Wind load rating

Definition

The statewide product approval a door must hold before installation, which is not a coastal rule.

Why It Matters

The geography most people assume is wrong. Florida requires a product to be approved before its use in construction anywhere in the state, and statewide approval then stops a local jurisdiction from demanding further testing. The wind-borne-debris region decides how much pressure and impact a door must take, not whether approval applies, so an inland shop sits inside the same regime as a coastal one. Doors are approved as exterior door assemblies and not as structural components, and the approval carries its installation instructions with it. A building official may still refuse a particular installation, by written report saying why it is inconsistent with the approval. The commercial teeth sit on whoever markets a product as hurricane protection without approval, which is a deceptive trade practice.