Impact Garage Doors in Melbourne, FL

Impact garage doors deal with the biggest opening on most houses. A double garage door is often 16 feet wide, and a lightweight door can bow inward under strong wind until it pops out of its tracks. Once that happens, wind rushes into the garage, pressure builds inside, and the roof over the garage takes force from below. On many Brevard homes the garage faces the street with nothing to slow the wind, so the door takes the full load.

Wind-rated versus impact-rated

These terms are easy to mix up. A wind-rated door is built and braced to resist a certain wind pressure, pushing in and pulling out. An impact-rated door has also passed missile testing, so it holds when debris strikes it. Where the code calls for opening protection, the garage door counts as an opening like any window. Both kinds carry a Florida Product Approval with a design pressure; we match that pressure to your door's size and location.

What makes the door stronger

• Built-in bracing: horizontal struts across the sections and heavier hinges and end stiles.
• Heavier tracks and mounting: tracks and jambs fastened to the wall to hold the door in place under load.
• Steel construction: most rated doors are insulated or uninsulated steel; some models have impact glass windows in the top section.
• Matching hardware: springs and openers sized for the heavier door.

Older doors and add-on bracing

Many garage doors on 1970s through 1990s homes were never rated. Retrofit bracing kits exist for some doors, but the result is only rated if the kit is part of the door's approval. For most older doors, a new rated door is the cleaner path because the door, tracks, bracing and mounting are tested together.

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Insulation and heat

A garage on the west side of a house can get very hot in summer. Insulated steel doors cut some of that heat and help if the garage holds a freezer, a workshop or a laundry area. Lighter colors also reflect more sun. If your neighborhood has an HOA, it may have rules on garage door color and style, so check before you choose.

Openers

Rated doors weigh more than basic ones, and the opener has to be able to lift it. We check your existing opener and tell you if it should be replaced. A battery backup is worth considering, since power often goes out during and after storms and a heavy rated door is hard to lift by hand.

Permits and inspection

The City of Melbourne lists garage door replacement among jobs that need a permit, and Brevard County includes garage doors on its residential windows, doors and shutters permit. We submit the door's product approval with the application and book the inspection, then give you the approval for your wind mitigation file.