Garage Door Hurricane Prep for Long Island Homes

Before the season

1. Balance test. With the door closed and the opener disconnected, lift it halfway. It should stay put. If not, the springs need service.
2. Inspect the springs, cables and bottom brackets for rust. Coastal salt corrodes them.
3. Check the rollers and track bolts. Loose tracks let a door flex out in high wind.
4. Test the opener’s auto-reverse and photo-eyes.
5. Get a battery-backup opener if you don’t have one. New openers ran $250 – $875 on published Long Island prices.

When a storm is coming

• Close and lock the door. If your opener has a manual lock, use it.
• Install a listed brace kit if your door’s manufacturer makes one.
• Move cars and bins away from the inside of the door.
• Unplug the opener if flooding is likely.

Wind-rated doors for coastal homes

New York’s Residential Code requires garage doors to be wind-load tested, and windborne-debris rules can apply near the coast. Homes on the barrier islands like Long Beach, the South Shore canal neighborhoods like Massapequa, and the East End should check the label on their door and ask the building department what design pressure their address needs. More in wind-rated garage doors.

After the storm

• Don’t run the opener until you’ve looked at the door.
• Keep clear of a door that’s bent, crooked or off its track.
• If water reached the opener’s motor, have it checked before use.
• Photograph damage for your insurer, then call for emergency repair.