When a hurricane hits, your building’s doors must withstand tremendous pressure from high winds and wind-borne debris.
Wind is the number one source of damage during hurricanes. As wind speeds increase, the pressure on doors exponentially multiplies. A 50-mph wind pressure pushes on a window or door with about 5 to 7 pounds of force per square foot. A 100-mph wind increases that pressure to 28 pounds per square foot – and a 130-mph wind almost doubles the pressure up to 47 pounds per square foot. That means a 16 x 20 ft. commercial roll-up door must be able to withstand over 15,000 pounds of pressure at wind speeds of up to 130 mph.
What’s more, hurricane season is consistently delivering more powerful hurricanes and more expensive damage. According to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the most active and costly on record, racking up an estimated $176 billion in damages, making it the third-costliest season on record.
Are your commercial building’s doors strong enough to withstand some of nature’s worst weather conditions?
Hurricane-Rated Doors Are Your First Line of Defense
Heavy-Duty Construction. Rytec hurricane-strength doors feature double-walled, insulated 6-inch aluminum slats with rubber weather seals and a heavy-duty reinforced hinge system. Durable powder-coated steel side frames and head also maintain the integrity of the door opening.
Hurricane Rated. Rytec’s Spiral® HZ® and low-headroom LH®-HZ® doors are the first high-speed, high-performance hurricane-rated doors certified for compliance with Miami-Dade County and Florida Building Codes.* If your building needs to adhere to these kinds of wind and building codes, Rytec doors are the right choice to protect your business while saving money on maintenance and repairs.
Stand Up to Heavy Winds. These doors are built to withstand winds up to 175 miles per hour and are certified to withstand missile impacts in high velocity wind zones.
High-Performance Seals. Our doors are outfitted with heavy-duty seals that help keep rain and water out more effectively than standard garage doors or hurricane shutters.
Fast Operation. Spiral® HZ® and LH®-HZ® doors open at up to 60 inches per second, helping keep traffic moving, regardless of weather conditions. Their speed reduces the chance of doors being hit by a passing vehicle and seals out inclement weather. This reduces air infiltration, which means your HVAC systems can work more efficiently to deliver cost savings.
Minimal Maintenance. These doors minimize maintenance requirements to ensure trouble-free, efficient operation, day in and day out. Rytec doors feature no metal-to-metal contact and use a variable-speed AC drive system that enables soft acceleration and deceleration to increase the life of the door’s operating components.
Reduced Costs. Because high-speed doors require much less maintenance and repairs than conventional doors, they also help facilities minimize ongoing costs. Door speed also prevents door-vehicle collisions, which reduces downtime and costly damage to the door – and to the vehicle hitting it.
Many Options. High-performance doors can be customized to match the aesthetics of your building, including classic RAL and custom color match powder-coated finish options. Additionally, the Spiral LH-HZ door provides exceptional strength and security to buildings with overhead space limitations.
Can Your Doors Stand the Test?
To ensure optimal performance in extreme weather conditions, Rytec Spiral® HZ® and Spiral® LH®-HZ® doors undergo negative pressure, positive pressure and large and small impact testing.
Watch How High-Performance Doors Are Hurricane Tested:
Rytec’s Spiral® HZ® and Spiral® LH®-HZ® doors are an ideal choice for automotive dealerships, parking structures, government buildings and other commercial buildings located in hurricane-prone areas along the eastern and southern coasts.
Protect your business with hurricane-strength doors from Rytec. Learn more about our hurricane-rated doors here. Or contact us for more information.
* Miami-Dade County, Florida NOA No. 23-0929.05. Florida Product Approval FL# 28502.R3.
