What Are Reinforcement Struts for Your Garage Door?

Have you noticed the u‑shaped steel bars that are on the inside of your garage door? They are attached by hinges, and they are known as reinforcement struts. Of course, even though you are sure they must be important, you might not have any idea exactly what they do and how important they truly are.

Let’s take a closer look at these reinforcement struts to learn more about them.

The struts are responsible for a couple of very important things when it comes to your garage door.

First, the struts act as a support when the garage door is up and open. Second, the struts also provide additional reinforcement for your garage door to protect it against strong winds, and even hurricane threats. Later, we will take an even closer look at how these can help.

When it comes to a residential door the reinforcement struts are usually around 2.25‑inches wide (57mm) and they are added to the door using hinges. However, they can also be added to the door with steel clips. These bars are sturdy when it comes to providing reinforcement. However, they shouldn’t be climbed on or used as a ladder, which tends to be something children like to do. This has the potential to be very dangerous, especially if the door is moving. Always make sure you properly instruct your kids when it comes to garage door safety.

Support for the Open Door

Reinforcement struts are often utilized as a means to provide some added safety for doors. They are often used, but it will depend on the model of the garage door, whether it features insulation or not (with polystyrene or polyurethane), and the thickness of the door. These supports are essential for the double garage door models. When these doors, which can be from 14 to 18 feet wide, are left open for hours, there is the potential for bowing toward the center. The reinforcement struts help to prevent this from happening.

Doors that do not have insulation and that are relatively lightweight will often bow more than a garage door that has polyurethane foam insulation, even if the thickness is the same. This foam can provide quite a bit more resistance to bowing and flexing.

Those who have, or who are considering buying, a double garage door between seven and eight feet high should make sure that it has three reinforcement struts. For those doors that also have decorative windows along the top section, it is a good idea to have four of the reinforcement struts.

Also, to provide the most benefit possible, it is a good idea to utilize hinges with the struts rather than the steel clips.

Winds and Hurricanes

The garage doors tend to be the largest opening in the building. They also happen to be vulnerable to high winds. With the way the weather is today, there are predictions that these winds, and hurricanes, will get worse – and more frequent – in the coming years. It just makes sense that you should make sure you have some reinforcement for the door to provide you with the added protection you need.

If you live in an area that often has high winds, this is something you will want to talk about when you speak with your garage door professionals. They can help you understand the best type of door to get, as well as the number of reinforcement struts you will need to have in place.

It is very important that you do not try a DIY approach to this. You need to make sure you have the professionals install these struts for you. The door has been placed to account for an exact weight. Adding the struts will add more weight, so you would need to have a professional installer who can then make sure the door is rebalanced properly. It should always be easy to open and close the garage door with a single hand if needed. If it is not balanced properly, it will feel too heavy, and that can be dangerous.

Some of the other things you should not do, according to DASMA, the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association include parking your car too close to the garage door and leaving your garage door open. Parking too close could put your vehicle at risk for damage, especially if the door was not properly reinforced. Leaving the garage door open all the time can cause potential damage to the walls and ceiling when the winds start up.

Those who live in Canada need to make sure they are following the proper standards when it comes to their garage doors and the wind. Those who live in Florida and North Carolina in the United States also have specific standards they need to follow.

Keep the Following in Mind

If you want to know how to reinforce your garage door the right way, contact us anytime at 781-270-5066. We understand the intricacies of garage doors and can even provide you with an online quote. In addition, be sure to check out the showroom, as well as our design center and image gallery.