If you live in a place that experiences a lot of strong storms or wind, then you may need a storm shield garage door to protect your vehicles, everything else that you store in your garage, and your entire home.
Though it is one of Australia’s milder cities, those of us who live in Adelaide know that Adelaide gets its fair share of rain and some storms throughout the year, which is one of the reasons why storm shield garage doors in Adelaide is important.
Did you know that storm shield garage doors can also protect against all other weather elements, including intense heat? In this article, we will look at everything that you need to know about storm-proofing your garage door.
Garage Door Tracks
Garage door tracks are the metal paths that your garage door runs up and down upon. The door itself rests in the tracks both when open and closed. It is crucially important to have strong, secure tracks. If the tracks break, the door will not only be unusable but may also become severely damaged and need to be replaced entirely if it falls.
Garage door tracks should be at least 14-gauge. Check your owner’s manual (if you don’t have a paper copy any more, most are available online) or look at the labelling on the tracks themselves. If not, you should replace them to 14-gauge or even higher for precaution.
Inspect all the screws and other fasteners that brace the tracks to the wall and ceiling and make sure that they are fastened tightly and are the proper type. If any are loose or stripped, consider replacing them.
You can get new tracks without replacing the entire door as a whole, which can save a significant amount of money while further storm-proofing your garage. However, track replacement may necessitate the removal of the door itself, which is a somewhat complicated repair. Consider calling professionals both to inspect your tracks and to make needed repairs.
Garage Door Bracing Kits
Once your tracks are inspected and secured, you may want to consider installing a garage door bracing kit. This does exactly what the name implies. It provides extra bracing for the garage door against strong external forces, particularly wind.
Bracing kits cost about $500 retail. You can install them yourself as it is not a complicated repair. However, if it is not done properly, you may end up causing more harm than good to your garage door.
Very often, garage door repair professionals can provide the kit and expertly install it, giving you the assurance that your bracing kit is installed properly to protect your door.
Hurricane-Proofing and Wind-Proofing
Instead of making these minor repairs and stop-gap measures, you may want to consider installing a new garage door altogether, especially if your current door is not in the best shape. Storm shield garage doors offer superior weatherproofing, particularly for hurricane and wind-proofing your garage. They come in many colours and styles and do not look different from standard garage doors.
B&D storm shield garage doors are graded on their ability to withstand wind as well as impact. These doors come with ultra-durable steel tracks and are designed to take a significant force without structural or cosmetic damage.
Finally, while a new hurricane-proof or wind-proof garage door can be costly, the value to your home and prevention of damage it provides can substantially outweigh the costs.