To keep a garage door from blowing in during Utah wind, keep it fully closed, do not run it during gusts, and stiffen it before storm season. Horizontal struts added to most steel sectional doors cut the bowing that pops rollers out of the track and cracks the top section. In the windiest spots, a wind load rated door is worth considering.
Why Utah gets east canyon winds
Most weather along the Wasatch Front comes from the west. East canyon winds run the other way. They form when high pressure sits over southern Wyoming and low pressure sits over southeastern Nevada. Air pours from the high toward the low, funnels through the canyons, and comes out at the canyon mouths fast. Gusts can pass 74 mph at canyon mouths in Cache, Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah counties.
If your home sits near a canyon mouth or on the bench below one, your garage door is in the path of that wind. A door a few miles west usually sees less of it.
Utah’s wind history, and why it matters for your door
On September 8, 2020, a windstorm hit northern Utah with a peak gust of 112 mph at the University of Utah. About 200,000 homes and businesses lost power, and thousands of trees came down, including about 1,000 in Salt Lake City alone. Centerville and Farmington took the brunt of it.
Davis County has been here before:
- April 1983: 104 mph near Layton.
- December 2011: 102 mph in Centerville, with about $6.1 million in damage in Davis County.
- 2016: 91 mph in Farmington.
Utah County gets its own canyon winds. They hit Spanish Fork, Springville, Orem, Highland, and Cedar Hills, typically between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m., at 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph. The mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon has had a wind farm since 2008, Utah’s first commercial one, a sign of how steady the wind is there. Out west, the March 2017 windstorm tore siding off homes in Eagle Mountain.
Orem publishes the design values builders must use there. The design wind speed is 105 mph, and the weathering severity is rated “Severe.” Your house was designed for that wind. Whether the garage door on it can take it is another question, especially on an older builder grade door.
What wind does to a sectional door
A two car garage door is the largest flat surface on the front of most homes. When a strong gust hits it, here is what we see:
- Bowing. The middle of each section flexes inward. On thin builder steel, you can sometimes see it move.
- Rollers popping out of the track. As the door bows, it pulls the sides in. The rollers slip out of the track, and the door hangs crooked or jams.
- Top section cracking. The top section is where the opener arm attaches. When the door flexes and the arm holds it rigid, the top section bends or cracks at the bracket.
- Opener arm damage. The arm or its bracket bends, or the bracket tears out of the steel.
Horizontal struts and wind load rated doors
A horizontal strut is a steel brace fastened across a door section. It stiffens that section so it bows less. On most steel sectional doors we can add struts in one visit. The top section is a common place to start, because that is where the opener pulls. Wider doors and thin steel doors usually benefit from more.
Struts add weight, so the springs have to be checked and adjusted to keep the door balanced. Adding struts without rebalancing wears out springs and the opener faster. We quote strut installation, including the spring adjustment, before any work starts.
Some manufacturers sell doors built and tested for higher wind loads, with heavier reinforcement and stronger track hardware. If you live near a canyon mouth, your current door has already bent once, or you are replacing it anyway, a wind load rated door is worth pricing. Ask us which wind rated door lines fit your opening and we will price them with you. If your door is in good shape otherwise, struts are usually the better value. See new garage doors for options.
What to do during a windstorm
- Keep it closed. A closed door locked into its track is far stronger than one partly open. An open door can catch wind like a sail.
- Do not open it in gusts. A door moving through the track during a gust is at its weakest. Wait for a lull, or wait it out.
- Stay out of the door’s path. If the door is bowing or making noise, do not stand in front of it or try to hold it.
How to check your door after a storm
- Look at both tracks from inside. Every roller should sit inside the track.
- Look at the top section around the opener bracket for bends or cracks.
- Look along each section for creases in the steel.
- Run the door once while you watch. If it binds, jerks, or makes new noise, stop.
- Test the reversing feature. The CPSC recommends laying a 2×4 flat under the door. The door should reverse when it touches it.
If a roller is out of the track or the door hangs crooked, do not run the opener. It can pull the door further out of line or drop it.
When to call us
Call if a roller came out of the track, the top section is cracked, the opener arm is bent, or the door bowed visibly in the last storm. We will get the door back in the track, check the springs and balance, and quote struts or panel replacement before any work starts. The service call is free with any repair.
We cover the canyon wind cities in Utah County from our Orem headquarters; see our Orem garage door repair page. On the west side, our Eagle Mountain builder guide covers wind there. Call (385) 265-1093.
Frequently asked questions
Should I open my garage door during a windstorm?
No. Keep it closed and wait for a lull or the end of the storm. A door is weakest while it is moving through the track, and an open door can catch wind.
What is a horizontal strut on a garage door?
A steel brace fastened across a door section. It stiffens the section so the door bows less in wind. The springs need to be rebalanced after struts are added because they add weight.
How strong is the wind in Orem?
Orem’s published design wind speed is 105 mph. Utah County canyon winds typically blow 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph, mostly between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m.
Do I need a wind load rated garage door in Utah?
Not always. Struts on a sound steel door handle most homes. A wind load rated door makes sense near a canyon mouth, after repeated wind damage, or when you are replacing the door anyway.
