REINFORCE OR REPLACE GARAGE DOORS
Protecting Your Property from High Winds
FEMA
April 2008

High winds from hurricanes and tornadoes can damage garage doors or 
even blow them in. If wind enters a garage, it can cause dangerous 
and expensive structural damage. Reinforcing your garage door helps 
to protect not only your garage, but its contents as well. 

You can reinforce a garage door by adding girts (usually wooden 
boards) across the back of the door and by strengthening the glider 
wheel tracks. If your existing door is old or damaged, you might 
want to replace it with a stronger door and tracks. Even if you 
decide to buy a new door, reinforcing it is still a good idea. 
Hardware and home supply stores, as well as companies that 
specialize in overhead door sales and installation, can advise you 
about stronger doors and track systems. 

BENEFITS OF UTILIZING THIS MITIGATION STRATEGY

* Helps to prevent structural damage 

* Helps to prevent damage to or loss of contents in the garage

TIPS 

Keep these points in mind when you reinforce or replace your garage 
doors: 

* Reinforcing an existing garage door is something you may be able 
to do yourself if you have the necessary skills and tools. 
Otherwise, you can hire a contractor to do the work. The necessary 
materials, including metal brackets and wood boards for girts, can 
usually be found at a lumber yard, hardware store, or home supply 
store. 

* Single-car garage doors usually resist wind forces better than 
two-car garage doors. 

* Don’t wait until a hurricane or tornado warning is issued to 
reinforce your garage door; you probably won’t have time. 

* Installing a new garage door is more than a one-person job and is 
not the type of work that most property owners who lack the 
necessary skills and equipment would want to undertake. If you buy a 
new door, you may want to either have the seller install it or hire 
a contractor. 

* If you are buying a new door, get one without windows. Unless 
covered, glass is easily broken by high winds and windblown debris. 
Again, one reason for protecting your garage door is to prevent wind 
from entering the garage and damaging the contents inside. 

* Check local code requirements in your area.

ESTIMATED COST 

If you hire a contractor to reinforce an existing two-car garage 
door, you can expect to pay about $300. The cost of replacing a 
door, including installation, can vary greatly, depending on the 
size and type of door. 

OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION 

FEMA 247, Against the Wind, Protecting Your Home from Hurricane Wind 
Damage, December 1993, 
http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1641. 

FEMA 488, Hurricane Charley in Florida: Mitigation Assessment Team 
Report, Observations, Recommendations, and Technical Guidance, 
Chapter 8, “Recommendations,” April 2005, 
http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1444. 

To obtain copies of FEMA documents, call the FEMA Publications 
Warehouse at 1-800-480-2520 or visit FEMA’s Library online at 
http://www.fema.gov/library.