South Dade
Hurricane Bracing in Goulds
Hurricane bracing is horizontal struts on the existing door, stiffening it and adding weight. The balance is checked because that added weight changes how the door hangs. A strut is not a wind rating, and adding struts does not file any building paperwork. Track fasteners and jamb fasteners are a separate question from the struts themselves. The visit is the struts, the weight they add, and whether the door still travels safely.
Struts on the door you have
The struts are horizontal bars fastened to the sections to stiffen the door you already own. They add weight, so the springs are checked and adjusted if the door no longer hangs in balance. A door that was already heavy can become too much for the opener after the struts are on. The bars are chosen for the width and the section layout, not for a look copied from another opening.
What a strut does not do
A strut stiffens the section and adds weight, and it does not assign a wind rating to the door. A neighbor's label, or a strut added years ago, does not become a tested assembly. The bars are fastened and the door is checked, and building paperwork is not filed for them. If a rated assembly is what you want, that measured set is a different visit.
Balance after the weight is on
The door is run after the struts are fastened, and balance is felt by how it hangs. Springs that were correct for the bare door may now let the door drop or make the opener strain. An opener limit and the eyes are checked so the heavier door still reverses on a soft object. Cables and drums are looked at, because extra weight shows up there too.
Track and jamb fasteners
The struts fasten to the sections, and the track still fastens to the jamb on its own hardware. Loose jamb brackets are a separate repair, and they are tightened or replaced when loose. A strut does not take the place of a track bracket or an anchor into the jamb. Headroom and the opener rail are checked so the new struts do not rub on the way up.
Older doors and added weight
Older modest slab houses often get these struts on a door that has been painted more than once. Humidity has usually aged the springs already, and the new weight asks those springs to do more. A roof that holds heat is separate from the struts, while age and damp are why balance is checked. Some driveways sit close to US-1, and the door still has to travel cleanly after the weight is added. Age and humidity are why bracing here includes the springs along with the 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
Do horizontal struts make my door wind rated?
Horizontal struts stiffen the door and add weight, and they do not create a wind rating. A rating belongs to a tested assembly of door, track, struts, and anchors together. The bars on an existing door are checked for travel and balance.
Will the door still lift after the struts are on?
The added weight is why the springs and the opener are checked after the struts are fastened. A door that hangs in balance can still travel, and a door that drops needs the springs adjusted. Cables and the opener limits are part of that same balance check.
Do you file paperwork for the bracing?
Filing building paperwork sits outside this visit, which covers the struts and the balance check too. The work is fastening the struts, then checking balance, cables, and travel. Track and jamb fasteners are looked at separately if they are loose.
Request service
Name the street and whether the door is up, down, or stuck.
- Repairs and replacement parts
- Openers and controls
- New garage doors