Hurricane Proof Doors

When choosing a hurricane proof doors, wind load doors, commercial service doors for a building, Cookson’s Steel Roll Up Doors and Hurricane Rated Doors are the top choice for architects and building managers worldwide.

 

Need hurricane proof doors? When it comes to providing hurricane protection, Cookson’s roll up doors are the perfect solution. 

 

Hurricane Proof Doors

Hurricane proof doors are specifically engineered to provide security from extreme high winds and have advanced features that lock the door in its guides to prevent failure. Hurricane proof doors are manufactured from high strength galvanized steel, that roll up to store in a coil above building openings.

When a hurricane or any high wind event occurs, doors, windows and building openings are normally the weak points in a building’s structural integrity. Installing hurricane proof doors is one way to protect a building, life and property.

Understanding Hurricane Protection

To understand how providing hurricane protection with our rolling doors can help, you must first understand how coiling doors loads exerted on the building structure function. When wind forces hit a building, all loads are transferred to the door guides and wall angle. There are two load forces exerting on the hurricane proof doors. Dead load represents the total door hang weight while the wind pressure forces are live load. Wall angle in our overhead doors runs from the bottom of the doors to the top of the coil housing. Dead load are controlled by critical wall fasteners above the opening. The critical wall fasteners within the opening height handle transferring the live load. Though not constant, live load forces can greatly exceed the dead load force. Having a solid, full height overhead rolling door mounting surface at the door jamb is critical. 

Request Information on Hurricane Proof Doors

 

When proper hurricane proof doors are not installed, the consequences of garage door failure due to extreme wind pressure can cause many issues. Once an opening such as the rolling metal door fails, the door opening breach can cause massive damage to interior goods along with the risk of injury to any people that could be caught inside. Even after a storm or wind event passes, the lack of functioning commercial roll up doors means the loss of that building’s opening until the garage doors can be repaired or replaced. Even more, the overhead doors may be compromised enough to present loss of building security. When a hurricane garage door fails, internal pressure can blow off a structure’s roof, causing catastrophic damage. 

 

 

Hurricane Proof Doors with Damage

Hurricane Proof Doors wind load


Many hurricane garage doors specify maximum wind speed but that is not the correct solution. Hurricane doors should express windload in PSF for all garage door specifications. Maximum wind speed is expressed in MPH. When it comes to PSF design windload, a calculation of wind speed plus nine other factors make up the total calculation. Other factors to consider when calculating required hurricane door PSF design load include:

  • Mean Roof Height
  • Roof Slope
  • Surrounding Topography
  • Exposure Category
  • Directionality Factor
  • Door Area
  • Zone
  • Positive or Negative Pressure
  • Internal Building Pressure

 

 

Building damage caused by substandard doors during Hurricane Ivan on a competitor's door:

Hurricane Proof Doors after Ivan with damage

 

Our Hurricane Garage Doors that were just installed prior to Hurricane Ivan landing:

Hurricane Proof Doors after Ivan no damage


There is no one hurricane rated door for every solution. Local code requirements and opening location variables must be consulted to help determine the correct door. Providing only a MPH maximum wind speed leaves a lot of questions on the table and is not enough to specify the correct hurricane proof door. Varying any of the ten factors we listed above will influence the required PSF design door windload.

Some factors when looking for hurricane proof doors to be aware of are that windload pressures can have different meanings. Test or ultimate load is defined as the engineered limit of a door’s capability. Design load is utilized in areas where wind conditions cause structural concerns. Usually, building codes typically require proof of performance to a test load that is 1.5 times the specified design load.

 

A normal overhead garage door is not sufficient enough to withstand hurricane winds. In addition to transferring load to the guides and building, many upgraded construction features such as heavier guides, specific fasteners, precise spacing, windlock bars and stronger windlock fasteners transform an overhead coiling door into hurricane proof doors.

 

Hurricane Proof Doors FL

Building with Hurricane Protection Doors up:
Hurricane Proof Doors Before Secure
Same Building with Hurricane Protection Doors down:

Hurricane Proof Doors Secure