Impact Windows With an Unlabeled Garage Door
A 2007 two-story home has impact-rated windows with etched labels reading ASTM E1886/E1996, large missile, and a Florida Product Approval number. The sliding glass door has a product approval sticker inside the track, but the label is not visible when the door is closed. The garage door is a non-impact model fitted with a field-installed vertical bracing kit made of 2x4 lumber and galvanized brackets; there is no label, NOA, or manufacturer instruction sheet. The front entry door is impact-rated, but its label was painted over during a recent remodel. The homeowner has a receipt for the bracing kit and says the garage door is hurricane rated. The inspector must complete the opening protection section and decide what can be credited.
1. Can the inspector report full opening protection? Explain.
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Full opening protection cannot be reported on this evidence. The windows are creditable if the etched label matches the product approval and the glazing. The sliding door sticker may be creditable if it identifies the door and is visible in a photo, but a sticker in the track without a readable label is weak. The garage door is the controlling opening: a field-built 2x4 brace with no label, NOA, or manufacturer instructions is not an approved opening-protection system, even if the homeowner has a receipt. The entry door label is painted over, so it is not verified. Because at least one opening lacks approved protection, the report cannot claim that all openings are protected.
2. What evidence would make the garage door and entry door creditable?
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For the garage door, obtain the door manufacturer label or a Florida Product Approval or NOA that specifically lists the door model and the brace kit, plus installation instructions and photos of the installed kit. For the entry door, obtain a readable label, a manufacturer letter matching the door, or an NOA; a painted-over label needs documentation, not just a verbal statement. If the label cannot be recovered, mark the entry door as not verified. A receipt proves purchase, not approval or correct installation.
3. How should the inspector organize photos and notes for this opening-protection decision?
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Photograph each opening type, a label close-up, a wider context photo, and the opening from inside and outside. For windows, capture the etched label and approval number. For the slider, photograph the sticker and the door model. For the garage, photograph the door label, brace kit, anchors, and wall attachment. For the entry, photograph the painted area and any documentation. The notes should list every opening and whether it is verified, not verified, or undetermined. This prevents a single strong opening type from being mistaken for a whole-house credit.