While Florida is a fantastic place to live, with its warm climate, stunning beaches and low cost of living, it does play annual host to many a storm, some of which include hurricanes, the ferocity of which seem to be on the rise. However, with the increase of severe storms and hurricanes, have come a set of measures to help citizens better weather out those storms (pardon the pun!), with one of those being the wind code.
What is the wind code?
The wind code is a measurement that determines the ability of a structure to resist strong winds, and garage doors are among the items required to meet certain standards when it comes to this. In fact, all garage doors throughout South Florida must comply with the regulations and legally recognized standards that now govern hurricane resistance.
Wind and garage doors:
When strong winds gust against a garage door, that’s technically described as positive pressure, and when the wind acts in the opposite way and pulls or sucks a door outward, that is known as negative pressure.
Wind code ranges:
One or two-storey structures able to withstand winds of up to 90mph, a design pressure minimum of 12 pounds per square foot and a test pressure of 19 pounds per square foot (or PSF) may be within the range of W-1, while two-storey buildings able to withstand winds of up to 150mph, a design pressure of 54 PSF and a test pressure of 81 PSF, may go up to a W-9.
What’s the minimum wind speed a door must be able to resist?
Depending upon where you live in South Florida, the Applied Technology Council’s page will give you further details about what speeds of wind your garage door must be able to resist.
Determining your homes exposure zone:
South Florida has 3 different categories of exposure regions:
Exposure B – areas containing buildings or obstructions that stand closely together, such as woodland, towns and cities.
Exposure C – open ground land containing buildings or obstructions that are not so closely packed together.
Exposure D – Structures that stand within 600 feet of the ocean or any other large water mass measuring 5,000 feet across.
Which way does your property face?
Whether your house is North or South facing, one story or two, may all be factors in determining the positive or negative impact of wind load pressure on your garage door.
What is your wind code rating?
Determining the wind code and W rating that’s applicable to you and your property, is done by assessing the speed of the wind, the type of structure that your home is, and its exposure classification.
For more detailed and up-to-date advice and guidance related to wind codes, visit your local garage door showroom to talk through your options based upon where you live.
