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nicole_marshall33

Outswing Garage Doors in Florida

8 years ago
I've been considering an outswing garage door for my carport to garage conversion. I've seen a couple manifacturers online but my dilemma lies in having to abide by Miami Dade wind codes... Any suggestions on doors?

Comments (5)

  • PRO
    8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    The garage doors in your area need that rating. If you can find outswing doors that can provide that rating you're golden but since there isn't as much call for those doors I rather doubt that any company would spend the funds needed to do the test to gain the rating.

    You can be creative with the base door as you see in images below. There are companies out there that have rated doors with decorative elements. They duplicate the appearance of out swinging doors.

    I paid $1,300 for a standard double rated door. When I asked the cost to add the windows at the top it jumped to $2k to meet the rating. All these below will be considerably more than that.

    http://precisiondoormiami.com/hurricane-approved-garage-doors

  • 8 years ago
    Check manufacturers for Miami Dade compliance. It doesn’t matter what brand we might suggest. They are the ones who have the technical information you need. Be aware insurance companies can reduce the amount they will pay if you try to use non-compliant components on your house and you suffer wind-loss damage. Be sure to get a permit for the work to prove to your insurer you were inspected. Keep your insurance policy, along with the papers proving permitted work, in a safe deposit box, preferably at a bank on the mainland, not the barrier island.
  • 8 years ago
    Just like door and window sellers and installers, garage door installers will be happy to supply you with the technical info on the doors they sell and install. Once your house has survived a three or four, you will feel so relieved you did it the right way.
  • 8 years ago

    In addition to what is suggested above, get a new Wind Mitigation report from an authorized inspector after you install the new garage door that meets Miami-Dade county code. The insurance companies will give you ZERO discount unless you have the new Wind Mit report. The reports are good for 5 years unless you make a change to any of the elements in the report. Don't use an insurance co inspector. Lots of scandals involved with those inspectors and the reports they provided to the insurance companies at the consumers expense.

  • 8 years ago

    My reason for wanting an outswing door is due to super low headroom, otherwise I would have been fine with the cariage-look overhead door. I made a mistake hiring a contractor who told me he could make my low headroom situation work with a normal overhead door. Well, he was wrong, I came to find out. So I was trying to find a way around having to demo most of my carport conversion just to fit a garage door in. Anyway, thanks for the replies! I learned my lesson on contractors and to (thoroughly) do my research on any project I hire out so I can catch mistakes like that before they cause a problem.