High-speed winds during a severe storm put enormous amounts of pressure on your garage door. When a garage door experiences wind forces that are too high for it to handle, it will begin to buckle inward. The edges of the garage door will pull away from your garage, creating a gap for wind to enter in. The wind on both sides of your garage door rapidly rips your door entirely off of its track and exposes your garage to storm-force winds. This results in extensive water damage, or even, in some cases, your roof being blown off of your home. Here's how to prevent expensive repairs and extreme damage by storm-proofing your garage door.

Retrofit Your Current Garage Door With a Storm-Proofing Kit

Reinforcing your current garage door is an inexpensive way to storm-proof your garage. Steel trusses running lengthwise are added to the door in order to prevent it from buckling inwards in high winds. Next, a hole is drilled into the concrete floor of the garage right next to the garage door. When a storm is coming, you fit a steel beam into the hole that acts as a brace — the horizontal trusses transmit the force from storm winds to the vertical brace, which is securely anchored in the foundation of your home.

You'll also need to install track brackets to secure the garage door track to the side of your garage. Some of the pressure from the high-speed winds is transferred to the track of the garage. This can cause the track to twist and break if not properly anchored, which causes your garage door to simply fall off of your garage.

The installation process is simple enough to be done by homeowners with the correct tools. However, it's best to contact an experienced garage door company and have a professional inspect your current door for its storm readiness. If your garage door has windows that are not impact-resistant, or is made of wood or thin aluminum, debris from strong winds can pierce the door. Wind passing through the hole can quickly rip the entire door apart, regardless of how well it is fortified.

Install an Entirely New Wind-Resistant Garage Door

The easiest way to storm-proof your garage is to simply buy a replacement garage door that is rated to withstand storm-force winds. A number of manufacturers offer garage doors that can stand up to even hurricane-force winds.

While this is more expensive than retrofitting your existing garage, it gives you greater peace of mind. If you don't put in the vertical brace, your retrofit kit is not able to protect your garage from high-speed winds. If you forget to brace your door, or are away from your home when a storm comes, this can have disastrous and expensive consequences.

If you live in an area that is prone to severe storms and high winds, call an experienced garage door company to storm-proof your garage door. This helps prevent catastrophic damage to your home when your garage door buckles or fails, allowing wind and rain to enter freely into your home and garage.