Choosing a garage door is not just about style and energy efficiency. One of the most important aspects when setting a budget for a garage door is knowing your local building code for garage door installation or replacement –
so you can choose a door with the right windrating. Having a garage door in place that meets local code and wind-rating requirements will help you avoid damage if a strong storm or hurricane whips through town, and it will also save you money.
Your new garage door’s wind rating is important for two reasons:
If your new garage door doesn’t meet local building standards, it can cost you hundreds extra. In some commercial applications, it can mean thousands. So, before you shop for a garage door, be sure that you have the correct information in hand to make a real apples-to-apples comparison. Not getting this piece of information correct can cause you a lot of headache in the future and make a sweet deal go sour in a hurry. When you know the local building code for your area, it’ll provide you with this all-so-important information:wind load (or wind rating). Buying a door with the correct wind rating for a new building project is a must. In these applications, there will be building inspectors on site, and they will check the rating on your new garage door. Some areas do not require inspections for garage door replacements. You will need to check with your local permit office, as it is the responsibility of the buyer to pull any applicable permits that may be needed.
Think about it: If you invest in a garage door with the wrong wind rating and have to buy a second garage door that meets local requirements, you’ll unnecessarily pay for another garage door. If you check these requirements before you purchase, you’ll avoid this hassle. Even if you get the new garage door with the wrong wind rating installed and a hurricane or strong wind moves through the region, your door could sustain damage. You’ll not only have to pay for repairs, but you may end up having to replace the door down the road.
Building codes specify that a garage door must be able to stand up to pressure from wind gust at a sustained mile per hour.
At Shop Garage Door, we recommend using the ATC Windspeed website to find the required windspeed in your area. Because many counties across America have several required wind ratings, it’s best to use latitude and longitude to find the correct wind rating for your garage door.
To find your windrating, go to the ATC Windspeed Website.
If you live in Charlotte, NC. the above graphic shows a windspeed of 90(3-sec peak gust in mph). In this case, you would select 90 mph in the wind rating when building your garage door. Then, you can see exact prices for doors suited to your area. Without this information, you’ll get an inaccurate quote.
On the Shop Garage Door website, you can enter your windspeed number in our garage door buildertool to get the most accurate pricing on a garage door.
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