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3 Tips To Prepare Your Garage Door For The Upcoming Hurricane Season

If you live in an area that is often affected by hurricanes, you are probably always looking for ways to prepare your home for hurricane season. Although you might have put a focus on preparing your roof and windows for potential storms, you might not have thought about preparing your garage door. However, your garage door can be prone to damage if you aren't careful. Luckily, following these tips will help you get your garage door ready for any storm that might come your way this hurricane season.

1. Have it Inspected

First and foremost, a garage door that is in good condition will be less likely to be affected by the wind and storms. If you haven't yet had your garage door inspected this year, now is the time to do it. A garage door repair professional can ensure that all of your nuts and bolts are screwed in tightly, that none of your components are rusty or bent, and that your garage door is in its best possible condition.

2. Seal it Off

Ensuring that the area around your garage door is properly sealed is important if you want to keep water out of your garage and prevent excessive wind from blowing in. A garage door repair professional can ensure that there is a secure seal around your garage door, or you can use weatherstripping and caulk to get the job done yourself. Basically, you will need to remove any existing, damaged weatherstripping from around your garage door and install a new strip. Then, you can use caulk to fill in any cracks or holes around the garage door to help keep wind and water out. As an added bonus, taking these steps will also help with energy efficiency and can help you save on your heating and cooling bills.

3. Invest in a Reinforcement Bar

Companies that sell garage door accessories and parts often sell reinforcement bars, which can be installed on your garage door right before the storm. Basically, a reinforcement bar will attach directly to your garage door and will hold it closed and in place. This will help prevent it from being blown open during periods of heavy wind.

As you can see, there are a few things that you can do to prepare your garage door for hurricane season. If you act now and take these steps, you won't have to worry as much about your garage door when the storm arrives and can instead focus on securing your family and other parts of your home.