Lower Keys
Hurricane Bracing in Big Pine Key
Hurricane bracing here means horizontal struts fastened to the sectional already hanging in the opening. A strut stiffens that door, and it also adds weight the springs have to carry. People ask for it when the door flexes, or when they hope a bar makes the door rated. A strut is not a wind rating, and it does not file paperwork for the building. Track fasteners and jamb anchors are a separate question from the strut itself.
What the strut changes on the door
A horizontal strut ties the section so the skin flexes less when the wind pushes on it. A center strut is common, and some doors also take struts toward the ends. The added weight shows in the balance, so springs and the opener are checked afterward.
What you can look at safely
You can see whether the door bows in the middle or a section already carries a strut. Note the width of the door and whether the ceiling is tight when the door is up. Do not drill the skin or hang a board across it as a homemade brace. Never touch the springs, the cables, or the set screws while you look. Say if you want the door stiffened, or if you are asking about a tested rated assembly instead.
Struts, balance, and the existing door
On the visit the sections are measured and struts are fastened to the door that is already there. Balance is checked because each strut adds weight the springs did not have before. Rollers, hinges, and cables are looked at so a stiff door is not running on failed hardware. Track and jamb fasteners are inspected separately, because a strut does not anchor the track. If the sections are soft or rusted through, a strut on a failed skin is the wrong order of work.
A strut is reinforcement, not the whole assembly
The strut bolts to the section and stiffens that skin on the existing door. That package includes the door, the track, the struts that were tested with it, and the anchors. Adding a bar to an ordinary door does not turn the opening into that package. Any building paperwork stays fully separate from fastening a strut in place. The useful result is a stiffer door whose balance has been set for the new weight.
Salt, weight, and older hardware
Older homes among the pines often have a door that flexes and hardware that salt has already roughened. A strut adds weight to springs and rollers that may already be tired, so balance is part of the job. Steel struts and the fasteners that hold them can pit in the same salt air as the hinges. A soft bottom section from damp should be repaired before a strut is asked to stiffen it. Narrow roads off Key Deer Boulevard reach these older doors and their struts.
Request this visit.
Call (645) 256-1794 about this door.
We answer any hour Sunday through Friday.
Saturday stays closed.
Keys Door Co is family-owned, local, and insured.
We have worked this coast for over ten years.
Common questions
Does adding a strut make my garage door wind rated?
No, a strut stiffens the door you have and adds weight to the springs. A rated door is specified as a whole assembly for the opening. Fastening a bar does not file any building paperwork for the wall.
Why do you check the balance after the struts are on?
Each strut adds weight, so the springs may no longer hold the door as they did. The opener can start to strain if that added weight is ignored. Balance is then set so the door stays where it is placed.
Can a strut fix a door that is already rusted through?
No, a soft or rusted section needs repair before a strut is asked to stiffen it. The strut reinforces a sound skin, and it does not rebuild a failed one. Track and jamb fasteners are checked as separate items on the door.
Place reference: National Key Deer Refuge
Request service
Name the street and whether the door is up, down, or stuck.
- Repairs and replacement parts
- Openers and controls
- New garage doors