Garage Door Flood Vents
Flood Vents For Garage Doors
Having flood vents in garage doors can help prevent damage to your foundation and minimize water damage to your home. At Bradley Building Products we have a full line of Smart Vents Flood Vents for your home.
Smart Vent has three products designed for your garage door flood vents in 4 different colors.
Model 1540-524 is an insulated flood vent for garage doors vent that measures 16" x 8". This model provides 200 square feet of flood protection as well as an R-Value of 8.34.
Model 1540-574 measures 14-1/2" x 8-1/2" and has all the same benefits of the 1540-524 model.
Model 1540-514 is a dual function garage door flood vent. This model provides 200 square feet of flood protection and 51 square inches of air ventilation.
Learn what you need to know about how these Garage Door Vents can keep your home protected.
What Are Flood Vents for Garage Doors?
Flood vents are a mitigation technique that is known as Wet Floodproofing. It is designed to decrease pressure on rising water inside a structure by allowing that water to flow freely through it. ICC-ES certified flood openings must meet stringent requirements including design guidelines, performance standards, and specific regulations. They are rated according to their performance. The vents are installed on the garage door and help to protect the home or other structures during a flood. They work by preventing a buildup of hydrostatic pressure which can severely damage or even destroy foundations and walls. They are typically installed on enclosures such as a garage or crawlspace.
Do Flood Vents for Garage Doors work?
In most cases, garage door flood vents are effective in doing their job which is:
- Reduce or prevent the buildup of hydrostatic pressure
- Minimize damage or destruction of the foundation and walls of a structure
They do not prevent water damage to the structure or to the contents. They are not designed to remove the water from the building or keep water out. They open when they detect water pressure and allow the water to flow out as well as in instead of only flowing into the structure and creating pressure against the walls and foundation.
How Many Smart Vent Flood Vents for Garages Do I Need?
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and FEMA flood maps have certain requirements for the installation of flood vents, including the number required. These include:
- For each square foot of enclosed area of non-engineered openings must have a minimum net open area of one square inch.
- For each square foot of enclosed area of engineered openings must have a minimum of one engineered inch.
- A single enclosed area must have no less than two vents and they must be located on no less than two different exterior wall sides.
- The flood vent opening bottom cannot be more than 12 inches above the adjacent grade.
- The flood vent opening bottom must be lower than the base flood elevation.
- The opening in the wall (not the flood vent) cannot be less than three inches in diameter
How do Smart Vent Garage Flood Vents work?
This specially engineered flood vent for garage doors vent works by releasing the pressure created by an accumulation of water in the structure. In normal conditions, the door of the vent is latched closed. In a flooding situation, the patented internal floats are lifted as the water rises. This unlatches the vent door so that it can rotate to an open position. This allows the water to flow through the vent opening which decreases the pressure that would be on the foundation walls.
What is the difference between garage door vents and flood vents for garage doors?
Garage door vents are not the same as flood vents for garage walls. Garage door vents are designed to help regulate heat and are used in spaces that are not insulated, such as a garage. While it does work much like a flood vent – only for hot air – it does little, if anything to help in the event of a flood. Flood vents for garage walls are specially designed to allow water to flow through a structure in the event of a flood. Flood vents are typically installed on the walls of the garage instead of on the door since water applies significantly more pressure to a wall and foundation than hot air usually would. Flood vents are an NFIP and FEMA requirement for homes and commercial buildings located in certain flood zones.
What are the benefits of flood vents for garage doors?
There are several benefits of garage flood vents, the first of which is that it makes a home or building in certain flood zones insurable. There are areas where a building is not eligible for flood insurance if it does not have flood vents. Flood vents are also a cost-effective solution for minimizing or even preventing damage to a structure’s foundation and walls due to pressure from rising flood waters. The vents open automatically when they detect water in the building, so the homeowner or building manager does not have to manually activate them. They are completely hands off which is both safe and convenient. Installing flood vents can not only decrease insurance premiums, but they can also increase a home’s value.
When are flood vents required?
The NFIP has specific regulations in place as well as building codes for homes that are in a flood zone. Flood vents are part of the required mitigation that is mandatory for flood insurance coverage in those zones. There are several situations where a home is required to have flood vents installed.
- A residential structure that is located in Flood Zone A that has its lowest finished floor situated above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE)
- A garage, crawlspace, or any similar enclosure that sits below the BFE
- Commercial buildings can choose to dry flood proof, wet floodproof, or a combination of the two (residential structures do not have this option)
It is worth noting that the recommended mitigation technique for commercial structures is using wet floodproofing techniques such as flood vents, combined with elevation.
How much do garage door flood vents cost?
Flood vents are a cost-effective mitigation technique with a cost that starts at around $215 each. Professional installation will increase the price tag. NFIP requires at least two installed on a single structure, so the base cost for an NFIP-compliant installation of flood vents would be a base of around $500. This is still an exceptional deal considering the damage these vents can prevent. To learn more about our Smart Flood Vents visit our website or call and speak with one of our knowledgeable, friendly representatives. At Bradley Building Products we want to help you improve the quality of your next project.