Garage "barn" door construction ideas?

[julianf]

Next installment in the garage saga! I need doors.

Photo below is a while back before the roof became watertight, but you're looking at the door frame.

I forget but I think it's 4x2 (metric equivalent) box. Anyway, the door on the other side (don't have a photo) is the same design, just wider.

I need to make some sort of door for it.

I hate up and over and am happy with just "barn" door type things, but what's my best plan for building them? They don't need to be in the finest oak, polished by virgins or anything, just decent doors.

Im insulating the rest of the building so, ideally, I'd like them to fit and not let a gale through!

Any suggestions?

 

[gaz1]

steel on outside

get it wrong and you will have this

Insulating Steel Doors

Last year i put a new roof on my garage workshop, Also built new side opening doors for it to increase security. The new doors are 6' 6" high 4' wide made from 30mm box section steel with angle iron welded on to form a ledge for the panels to fasten into. Panels are 2.5mm galv steel. I lined...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[Screwdriver]

Depends on the exact layout and construction/supports etc. but I’d consider a big single with a single person door built in or asymmetric layout, one big one small. Symmetrical barn doors are boring and if you reinforce the centre, annoying to open regularly.

 

[Screwdriver]

Almost forgot. I made a door on a door for one of my sheds. Regular door on a strong support, then hang another door off the end. Both open the same way. Open one for regular egress which folds back over the second, then the second opens. You can make security for the fully open access really strong (but awkward) whereas the single one person door is just a regular door.

 

[Gritineye]

I have asymmetric doors on mine, one is 2'6" for people, I like it because passers by can't see much of my stuff or what I'm up to inside when I have just that door open for through draught.

 

[DAPPH]

See how much a reasonable aluminium or steel roller shutter door costs & if you can afford it .
Manual chain operated rollers can be a real pain in the butt, as you tend to get dirty hands every time you handle the chain .

Chasing in a simple reed switch into the floor a couple of foot from both sides , to be closed with magnets bolted on he door bottom gives an alarm capability if someone tries to jack the door up . Internal beams across the roller space at several different heights can also be used to give warning if the battery operated grinder gangs come visiting and make an entry . I've fitted a few sliding/ rolling lockable girder frames on the inside of some warehouses with roller shutters to prevent ram raiders .
My roller shutter is insulated aluminium strips & is on the mains electric , key fob operated by one or more of a set tuned in key fobs , with photocell stops at various heights if the beam is blocked & auto stops carefully & precisely set at the top & bottom of the travel . There is no evidence of wind blowing through . ( .roof foam sealed to the wall collar)
There is also a manual wind up point 9 feet up the wall that can be fitted with a cylinder lock if desired .
Being a roller shutter means the wind rarely is problematic where as leaf doors do suffer when it's windy and you're hanging on to a door in 60 mph winds.

 

[daleyd]

Maybe @. could help with some pictures of his arrangements to give you some ideas?

 

[pedrobedro]

leaf doors do suffer when it's windy and you're hanging on to a door in 60 mph winds.

Must be a Wales thing, last time we had 60mph wind was back in the 80s. Powered roller shutters are a bit overkill on a sectional garage, probably cost more than the garage.

 

[gaz1]

blackolive did this

Side hinged garage doors

Garage door opening is 8ft wide by 7ft high I built a pair of doors years ago because I wanted side hinged and a 3ft pedestrian door, as its used more as a workshop (and now the home office is in there) than a garage, so dont want the faff of an up and over or roller door. They’ve now failed...

www.mig-welding.co.uk

most doors fail due to water and owner maintenence

cross slats are the worst for water retention and any joints even in normal house doors suffrer this due to expansion

down slats allow for the water to escape better but the bottom of the door is always affected

 

[julianf]

This is the timber that i can get easily (within walking / carrying distance!)


Its likely that i wont make anything that cant be made with what is listed below -

(note, theres two sheets)

 

[bricol]

Must be a Wales thing, last time we had 60mph wind was back in the 80s. Powered roller shutters are a bit overkill on a sectional garage, probably cost more than the garage.

My 5m wide one was under 700 quid - so cheaper than the roof, never mind the garage itself.

Means a full width opening, no restrictions, can manouvre around close to inside and outside with no doors getting in the way. Keeps the rain and wind out.
Much easier and user friendly than rotting wooden doors needing maintenance, or fragile up and over that need internal room to work.

 

[knighty]

I'd get an electric roller shutter on ebay - as long as it's taller and wired than you need you can cut it down easily

easily to draught proof, hard to insulate tho

 

[blackolive (Ste)]

Have a look how I did mine. Used timbascrews and pva for the joints

Side hinged garage doors

Lashings of pva

www.mig-welding.co.uk

 

[DAPPH]

I'd get an electric roller shutter on ebay - as long as it's taller and wired than you need you can cut it down easily

easily to draught proof, hard to insulate tho

You can get replacement or new foam insulated slats for a new door .. My 7 yr old mancupboard has them.

With the door fully down , when it's been sub zero bitingly wind chilling cold outside , I've been inside at a balmy 52 oF from just two 7 watt CFLs under the washer & dryer shelf and one overhead 10 watt infra a red vivarium black light heater bulb 5' or so higher over the main work area .
This eBay item gives you an idea of price ... I think you'll be hard put to buy the timber & make one for that let alone add paint / preservative . . Plus it's fit-able in a couple of hours .

133580064149

 

[DAPPH]

Must be a Wales thing, last time we had 60mph wind was back in the 80s. Powered roller shutters are a bit overkill on a sectional garage, probably cost more than the garage.

Storm Everet ..
Storm Evert: Yellow warning for wind on south Wales coast - BBC News
IIRC 7yrs ago my roller door cost under £320 fitted .

 

[knighty]

about a year ago, brand new insulated shutter, supplied but not fitted, 3mwide 4m high, was £720 iirc

they go for peanuts on ebay tho (non insulated) - I've bought/adapted half a dozen now

 

[MCKDAVID]

I've made a few doors (garage and access doors) over the years, using tongue and groove floor or shutter boards, and the "Z" support at the back for rigidity and to stop them sagging. Fairly basic joinery. nothing difficult. I used 28mm thick, because that was the most readilly available here, but basically anything over 3/4" or 21mm would have been fine, as long as the cross bars forming the Z are thick it would be fine. It's really the Z that provides the support. then I used bar type metal hinges bolted through..

will take a few photos when I get time, the only thing is get boards with as few knots as possible..

 

[MCKDAVID]

there you go, about 1m wide, and around 2.2 high but same principle applies. Fairly easy took longer to varnish it than make it to be fair... chop saw and battery gun, done.

 

[gaz1]

to give you an idea

3x2, 4x2, 5x2, 6x2 soft wood

decking is a harder wood

softwood expands more than hard wood

plywood or external plywood is not meant for hard weather areas not as good quality as what it was at one time

 

[cheb]

FWIW I externally clad mine with uPVC, having left the assembled frames in a tray of wood preservative for a few days. They're still in good condition after nearly 20 years.

60mph winds? I think you mean zephyr breezes or angels blowing lightly on your cheeks.