Hurricane season runs June through November, and every year we get the same call the day a storm is named: "can someone come today?" The homes that ride it out easily are the ones that did twenty minutes of work in the spring. Here's that work.
Before the season: the structural check
This is the part that actually decides whether the door holds. Every item here is about the connection between the door and the house.
- Check jamb anchors — no loose, missing or rusted-through lag bolts
- Verify struts are present and tight on each section
- Look for rust perforation at the bottom section, especially coastal homes
- Confirm track brackets are bolted, not just nailed, into solid framing
- Replace corroded hinges and roller stems before they seize
Balance and spring condition
Pull the release with the door closed and lift by hand. It should move smoothly and hold roughly halfway. An unbalanced door strains the opener and puts uneven load on the anchors — the last thing you want in high wind.
Seals and water intrusion
Wind-driven rain gets in around a hardened bottom seal or shrunken side weatherstrip long before wind does structural damage. Replace brittle rubber, and check that the floor under the seal is still level enough to close the gap.
Power and the manual release
Know how to disconnect and re-engage your opener in the dark. If you have a battery-backup opener, test it — backup batteries typically last three to five years and fail silently.
- Test the emergency release with the door closed, never open
- Replace opener backup batteries on a fixed schedule
- Keep the release cord free of stored items and reachable
When a storm is named
Install bracing or vertical posts if your door uses them — they do nothing sitting in the attic. Clear the area in front of and behind the door, remove loose yard items that become missiles, and park vehicles so you're not forced to open the door during the worst of it.
After the storm
Never force a door that binds. Look for bowed sections, pulled anchors, bent track and frayed cables, and photograph anything you find before repairs for your insurance claim. A door that opened fine before the storm and drags afterward has moved structurally.
The bottom line
Book the inspection in spring, not in the cone. We run a full storm-readiness check across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach — and members of our UniqueCare plan get priority scheduling when everyone else is calling at once.