Living in a hurricane zone is no joke. When hurricane season comes around, ensure your home can take a beating. Clear your yard of debris and objects that turn into deadly missiles in high winds. Fill water containers with extra H2O. Check your roof for loose shingles and clear out your gutters. Most importantly, be sure your doors are hurricane rated. Most states along the Atlantic have codes in place for dwellings near the coast, so they should already meet standards. However, if you’ve ever wondered what the different hurricane ratings for exterior doors are, here’s a quick breakdown.
Under Pressure
Here’s what a hurricane can throw at your home. The National Weather Service uses wind speed to divide hurricanes into five categories. Here’s a list of hurricane categories and their respective wind speeds:
- Category 1: 74 to 95 mph
- Category 2: 96 to 110 mph
- Category 3: 111 to 129 mph
- Category 4: 130 to 156 mph
- Category 5: 157 mph and above
Clearly not a collection of gentle summer breezes. Along with buffeting winds, doors also face the dangerous effects of water leakage, air infiltration, and projectiles too, which can contribute to breaching the door, high winds in the house, and even structural collapse. You need a door that can take a meteorological punch.
The Lowdown on DP
You’re bound to encounter two abbreviations during your search for hurricane-rated doors: DP and PG. DP stands for design pressure. Design pressure indicates the amount of force it takes to make a door leak or break. Manufacturers subject doors to testing that measures their ability to resist wind, water, and physical force, then assign a DP rating. DP ratings run from 20 to 60. Think of each increment of 10 as corresponding to a wind speed category. For example, a 50 rating corresponds to category 5, and a door with that rating should withstand winds above 157 mph. Therefore, the higher the rating, the tougher the door.
Rated PG?
A performance grade or PG rating follows the same numbering system, each increment indicating the category of winds it can resist. However, PG ratings are stringent. Each level requires a door to meet all three resistance steps (water, air, and load). If it’s lower in one test and higher in another, the rating will reflect the lower number.
That’s the gist of what the different hurricane ratings for exterior doors are. Here at Nick’s Building Supply, Inc., we offer Florida code-approved wind and pressure-tested exterior wood doors. If you want to learn more about hurricane-rated doors, please contact us!