It’s the worst-case scenario. A hurricane is being tracked in the Atlantic, it’s expected to make landfall along a coastal region, and you’re worried about your commercial warehouse. And for good reason, according to studies conducted by insurance agencies after the massive destruction caused by Category 5 Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The findings showed that if your sectional or rolling garage door fails from a hurricane’s wind pressure blowing it in or sucking it out, your roof will also be blown off, followed by the interior walls.
That’s how important your doors are. And that’s why the rolling-steel door industry takes this threat to our customers’ businesses so seriously—with a tiered offering of certified doors to withstand the tremendous impact. With the onslaught of hurricane season beginning on June 1, now’s the time to consider the types of wind-resistant doors available to help bring you peace of mind that your investment is protected in hurricane or high-wind prone areas.
- Miami-Dade Doors Meet Most Stringent Code Requirements
In a nutshell, there are a class of doors on the market that are tested to much higher wind pressure and impact resistance than standard doors. These doors comply with their respective code requirements to protect against the increasing risk of hurricanes and volatile storms. At ASTA America, for example, we offer rolling steel doors that are impact certified, wind-load certified, dual certified, heavy-duty certified and now Miami-Dade County-certified for the highest level of requirements for coastal regions. Read on for a break-down of offerings—and the top 4 benefits you can expect with doors that are built to withstand the battering that comes with a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. - Impact Certification
Impact ratings are often required to meet standards set by local building codes, such as the Florida Building Code or Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance (NOA) for high-velocity hurricane zones. These impact ratings indicate a door’s ability to withstand impact forces, such as debris or other projectiles during severe weather conditions, particularly in hurricane-prone areas. At ASTA America, our impact-rated doors undergo rigorous testing including the Large Missile Impact Test (ASTM E1886/E1996), where a simulated projectile is launched at the door to assess its structural integrity. - Wind-Load Certification
In addition to impact ratings, many hurricane-prone regions require that doors meet specific wind-load standards to be compliant with building codes. For ASTA America’s rolling-steel doors, wind-load certified refers to the door's ability to withstand wind pressures, both positive and negative, which is essential for maintaining structural integrity during high-wind events such as hurricanes or storms. The ratings are expressed in pounds per square foot (PSF). - Dual Certification
Doors that are both impact rated and wind-load rated are ideal for hurricane prone regions because they provide comprehensive protection against both wind pressure and flying debris. - Heavy-Duty Certification
At ASTA America, we’ve introduced a heavy-duty door. This door is a wind-load door that’s not impact-rated but carries a higher PSF rating than our standard wind-load doors. The heavy-duty certified door includes continuous wind locks and uses the same guide as our Miami-Dade doors. - Miami-Dade Certification
Miami-Dade County has some of the strictest building and code requirements in the U.S. because of their coastal location and the prevalence of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes that habitually hit there. As a result, there is a Miami-Dade approved door that is even more robust than the wind-load certified doors and is required by Miami-Dade County, Broward County and Coastal Palm Beach County.
At ASTA America, we’ve introduced a rolling-steel garage door that is Miami-Dade certified for these high-velocity hurricane zones as well as for anyone else who wants to have the highest-strength door. This top certification means the door has not only passed rigorous tests for both wind load and impact resistance but also a large missile impact test (tested at missile level E) and a cyclic wind pressure test.
The Miami-Dade Door Difference: 4 Ways to Reduce the Risk
Choosing a Miami-Dade approved door from ASTA America brings multiple benefits. Here are my top 4.
Stronger. The standard rolling steel door that goes out across the U.S. is typically 22- or 24-gauge depending on the region. Our Miami-Dade certified door has greater protection because it’s only available in the two thickest gauges: 18-gauge or 20-gauge. In addition, our door features a new guide (Type 8WL) and includes a wind lock on every single slat to withstand +60/-65 PSF.
Safer. With a stronger door comes a safer facility. With our Miami-Dade certified doors in place, the curtains are held into the guides longer in the event of wind-born debris, which keeps you, your employees and your business safer.
Certified. There are only a few companies that provide Miami-Dade certified doors for a reason. Passing the certification testing isn’t easy. If it passes the wind-load aspect of testing, for instance, but fails the missile testing, that’s a no-go. Our doors passed with flying colors to give you the peace of mind when hurricanes or high winds hit.
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loser. At ASTA America, we believe in getting customers the product they need when they need it. And our proximity to all Gulf Coast states allows us to get your Miami-Dade certified doors to you typically faster than anybody else with an average 21-day lead time.
We’ve Got You Covered
At ASTA America, we provide engineered solutions for your everyday problems, and that includes preparing your facility with rolling-steel doors to withstand storms and hurricanes. Whether you need impact certified, wind-load certified, dual certified, heavy-duty certified or Miami-Dade certified doors, we’ve got you covered.
About Our Author
Cory Silverberg brings two decades of expertise in both residential and commercial industries to his position as product manager for ASTA America. He joined the company in 2015 and has experience in manufacturing, sales and management.
