Hurricane and Garage Door Repairs in Wilmington, NC
It is that time of year when we become very aware in Wilmington, NC and the rest of the Carolina coast that it is hurricane season. The strongest storm to hit Wilmington directly was Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Most recently the hurricane that greatly impacted Wilmington, and all of the beaches on the coast was Florence in 2018. I know the destruction resulting from the storm is still fresh in our minds since some homeowners are still recovering and rebuilding from the destruction.
Here are the 3 most common garage door repairs that are needed after a hurricane:
Safety Sensor Replacement
Because safety sensors are mounted six inches from the floor, if it floods to that level they will be ruined since they are an electrical part. The safety sensors can easily be replaced without replacing most operators. If the safety sensors get wet you will have problems closing the garage door from your remotes and the exterior keypad.
Operator Replacement/Circuit Board Replacement
Because of continued high winds and downed trees during the hurricane we lose power but often have several power surges from the power flickering on and off during the storm. This can zap another electrical part which is the circuit board.
Sometimes just replacing the circuit board will fix an operators issue. Other times if the circuit board and the safety sensors both were affected you will likely need to replace the whole operator. New operators do have better technology to withstand many power surges, where some older garage door operators do not.
Garage Door Stop Molding & Bottom Rubber Replacement
The garage door stop molding and bottom rubber are two items are really intended to keep dust and debris out of the garage. They are not waterproof but will help keep rain out. After a large storm it becomes very obvious if yours needs replacement.
Keeping the exterior stop molding tight against the home and the garage door will help keep the rain out of the sides of the garage but will not prevent it if the water becomes too heavy since they are made of vinyl or rubber.
Keep Your Home Protected
The good news is that most homes built after 2005 have a hurricane proof garage door. After 2008 it would almost be impossible for a newly built home to not have a hurricane proof garage door. The home would not pass inspection for occupancy if the garage door is not wind-loaded for hurricanes and must have the verification sticker on the back of the garage door. This means that each garage door section has struts from side to side horizontally that keeps the garage door from caving in during high wind events.
Luckily this building improvement has drastically helped support garage doors during hurricanes. Before this improvement they would likely cave in or come off completely if we had enough direct winds. Struts can always be added to a garage door if you would like to add support but the springs would need to be replaced, as it changes the weight of the garage door. The previous springs would not be strong enough to lift the garage door.
Reach Out to Us Today
All of us in Wilmington and the surrounding beaches hope for a quiet hurricane season. One quote from online recently stated: “Hurricane season better come in, sit down and be quiet this year!” We agree! But if you need help preparing for a storm or garage door or operator repairs after the storm is over, we are always happy to help. Any questions please give us a call (910) 833-1961 or (919) 841-0030.