Is Your Garage Door Ready for El Niño Weather

Learn about wind damage to garage doors.

California is not normally a state you associate with bad winter weather. But this year’s El Niño system is bringing some pretty wild weather conditions, including torrential rain, flooding, mudslides, strong winds up to 60 mph, and even a brief tornado warning in part of San Diego County. Already, this year is tied with the winter of 1997-1998 for the title of strongest El Niño system on record.

So what does all this bad weather have to do with your garage door? Well, there could be a very real possibility of damage due to the weather, especially in areas hit with high winds.

According to experts, severe winds can actually cause garage doors to buckle. The wind then gets inside the garage, where it can cause structural damage to the home. After some hurricanes such as Hurricane Andrew, up to 80 percent of the damage to local homes could be traced back to garage door failure.

Of course, hurricanes bring winds of over 100 mph, which is much stronger than what we can expect to see in southern California during El Niño. However, we will certainly be seeing winds strong enough to fell trees and potentially blow debris into your garage door, causing dents or broken windows.

Are Any Preventative Measures Practical for Our Area?

In hurricane prone areas, homeowners are advised to invest in high-quality garage doors that are designed to withstand winds of up to 150 mph. When this is not possible, homeowners can consider adding braces to the garage door, installing hurricane panels, or using specially designed netting.

In our local area, these kinds of measures are not really practical because the risk of wind damage is relatively low. However, if you have a high-end garage door, it might actually already be considered an “impact-resistant” door capable of withstanding high winds.

Turn to Dynamic Garage Door for Help Dealing with the Aftermath of El Niño

Since prevention is not practical, most Californians will just wait and see what damage El Niño brings to their homes and then make any necessary repairs. If you end up with damage to your garage doors, be sure to call Dynamic Garage Door for help. As an expert in custom garage doors, we make an excellent choice of contractor when repairs are needed to your wood garage doors. We can also assist with replacing broken windows or help you select a brand new garage door.