One of the common causes for a home roof blow-off during a hurricane is the garage door blowing into the garage from the wind's pressure. Once the door blows in all the hurricanes wind pressure increases the pressure in the garage enough to lift the entire roof from the walls resulting in total destruction of the home. A simple reinforcement may help reduce the blow-in possibility.
The top door panel is reinforced by the garage door opener and needs no additional reinforcement. However, the center of the bottom door panel such as on a 16-foot door has no reinforcement and is the weakest part of the entire door and easily blows in.
The simplest reinforcement is to use a ½ inch diameter by 12 inches long re-bar at that center point of the door. I drilled a hole into the foot/closing assist to accept the re-bar and another hole in the garage floor that lets the re-bar slip into about 3 inches deep. It was about an hour project and only cost a couple dollars. For that center point of the door the wind pressure would have to be strong enough to shear the re-bar off which is unlikely that would ever happen.
Here’s the re-bar in place, the door can now resist a lot of wind pressure pushing on it. Pulling the door out is not a big consideration as the foot assist mounting screws do offer some resistance to pulling forces.
A simple hole drilled in the garage floor to accept the re-bar.
The re-bar in the concrete drilled hole.
The hole drilled into the foot assist for the re-bar to slip through.
The same assist but from the bottom showing the re-bar drilled hole.
How to use it?
Simple, close the garage door and slip the re-bar through the foot assist drilled hole and then into the hole drilled in the concrete floor!
Looks good I hope it all stays far north of you this time .
ReplyDeleteThis one is pretty far north of me so I’m not worried.
DeleteExcellent idea! One cool improvement on your design; in corporate the rebar into that bottom panel, installed permanently (roll-up doors only). That way, it's always on duty when the door is closed, preventing blow-in by wind, and push-in by various and sundry 2-legged interlopers. One-piece "California doors" would need to use your design, as they don't move vertically, but tip out as they open.
ReplyDeleteThat’s possible if I purchased another foot/assist bracket, drill another ½ inch hole in the second one and fastened the re-bar through them. Maybe next year.
DeleteCould you leave a gap at the bottom and crack open a window for air pressure flow or too much water entering??
ReplyDeleteWhat about using hedges for wind block on ground level?? We know tall trees take a hit.
During the winter folks put up plastic fencing to act as a wind break, blowing snow piles up near fence and not across the road.
Its been proven that it’s better to seal the house up tight and not have a pressure differential. Last year today, we had IRMA, 85 mph winds at ground level (never got closer than 75 miles from my shoreline), rain at 5-6 inches an hour was blowing horizontal. Any place rain can get into it does. It’s quite an experience, kind of like when flying and you stick your head out the window! Haha! All we can do is board-up and hope for the best and hope we don’t have to deal with a storm surge. I’m at 5-6 feet above sea level so that is a concern, just hope flood insurance works. A direct hit of a CAT-3 will put water in my house. We just live with hurricanes and should one make me homeless I have a plan and will just move on but not in hurricane country!
DeleteWe’re not expecting anything from this storm.
I like your brace quite a bit. When Irma came through (I'm south of you in Northern Brevard) I backed both car bummpers up to the door to brace it, as well as locking both sides to the rails at knee height. Thank you for the post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ralph,
ReplyDeleteIf I'm not evacuating I do the same thing. With my cars inside the garage I roll them back to touch the door. But when I need to evacuate both vehicles are gone so I came up with this, hopefully it will work and help keep the door in place while I'm gone.
Thanks for stopping by!