Understanding Window & Door Hurricane Product Approvals: IS IT WATER RATED?

The devil is in the details.

Many hurricane-approved pivot doors aren’t rated to keep water out at all. In fact, they often require a 45° overhang to deflect water—meaning if your roofline is 24 feet up, you’d need a 24-foot projection for proper protection. Not exactly practical.

Wind-driven rain isn’t just a hurricane issue—it’s a regular part of Florida’s rainy season. To combat it, sliding and hinged doors typically use sill risers, sometimes 3" tall. But pivot doors? They have to stay as flat as possible to function.

Some manufacturers are developing drainage systems to improve water performance, but many of these aren’t rated for the High Velocity Hurricane Zone (HVHZ). And even when they are, integration isn’t the supplier’s responsibility. Those drains need to be set with the floor and coordinated between the GC, flooring, and plumbing subs.

Bottom line: Just because it’s hurricane-approved doesn’t mean it’s water-rated—and that oversight can lead to costly consequences.