Upper Keys
Hurricane Bracing in Key Largo
Horizontal struts on an existing door stiffen the sections and add weight, so the balance has to be checked. People ask after a storm, or because the door flexes and feels loose in the track. A strut on the door you already have is not a wind rating, and it does not file building paperwork. Track bolts and jamb fasteners are a separate part of holding the opening, beyond the strut itself.
A door that flexes in the opening
The request usually starts with a door that bows or rattles because the sections are wide. A previous storm may have left a slight bow that a strut can help stiffen. People sometimes hope the bar creates a rating, and the rating is a property of a tested assembly instead. If the sections are split or the track is loose, those repairs come before any strut is added.
What you can look at and what you should leave
You can see whether the door bows and whether old struts are loose at their screws. Do not drill the sections, the track, or the jamb while you are only looking. Springs, cables, and set screws stay untouched, because the added weight is still a spring question. Keep people clear if the door is already off the track or cocked from a storm. A photo of the inside of the door, showing the sections and any existing bars, is enough to send.
Fit the struts and balance the added weight
The added weight is figured into the springs, and the door is balanced again by hand. The opener is run only after that balance, so it is not asked to lift the struts by itself. Loose track and tired jamb fasteners are tightened or replaced as their own work. Building paperwork stays with the owner, and the strut is explained as reinforcement of this door.
Struts fasteners and the existing door
A horizontal strut ties the stiles of a section so the skin flexes less in the wind. Each strut adds pounds, and several struts across a double door add enough to change the spring. End fittings have to land on solid metal, not on a rusted skin that will tear out. Jamb anchors and track brackets carry a different load from the strut and are inspected separately.
Storms salt air and fasteners outdoors
Storms are why people on Key Largo ask for struts, and salt air still works on the screws afterward. Houses on stilts and open bays leave those fasteners in humidity, so they pit faster than hardware in a garage. An enclosed garage can take the same struts, with less spray on the bars between seasons. A power cut does not change the bracing, and it can leave a heavy, newly strutted door stopped mid-travel.
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 struts give my current door a wind rating?
The struts stiffen the sections and add weight that the springs must balance. A wind rating belongs to a full assembly that was built and listed for that load. Track and jamb fasteners are checked too, and they are separate from the bar across the section.
Will the opener struggle after the struts are on?
It can, if the springs are left at the old setting and the door is suddenly heavier. The balance is reset as part of the strut work so the opener is guiding again. A door that was already heavy needs the springs addressed along with the new bars.
Who files paperwork for hurricane bracing?
Building paperwork for this opening stays with the owner. The visit installs the struts, checks the track and the jamb fasteners, and balances the door. A photo of the inside of the door helps show how many sections need a bar.
Request service
Name the street and whether the door is up, down, or stuck.
- Repairs and replacement parts
- Openers and controls
- New garage doors