Sectional doors

[jmp49]

Asking the collective as its outside my experience, need to buy some sectional doors for my barn workshop. I need 2 of them 3.5m wide and it would be really nice if I had 4-4.5m height on one of them so I could drive the forklift through with the mast not completely down which makes them rather expensive. The quote I just had was 7 grand for two mechancally operated doors + delivery. I could have a LOT of fun buying irresponsible vehicles for that much money, and it makes me sick to think I'd spend that on doors of all things.

Can I get a 3.5m high door and order a extra couple of panels/section hinges from a industrial door spares place, and can you buy the side rails longer, to grow one of the 3.5x3.5 secondhand ones Ive found?

 

[gaz1]

what do you have already if you dont mind me asking

you might say barn but it all depends on whats there as well

so if possible any photos

 

[jmp49]

Its stone & block walls surrounding the openings where the doors will go, I dont have a problem with fixing the side runners or the top mechanism, I just need to know what's involved with increasing the height of the doors to suit my application as the chances of finding a pair of matched dark colour doors s/h in 3.5m x 4.5 is very low...

 

[gaz1]

just asking on the type you have

which one



so you are aware of what they are made of

so for security they are crap

 

[jmp49]

The right hand type is what I mean by a sectional door, the left hand one is a roller shutter no?
I have been told by the boss (my wife) that she wants sectional doors for appearance, and I dont want it to look like a garage or farm so thats cool by me too.

Not too focused on security, any door security is crap when someone drives a jcb through them and if theyre really strong, theives just smash a hole in the block wall or pull off roof tiles and come in from above, so security is based on notifying a warm body to arrive and explain to the people that its not a good idea, plus whatever surprises are set up inside.

Watching that video it appears that I would need longer steel ropes to lift the doors and lower them too when adding more sections.
I think the balance springs have to be made stronger to cope with the additional weight too. Doing more research...

 

[gaz1]

the first pic is a roller shutter door

the 2nd pic is horizontal sectional door

now there is this type of vertical sectional door as well

 

[addjunkie]

Powder coated steel roller doors with the roller on the inside, electrically operated. Or even insulated rollers.

 

[jmp49]

Yes, its the 2nd pic, it scales to screen width of all the pictures unless your on a phone. A horizontal slat sectional door. I just want to add more slats above the existing one to make it taller.
Addjunkie, I appreciate that roller shutters are available in this format, but the original planning application was done with horizontal sectional doors with windows let into them & the boss also wants windows in the door sections. Just between planning and goalpost moving from the planning office the price of the doors went from 2400e a pair to 7k + delivery somehow now they have me by the short and curlies. To be fair, its taken 4 years between original quote and current quote. I'm tired of it dragging on and just want it done so I can tidy up the devistation that is my yard, but not 7k tired.

I was hoping from a response from a installer of horizontal sectional doors, because I think they're built at a factory in a modular way in standard widths and just altered for the order dimensions at assembly time by the installers, but I've never installed one myself so I have no direct experience to draw on.
I'll add track to the lowest section of the door guides to avoid having to redo the curved section at the top and order some spare door panels & hinge section parts, and some longer wire ropes and park the issue of spring strength until I know that it makes a lot of difference and just figure it out on the fly.
Now to see if the ones I have found will fit on the bed of my flatdeck when broke down to components and do a day out driving to go grab them then I'm going to jfdi it.

 

[gaz1]

the issue starts with weight and those springs are expensive note this spring is for wood doors

you can get around the weight a little by using a screw thread and a gear to rise and lower the doors on a bar and wire drums

as for your track its getting hold of it is your issue if its old track you might not be able to get it but you can change your guide rollers instead to the new track

 

[DanZac]

As you've identified if you add additional sections you will need to re-rope the door, but if it a used door that's good practice anyway as they tend to corrode and snap eventually.

Door sections can be cut down width ways easily, but may be more problematic vertically, depending on the design of the panels (the edge strips are normally just riveted on, so come off easily enough). if you need to cut it down vertically the bottom panel will be the one to adjust.

If your just adding an additional panel you'll probably be able to retension the balance spring to account for the extra panel weight.

Finding rollers etc for older doors can be a problem if your buying second hand as there's loads of different designs, but you can normally find something to fit.

Be careful adjusting the spring tension, there's a lot of boing in those big springs.

 

[jmp49]

Well its finally happening, and for a LOT less than I was expecting to pay for 2 3.5x4m doors. I thought it was the price per door but turns out I was pleasantly wrong.


Dan I'm quite flexible on height, they just had to be 3.5m wide. I might extend the middle door to 5.2m high for ease of use but I think it can get through with the forklift even with the forks off floor level at 4m which will mean adding another panel as discussed. Probably would have been easier to get a flt with a container mast, but I like that I can reach the apex of this building stood in a person basket on the forks.
For spares for the older runners, I have a lathe, everything fits everything else if you are determined enough

 

[jmp49]

They are Novoferm doors, which is a big manufacturer which started in Germany I think, and the model is the IAS110. Which has let me hunt down the installation guide for them from novaferm's german installers site and it turns out I was measuring them wrong as 2 panels are larger than the others, and the side runners go with the long lengths vertical, not horizontal. Which means after measuring my tallest vehicle (coachbuilt camper) they are the right size for my installation without having more panels added.
Now to check everything is there and in good order now I have the parts listing. Result.