The Condenser - Miami Dade Louvers for Hurricane Protection

Ever wonder why certain hurricane louvers are Miami Dade louvers? Learn what it means for a louver to be Miami-Dade Approved in this Condenser article.

At a Glance

• "Miami-Dade Approved" hurricane louvers must meet testing standards established by Miami-Dade County in Florida.
• Miami-Dade County established standards for construction projects in hurricane-prone areas of the United States.
• Hurricane louvers can be "Miami-Dade Approved" and tested to AMCA 540/550.

What is "Miami-Dade Approved"?

You may have seen the phrase “Miami-Dade Approved” when searching for hurricane louvers. What does this mean? Why would a louver need to be approved by Miami-Dade? To understand the meaning of this phrase, we need to understand Miami-Dade County.

Miami-Dade County is on the southeast corner of the Florida Peninsula. The county sits on the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, with the Florida Keys to the south. When hurricanes approach the US from the Atlantic, they often travel in a northwesterly direction towards Florida.

This places Miami-Dade County and its neighboring counties in the path of the storm. Miami-Dade and the surrounding counties are High Velocity Hurricane Zones, or HVHZs. When building in HVHZs, buildings must use components and materials that can withstand heavy rainfall, high winds, and even impacts from windborne debris.

Read more about louvers with these Newsstand articles:

• AMCA 540 and AMCA 550: Tougher Tests for Hurricane Louvers
• Louvers for Every Occasion? - Louver Selection and Application
• The Condenser - Three Key Traits of Wind Driven Rain Resistant Louvers

Miami-Dade Hurricane Standards

For many years, projects in Miami-Dade County have used the Miami-Dade County Building Code for hurricane resilience. This code includes several tests and standards for hurricane louvers. Under the Miami-Dade County Building Code, hurricane louvers are required to complete the following test:

• TAS 100 for Wind Driven Rain Resistance
• TAS 201 for Large Missile Impact Resistance
• TAS 202 for Testing Static Pressure
• TAS 203 for Cycle Wind Pressure Loading

Once complete, the louver manufacturer receives a Notice of Approval (NOA) which they keep for their record. Interested contractors can search for these NOAs on the Miami-Dade County Product Control Search.

In other parts of the country, projects would also use the Miami-Dade County Building Code for their hurricane louver standards. In recent years, the Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) established a similar set of standards for hurricane louvers known as AMCA Standards 540 and 550. Currently, many projects call for hurricane louvers to meet AMCA’s standards. Some projects still require Miami-Dade County Approved louvers.

Check the Requirements

Building codes may change depending on the location of your project. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the local codes and requirements before selecting louvers. Check to make sure your severe weather louvers will meet these requirements.

Are you starting a project in a high velocity hurricane zone? Consider Arrow United Industries. We offer severe weather louvers for meeting several requirements, including AMCA 540-550 and Miami-Dade’s hurricane louver requirements. Contact us today and let’s work together on meeting your requirements.

Have you worked with hurricane requirements in the past? How did you meet your requirements for hurricane louvers? Tell us in the Comments section. We want to hear from you!