Upper Keys
Hurricane Bracing in Tavernier
Hurricane bracing means horizontal struts screwed firmly to the sectional door already in the opening. The struts stiffen the sections and add real weight, so the balance is checked after they are on. Adding struts stiffens the door you have and does not file paperwork for the house. Track bolts and jamb fasteners are a separate question from the struts on the door. The visit fits the struts the door can carry and sets the springs for the new weight.
What the struts do
A horizontal strut across a section limits how far that skin can bow. One strut near the middle is common, and some doors take struts nearer the top and bottom as well. The added weight changes how the springs feel, even when the door still looks the same. Fasteners have to hit the section frame, not just the thin face of the skin. A strut on a door that is already twisted will not pull that door back to square.
What you can check
Count the sections and note whether any strut is on the back of the door. Look at the jamb and say whether it is wood or masonry if you can tell from the floor. Do not drill the sections or loosen track bolts while the springs are wound. Never touch the springs, the cables, or the set screws to make room for a strut. A photo of the door from inside shows the section count and any strut already there.
How the added weight behaves
The visit mounts the struts and then checks balance before the opener is asked to lift the door. Springs that were right for the old weight may be light once the struts are on. A heavier feel with the trolley released means the springs need attention in the same visit. Track and jamb fasteners are inspected separately, because a strut does not anchor the track. The opener force is set only after the door is balanced with the new weight.
Not the tested assembly
A strut added to the door you have stiffens the door and adds weight the springs feel. It does not turn the opening into a tested wind assembly with a label of its own. The label for a tested door belongs to the door, the track, the struts, and the anchors. Paperwork for the building stays with the owner and is separate from hanging the struts. If you need that tested package, the opening is measured for a rated door instead.
Damp air and storms
Storms are why many Tavernier owners ask for struts, and the exposure is not the same on every lot. A basin lot salts the strut fasteners much sooner than an inland lot does. Humidity works on those screws and on the bare section skin around each hole. Salt reaches the strut hardware sooner when the door sits closer to the open water. The struts still add weight, so balance is part of the visit on either kind of waterfront lot.
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 a strut make my garage door wind rated?
A strut is not a wind rating, and it does not file paperwork for the house. It stiffens the sections you have and adds weight the springs must carry. A tested rating belongs to a full assembly that is measured and ordered as one.
Will bracing change the door balance?
The extra weight changes the balance, so the springs are checked after the struts are on. A door that feels heavy with the trolley released needs spring work in that same visit. The opener is adjusted only after the door hangs correctly with the new weight.
Are track bolts part of the strut job?
Track bolts and jamb fasteners are separate from the horizontal struts on the sections. A strut does not anchor the track to the jamb by itself. Those fasteners are inspected on their own if the rail is loose or bent.
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Name the street and whether the door is up, down, or stuck.
- Repairs and replacement parts
- Openers and controls
- New garage doors