A sliding glass door is one of the largest openings in a South Florida home, so it needs real opening protection before a hurricane. Three paths count: an impact-resistant sliding glass door system covered by a current product approval, an approved shutter system sized and installed for that opening, or plywood boarding that follows current County guidance. Everything else is a different job.
What counts as hurricane protection for a sliding glass door
Opening protection means the whole assembly was tested and approved to keep wind and debris out of that specific opening. Miami-Dade County’s hurricane guidance puts it simply: “Windows and doors should be secured with County-approved storm shutters or by boarding up windows with 5/8-inch plywood.”
So there are three defensible paths for a sliding glass door:
- An impact-resistant sliding glass door system whose exact model, size, anchors and installation fall inside a current product approval.
- An approved shutter system measured and installed for that opening.
- Plywood boarding that follows the County guidance above.
Impact-resistant sliding glass doors: verify the whole system, not just the glass
People shop for impact glass. Approval is granted to a system, not to a pane. The frame, the anchors, the substrate it is fastened to, the size of the unit and the way it was installed all sit inside the approval. Change one of those and the approval may no longer describe what is in your wall.
That is why a wind rating you read on a brochure is not a claim about your door. The way to know is to find the exact model or approval number and look it up in the Florida Product Approval search, then compare the record with the size and configuration actually installed. Our guide on how to tell if your doors are impact-resistant walks through that step by step.
Accordion or roll-down shutters to secure a sliding glass door
If the sliding glass door itself is not impact-resistant, an approved hurricane shutter over the opening is the other proven way to secure it. Two products fit wide sliding glass doors well.
- Accordion shutters stay on the opening year round and fold to the sides when you are not using them.
- Roll-down shutters live in a housing above the opening and come down by crank or motor. They are impact-resistant by design.
Both are permitted work in South Florida. If you want the two side by side, read accordion vs roll-down hurricane shutters. Permits and inspections are covered in our South Florida shutter permit and HVHZ code guide.
What tape, film, locks, seals and braces can and cannot do for a sliding glass door
These items come up in every storm-prep list. None of them is opening protection, and none of them appears in the County guidance quoted above.
- Tape. Tape does not protect an opening. The County names approved shutters or plywood, not tape.
- Security film. Film can hold fragments of broken glass together and can deter a break-in. It is a fragment and security treatment. It does not make an opening approved.
- Track bars, upgraded locks and anti-lift devices. These are burglary measures.
- Caulk, weatherstripping and threshold seals. Ordinary maintenance for everyday rain and drafts. Worth keeping in good shape. Not a storm barrier.
- Generic brace and barrier kits. Unless the exact kit carries a current approval for your exact door, treat it as unproven. A brace that has not been tested on your assembly can create false confidence.
How to verify the sliding glass door you already have
Before you buy anything, find out what you already have.
- Photograph every permanent label, etching, manufacturer name, model or series and approval number on the door and frame. Do not remove anything.
- Pull the installation permit, the product approval package, the final inspection and the invoice from whoever did the work.
- Search the exact approval number in the Florida Product Approval database.
- Match product type, model, impact rating, approval status and the limits of use against the size and configuration you actually have.
- If the records do not line up, ask your local building department or a licensed contractor. Do not guess from how the glass looks or sounds.
Pre-season checklist to secure your sliding glass doors
- Confirm what protects each sliding glass door opening, and write it down.
- Open and close every shutter early in the season so a stuck track is found in June and not later.
- Store loose patio furniture and planters that could become debris.
- Trim trees and branches near the door.
- Know your evacuation zone and your county instructions. Start at Miami-Dade County’s before-a-hurricane page.
- Follow official forecasts and advisories at the National Hurricane Center.
What DreamGuard can help with
DreamGuard is a South Florida installer. There are two separate paths for a sliding glass door.
- Replace the door. We measure and install impact-resistant doors as new installation or replacement. See impact door installation. We do not repair or maintain impact doors or impact windows.
- Cover the opening. We install accordion shutters and roll-down shutters sized for the opening.
Questions homeowners ask
Can I tape my sliding glass door before a storm?
No. Tape is not opening protection. Miami-Dade County’s guidance names approved storm shutters or plywood boarding.
Is tempered glass enough?
Tempered glass is safety glazing. That is a different thing from an impact-resistant system. Look up the approval record for the exact door instead of judging by the glass type.
Should I remove the sliding glass door before a hurricane?
No. Removing a door leaves the opening wide open. Protect the opening with an approved shutter, an approved impact door or plywood boarding per County guidance.
Get an installation estimate
Not sure whether your opening needs an approved shutter system or a replacement impact door? Request an installation estimate. Start with the path you are leaning toward: impact door installation, or the shutter choice between accordion shutter installation and roll-down shutter installation.
