Hurricane season in South Florida runs from June through November, and the damage that shows up afterwards usually started months earlier as a small maintenance problem. A sliding door with a loose lock, a worn roller, and a clogged track is a door that failed during the storm rather than a door that was destroyed by it. Here is how to get your doors ready before the first system forms.
What You Can Do in a Single Afternoon
Walk the house and look at every exterior sliding door. Open each one, close it, and listen. Listen for grinding, for a rattle, and for the sound of a panel that stops at the same point every time. Look at the gap under each panel and compare it to the gap on the other side. Try each lock. These five checks take a couple of minutes per door and they surface almost every problem that is going to cause trouble during a storm.
Check the Lock and Latch Hardware
A sliding door that will not latch cannot be secured, and a door that cannot be secured is an opening in your home during a hurricane. Test every lock and confirm that the latch hook actually enters the strike plate rather than merely resting against it. Check that the screws holding the strike plate bite into solid framing and not just the jamb trim, and tighten any that have loosened. Salt air rusts these fasteners faster inland, and a rusted screw will not hold in a storm.
Check the Panel Is Square and Secure
A panel that is out of square racks under pressure and can be pushed out of its channel. Compare the gaps around each panel. If the top gap is wider than the bottom gap, the rollers have worn and the panel has dropped. If the side gaps are uneven, the panel is racked. Both conditions are worth correcting before storm season, and both are much cheaper to fix in February than in September.
Look at the Track and Drainage
Clear the bottom track and confirm the drainage holes at the sill are open. Water that cannot drain sits in the track and finds its way under the door and into the home, which is how floors and subfloins get ruined. While you are there, look at the sill itself. A wood sill that is soft, spongy, or cracking needs to be replaced before the season, because it is the piece that anchors the whole door.
Clear the Path for Emergency Boarding
If you plan to put plywood over an opening, make sure you can get the plywood to it. That means moving planters, grills, patio furniture, and vehicles out of the way now rather than the night before a storm. It also means the door has to open and close properly, because a panel that is stuck half open cannot be covered. If you own a generator, keep it away from the house and run it outdoors, well clear of the openings.
Check the Screen Doors and Their Hardware
Screen doors take a beating in a storm because they are the first thing that catches wind. Check that the rollers run freely, that the frame is not bent, and that the latch closes properly. A screen that is already dragging on the glass panel adds friction that can push the glass door out of square during high wind, and it does no good as storm protection if it is torn or bent.
Know What Your Glass Is Rated For
Find the product code on the sticker in the corner of the glass or the marking on the panel itself. If it is an impact-rated product, you have a door designed to hold together under wind and debris. If it is a standard single-pane unit, you now know how you should plan for that opening during a storm, and you should have the plywood, the screws, and the drill ready rather than shopping for them when the forecast turns. Your insurer and your local building department can both confirm what is required for your property.
Protect What Is Around the Door
Windows and doors fail because of what hits them. Trim the branches back from the openings, secure outdoor furniture so it cannot become debris, and bring in anything that can blow across a patio. A large planter thrown into a door does far more damage than the wind pressure behind it, and it is also a hazard to anyone standing near the opening during the storm.
What Not to Do During a Storm
- Do not tape windows or doors with tape. It does not prevent breakage and it can leave adhesive damage on the glass and the frame.
- Do not stay in the home during a category three or higher storm to protect property.
- Do not open or close a door during the peak of the storm, because the pressure change can damage the panel and the frame.
- Do not rely on a screen door as storm protection. It is not designed to hold wind or debris.
- Do not leave the house unprotected if you have impact-rated doors, because those windows are meant to stay closed.
After the Storm
Take photographs of any damage from outside before you start cleaning, because documentation is what your insurer will need. Cover a broken opening with plywood or a tarp as soon as it is safe to do so. Check the door for a panel that has been pushed out of its frame and a track that has been deformed, and get a professional assessment before you try to slide a heavy panel back into place. Storm damage to a frame is often hidden, and a door that looks fine can still be out of square and unsafe to operate.