Roller doors and strong wind
A roller door's weak point in a storm is its edges. Surveys after Cyclone Yasi found that roller doors with wind locks, which pin the curtain's edges into the guides, held up better than doors without them.
Wind-rated roller doors build that in. Steel-Line's has a moulded lug on the curtain that locks into a shaped side guide, tested at the James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station against AS/NZS 4505-2012, and B&D's Wind-Rated Roll-A-Door uses wind clips that fix the curtain to the frame.
Under WA's NCC 2022 variation, AS/NZS 4505 reaches down to wind region B, so match the door's rating to the wind classification on your plans.
B&D's Series 1 Roll-A-Door at a glance
| What B&D says | |
|---|---|
| Widest door | 3150mm, including the curtain overlap |
| Tallest door | Up to 3000mm, depending on the model |
| Headroom above the opening | 430mm to 470mm, by model and door height |
| Spring rating | 30,000 cycles |
| Bigger Series 2 and 3 doors | 515mm to 620mm of headroom |
Salt air near the water
Close to the water, salt is the slow problem. Gliderol's 7 year corrosion warranty on its A, AA and B series curtains does not apply within 800 metres of a high salt concentration, and Steel-Line's warranty excludes installs within 800 metres of the sea.
Washing helps the finish last. Steel-Line recommends washing a Colorbond door with clean water and a cloth at least every six months, more often in salty areas, and keeping sunscreen off its coated surface.
Roller doors around Bunbury
The 2024 tornado suburbs
In May 2024 a tornado damaged 220 homes across South Bunbury, Withers and College Grove. A roller door that came through it bent or loose in its guides deserves a check before winter.
Bushfire prone blocks
B&D keeps its BAL-Maze seals to its Panelift sectional doors and does not offer them on roller doors. On a BAL-rated block on the bush side of Capel, ask early whether a roller door can meet the rating.
Motor inside the roll
Gliderol's Rollamatic GEN II opener sits inside the door roll and suits home roller doors up to 12 square metres, while its Glidermatic Heavy Duty needs 120mm of side room.
What we would do
If you are replacing a roller door in Bunbury, ask for a wind-rated option in the same quote. You see the two side by side, and you get to decide with the 2024 storms in mind rather than after the next one.