absolutely crazy winds we’re seeing all over the country. Specifically, if you live in an area prone to high winds, tornadoes or hurricanes, then you may want to consider investing in commercial garage doors with high wind rating.
Here’s why:
Is Your Overhead Door the Weak Point in Your Building’s Wind-Resistance?
The garage door is often considered the weak point of a home or business during hurricanes or storms with strong winds. If the garage door is blown off, there is a sudden pressure change within the building that can suddenly rip off the roof. As you could imagine, this can completely wipe out your building and the contents within, risking the lives of anyone inside as well.
Knowing this, a hurricane-resistant overhead door is starting to sound kind of important now, yeah?
According to The Active Times, the top 10 hurricane-prone states are:
- Virginia
- New York
- Mississippi
- Georgia
- Alabama
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
- Louisiana
- Texas
- Florida
Businesses in tornado-prone states like Oklahoma and Kansas should also strongly consider wind-resistant garage doors. In fact, in some areas you may be legally required to obtain overhead doors that meet a certain wind resistance.
How Much Wind Resistance Do Your Building’s Garage Doors Need?
First, you’ll want to check what the minimum requirements for overhead door wind resistance are for your state. You can usually find this information by contacting the local building code office in your area.
However, you may not want to settle just for the minimum legal requirement. For example, if the minimum is a garage door that’s certified to withstand 80-mph, but winds can exceed 100-mph in your area, then you’re going to want to opt for something a little better.
A good way to look at this is how much is your building and its contents worth? In many cases, businesses have 7 or 8 figures worth of products and equipment inside their building. In these situations, you definitely want to invest extra into a quality garage door.
Plus, there may be insurance benefits and/or discounts offered by your insurer if you do install a high wind-resistant door on your building.
Wind Resistance & Impact Resistance Go Hand-in-Hand
In addition to wind resistance, you’ll want to choose a door that has high impact resistance. Remember that during a hurricane, storm, or tornado that there will be debris flying around. Even if your panel has high wind resistance, a flying rock could seriously damage it and reduce its wind resistance.
The other aspect of the reinforced-door decision is more about design and convenience. Do you want doors that are already storm-proofed? Or do you want doors and windows that can be augmented to become stormproof when you know a bad one’s on its way?
Overhead Door – Model 515 & 525
If your business is in the market for a high-quality commercial door that is rated to withstand wind, Overhead Door offers two models made exactly for this purpose: Model 515 & Model 525. Both of these panels offer superior wind, thermal, and impact resistance. Both are also equipped with triple-layer insulation that’ll help keep your building cool and comfortable.
When you think about it, installing hurricane-resistant overhead garage doors at your business gets you way more than just protection from hurricanes. You have better climate control, meaning lower HVAC costs; higher security, meaning you’re less prone to break-ins; and you’re better protected from riots. If you’re considering switching out your storefront doors and windows, or even just doing a bit of retrofitting, ask an exterior door professional how you can incorporate wind and impact resistance into your project.