What Is the Purpose of Reinforcement Struts?

Do you have a double garage door in your home? Perhaps it is an average of 16 feet wide, which is plenty big enough to fit two cars or an SUV. If you’ve ever looked at your double door closely, you may have noticed that there are one or more U-shaped steel bars attached with hinges on the inside of your door. Have you ever wondered what they are there for? Surely there must be a reason why they were made to look that way.

You’re right; they were in fact made that way for a reason. These devices are known as reinforcement struts, and they play two critical roles with your garage door:

• They work as a support for the garage door when it’s in an open position.
• They reinforce your garage door against heavy winds if you live in an area that has threats of hurricanes.

The typical reinforcement strut measures 2 ¼ inches (57mm) wide, and is either screwed in place using hinges or held together with big steel clips. The most important thing to understand about reinforcement struts is that these bars should never be used as a ladder to step on. If you see your children attempting to climb the reinforcement struts, please stop them immediately. They could be seriously injured.

So, what exactly are reinforcement struts used for?

Support when the door is open

Your door may be insulated with polystyrene or polyurethane, or it may not be insulated at all. Regardless of the model of garage door you have, and depending on its thickness, reinforcement struts come into play to help support your door when it is in an open position. A double garage door can measure anywhere from 14 to 18 feet wide, and when left open for hours, it can bend or bow in the center. Reinforcement struts help to prevent this bow for occurring. Be assured that even if your door does bow, it can still open and close properly.

A non-insulated or lightweight door has the tendency to bow even more than a heavier garage door that is insulated.

With double garage doors, it is recommended that at least three reinforcement struts are used to support a door that measures 7 or 8 feet high. If your door has decorative windows or embellishments at the top, you can even add a fourth reinforcement strut for extra support. It is advised that these be screwed on rather than clipped.

Reinforcement to combat hurricanes or strong winds

You may not have noticed, but garage doors are the largest openings in your home or building. During a time of high wind, the doors can blow open and the wind can wreak destruction through your home. The United States EPA mentions that “the intensity of the strongest hurricanes is projected to continue to increase as the oceans continue to warm, bringing stronger winds and heavier rains”. To prevent damage to your home, you’ll want to invest in reinforcement struts.

If you live in a hurricane-prone area such as Florida or the American southeast, you should mention reinforcement struts to your garage door specialists. There are custom standards and precise measurements that must be adhered to in order to best protect your garage and your home against strong winds.

Under no circumstances should you attempt to install reinforcement struts on your own. You should consider talking to your garage door specialist first to determine what will work best for your door. The spring system of your door is calibrated in such a way that it helps with balance, and putting off this balance can make your door dangerous to use. As a rule of thumb, a balanced door should weigh between 8 and 10 pounds (3.5 to 4.5 kg), and should be able to be lifted with just one hand.

Familiarize yourself with this list of what NOT do to, brought to you by Dasma, the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association:

• Do not park your car too close to your garage door. In the event of heavy winds, the garage door can blow off and do considerable damage to your vehicle. Pounds of pressure can smash your car.
• Do not leave your garage door open during a windy time. The risk of strong winds means the risk of damaging the interior walls and ceiling of your garage.

If you live:

• In Canada, you should know the standards that garage doors must comply with in order to combat heavy winds.
• In the United States, there are standards for specific regions such as North Carolina and Florida, and the recommendations should be followed for your safety.

Important things to remember:

If you need help determining the best way to reinforce your garage door against hurricanes or strong winds, please contact us anytime at 709-368-7222. Our specialists know garage doors and reinforcement struts better than anyone else does, and we can help meet your specific requirements. If you visit us online, we can send you a direct online quote.

While you’re online, feel free to stop by our design center to make your own design, and visit our image gallery to see what else is available. We encourage you to stop by in person and visit our showroom, where a wide range of available products and packages are on display for you to see.