WIND LOAD GARAGE DOORS

You don't have to compromise style for preparedness. Practically every door that Amarr offers is available with a wind load reinforcement system to withstand high-wind conditions. Amarr Wind Load garage doors look identical from the outside and are engineered to meet local building codes on the inside. Simply choose the door style that is right for you and Amarr's authorized garage door dealers/installers will handle the rest.

Although the strength of garage doors is a significant concern in high-wind conditions, many people simply are not aware of the need for reinforced garage doors. Amarr’s desire is to help people know how to prepare for severe weather. You are responsible to choose the appropriate wind load product to meet or exceed your local building code with the assistance of your builder and garage door dealer.

"Wind pressure is often the most devastating culprit in a hurricane. A category 3 hurricane with winds of 130 mph exerts pressures equivalent to the weight of a typical family car on a two-car garage door."

— Dr. Steve Lyons, Hurricane Expert, The Weather Channel

HURRICANE RATED

SELECT YOUR WIND LOAD DOOR

FACT: About 80% of residential wind damage starts with wind entry through the garage door.1

FACT: Less than 30% of homes in hurricane prone areas have adequate garage door wind load reinforcement systems.2

FACT: Fewer than 50% of consumers in hurricane prone areas know that their garage doors are required to meet building code criteria for wind pressures.2

FACT: Winds can stay above hurricane strength many miles inland. Hurricane Hugo (1989) battered Charlotte, North Carolina—about 175 miles inland—with gusts to near 100 mph.3

For decades, coastal and inland residents alike have taken precautions when they see the “red flag,” signaling an impending hurricane. They wisely heed the warning of this familiar beacon and prepare their homes for high wind conditions. But many homeowners fail to take the crucial extra step needed to prepare their homes – reinforcing their garage door, the largest opening in a home and a likely entry point for potentially devastating wind. Experts state that if garage doors fail, high winds can enter homes through the garage and blow out doors, windows, walls, and even the roof.1

ENERGY EFFICIENCY GARAGE DOOR

A garage door opening is the largest moving object in your home. Insulated doors will help to reduce the transfer of heat or cold air into your garage. This is important for a number of reasons:

1) If your garage is attached to your home, air in the garage can travel through the doorway to your living area. An insulated garage door will reduce the transfer of air from the outside to the inside.

2) If you use your garage as a workshop, your comfort will be a top priority. An insulated garage door will help keep the temperature in the garage within a narrower temperature range as compared to the extreme range of the outside temperature.

3) If your garage is below another room in your home, air can travel through the ceiling of the garage into the floor of the room above. An insulated door will keep temperatures in the garage fairly stable to reduce the temperature fluctuation in the room above.

4) An insulated garage door is generally quieter and has a more attractive interior than a non-insulated door.

What is R-Value?

R-Value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. Specifically, R-value is thermal resistance to heat flow. Many manufacturers use R-values to show the energy efficiency of their product. This number is calculated based on the thickness of the insulation and its chemical properties.

The higher the R-value number, the better the insulating properties of the material. However, an R-16 value is not twice as good as an R-8 Value. R-16 does not offer twice as much thermal resistance or twice the energy savings of an R-8 value. A value of R-16 offers a 5% reduction in heat flow and a 5% improvement energy efficiency than a value of R-8, not 50%. See chart below for R-Value comparisons.

door's insulating capabilities can be greatly affected by the door's construction. For that reason, Amarr's insulated doors are built to maximize energy efficiency. Our thermal break, door section construction and insulation help keep your garage as comfortable as possible.

Effective January 1, 2009, the Door and Access System Manufacturers Association (DASMA), which represents over 90% of the door and access systems manufacturers in the US and Canada, put into effect a voluntary standard for manufacturers to list R-values in accordance with DASMA Technical Data Sheet (TDS) #163.