Living on the Eastern coast Line, hurricanes are just a part of the weather patterns that we dread, but also one weather condition that we must deal with. Over time, manufactures like CHI Overhead Door have engineered products to help homeowners protect their homes from high winds and pressures caused by hurricanes and other storms in the form of WINDLOADING the garage doors.
If you live in Virginia Beach, Virginia, you are far too well familiar with the challenges that hurricanes present to you and your home. The water and wind can be extremely unpredictable and being prepared with the proper Windloaded garage door could make the difference of making it through the storm safely.
Do you need a WindLoaded Rated Garage Door?
This could be a complicated question to answer depending on how far away you live from the coast and when your home was built. New construction homes in Virginia Beach are required to have a certified rating ranging from 110-130 MPH (miles per hour). If you own a home in some parts of North Carolina like Nags Head, you might be required to have a certified rating of up to 140-150 MPH.
Older homes that have existing doors that are not Windloaded are not required to have the certification. You also do not need to have the door certified if you replace it, however it is something that can be discussed with a product specialist. A product specialist can help you determine which product is best suited for your home and personal preference.
What makes a garage door Windloaded?
The simple answer here is engineering. CHI Overhead Door is a door manufacturer that Apple Door Systems is a 5 Star Elite Dealer with and they provide the certification that is required by DASMA. DASMA sets the certification requirement needed for the local inspections to test and pass. Doors must be ordered and signed off on by an engineer as being windloaded for the proper rating to pass local safety codes.
There will be some interior changes to the garage door appearance in the means of horizontal braces, called "struts" and they can vary in size and design based off the manufacturer's specifications. Some doors will have struts built into the construction of the door sections; others will be applied by trained technicians onsite when the door is installed.
The exterior appearance of the door will remain unchanged, and the beauty and design of the door will remain intact. So, there is no need to compromise the look of the door to have the door certified.
Apple Door Systems offers WindLoaded Garage Doors in Virginia Beach, and the Hampton Roads area and we are more than happy to answer any questions that you might have to ensure you are prepared for next storm that blows through.
"Wind pressure is often the most devastating culprit in a hurricane. A category 3 hurricane with winds of 130 mph exerts wind pressures equivalent to the weight of a typical family car on a two-car garage door." - Dr. Steve Lyons, Hurricane Expert, The Weather Channel
