By Alex Hassel, Storage.com
As weather seems to have become more violent and unpredictable in recent years, it’s important to maintain a self storage facility that can survive severe conditions. Integrity of storage unit doors, for example, can make a big difference when high winds comes your way.
After 25 years in the commercial door business, DBCI believes it can help any facility take those precautions. The Texas Department of Insurance even recently added every one of DBCI’s wind-rated doors to its Product Evaluation Index. That means self storage facilities in high-wind regions of the state would meet building code requirements with one of DBCI’s wind-rated doors. DBCI’s wind-rated doors are listed with Florida as well. DBCI said most other states recognize listings from Texas and Florida.
“More stringent building codes throughout the country, especially in coastal regions, require better performance against severe wind,” says Bray Allen, Manager of Inside Sales, and Research and Development at DBCI. “We see every indication that demand for wind-rated doors will continue to grow.”
Ensuring that a door can hold up under pressure is a difficult process. Allen continues, “We put each of our wind-rated series doors through a sequence of independent tests to determine their performance against a predetermined scale of wind pressures. The doors were pushed until they failed, then tolerances were calculated for various size configurations.”
DBCI offers a number of other wind-rated doors, including both commercial-grade and self storage doors. They include the 650 Series Self Storage Mini-Door for moderate wind, 690 Series Self Storage Mini-Door with wind locks for high wind, 2500 Series Heavy Duty Commercial Grade Door for moderate wind, 3000 Series Wind-Certified Door with L-Shaped wind locks for moderate to high wind conditions, and the 5000 Series Wind-Certified Door with J-shaped wind locks for severe wind.
So what makes a wind-rated door different from any other roll up door? DBCI’s 690 Series Self Storage door, for example, has a few extra features. Allen says it’s “the use of wind locks along the edge of the door. These locks engage the guides during wind events and hold the door curtain in place. They are constructed to protect against both positive (exterior force) wind and negative (interior force) wind.” The 690 Series is rated to withstand winds up to approximately 140 miles per hour.
With so many options, how do you know what door is right for your facility? “In some cases, the doors are not specifically manufactured as a wind-rated door, but we have tested their effectiveness under heavier wind conditions,” says Allen. “It is best to consult with a DBCI salesperson or established door dealer to determine the best series to use for a given purpose.”
The Texas Department of Insurance evaluates doors and other building materials to determine if they satisfy the criteria used in the 2006 International Codes. “We do it as a customer service to provide a tool to help achieve building code compliance,” says Jerry Hagins, Public Information Officer at the Texas Department of Insurance.
There are many other wind-rated doors on the market. The Texas Department of Insurance says it lists about 25 other company’s doors in the index.
