Securing the bottom of a pair of sliding barn doors?

[Banleno007]

I'm looking for advise on hardware for latching the sliding doors on my horse barn that I'm building (see the thread here). I have stay rollers attached to the building on either side of the door opening at the bottom, but I'm looking for some sort of hardware that will latch the doors in the middle.

I don't just want to latch the two doors to each other, to keep them from sliding open. I specifically want a latch that will secure the bottoms of the doors to the floor slab underneath to prevent strong wind gusts from blowing them outward.

Also, I have to be able to open and close (and latch and unlatch) the doors from inside or outside.

Does anybody have a good source for such hardware? Thanks.

 

[Chilly807]

I'll be interested if anyone has a solution to your question. We just built a barn this past year, and have double sliding doors as well, 8 feet wide in total, and 8 feet high.

We used a hook latch between the two doors, the front set of doors hooks on the outside, and the back doors hook on the inside. We've had no problems with them blowing around much, the stay rollers do a good job on a door that size. I'll try to get some pictures of our setup tomorrow if the weather cooperates.

Sean

 

[Cat_Driver]

Look at V grove track. You can roll the door and "V" will prevent the door fom coming in...
Here are some ideas

Slide Gate Wheels & Tracks - Gate EquipmentSlide Gate Wheels & Tracks - Gate Equipment

 

[JimRB]

My barn I built is 16 years old this year. A few tornados have gone through the neighborhood the past 10 years a mile away or so. My 10 foot tall doors have had no issues. I have the rollers down low at the edge of the 11 foot opening. Doors built from 1.25 or maybe 1.5 square tubing skinned with plywood. Look for door bolts like this National Hardware V836 1/2X12 Cane Bolt, Zinc - 3541217 | Tractor Supply Company if you are worried about wind. My barn has open soffits and a continuous ridge vent which possibly vents out wind pressure.

 

[powerpace]

Your going to have to drill into concrete. Drill big and deep so you can put a piece of pipe and seal it in the hole. Use I-bolts attached to the doors, drop a rod through the I-bolts into the pipe. Easy to do and I didn't have to spend a dime in a previous location.

 

[Scooby074]

There are small load binders available.

Drill the slab and install an eyebolt. Install an eye on the door. Connect with the small load binder.

 

[treman]

I know on steel doors some companies install what looks like a small I beam(2" tall and 6" wide) that the bottoms of the doors slide over. it would be oriented the same way as the doors so that when the doors meet they cover up this bracket. usually they mount it on a sonitube footing or on a post that is sunk in the center of the door opening. sorry, I looked for a picture but couldnt find one but if you go to a site such as morton buildings you can see in some of their barn photos with sliding doors a small thing in the center of the split sliding doors. this is what I am refering to. perhaps someone else can help me out here with my lack of terminology.

 

[etcallhome]

Just wondering ,,since you wanted this to lock from inside and outside..
Do you have a small 36" on outside of building. where you can enter building .
Then you could lock from inside and then use your smaller door.
Also make a trought extending about a 1" up the outside of your doors ,this would keep always closed at bottom.. if you do this make sure you have a slope both ways to leave a place for water to drain out.
Plus if you make a trought this would give a nice drive to enter the building..
Oh trought needs to be about 12"-18" wide and also make sure you have enough concrete under trought to keep from cracking bringing in heavy eqpt.

 

[weldingisfun]

I'm looking for advise on hardware for latching the sliding doors on my horse barn that I'm building (see the thread here). I have stay rollers attached to the building on either side of the door opening at the bottom, but I'm looking for some sort of hardware that will latch the doors in the middle.

I don't just want to latch the two doors to each other, to keep them from sliding open. I specifically want a latch that will secure the bottoms of the doors to the floor slab underneath to prevent strong wind gusts from blowing them outward.
Also, I have to be able to open and close (and latch and unlatch) the doors from inside or outside.

Does anybody have a good source for such hardware? Thanks.

TSC used to carry the hardware for barn doors. I guess they stopped stocking it.

If I understand what you are looking for, this should do the trick. I have built this myself and it is very easy and inexpensive to do. Take a look at the crude drawing first and then come back to the text.

It is made from an 8 inch piece of 2" X 2" X 3/16" angle steel. Measure 2 inches in on each end and, using an angle grinder with cutoff wheel, make cuts at the base of the vertical part of the angle but on top of the horizontal or base. Once the cuts are made, bend the vertical parts over the base to 45 degree angles. Cut off the, now exposed, base on the outside of the vertical parts. Use the triangular cuts as gussets to reinforce your nearly complete door stop. Drill two holes through the base to secure the door stop to the floor. Finally, weld the vertical guides to the base and then weld on the gussets. Take your angle grinder and cut off the 45 degree guides at 45 degree angles to prevent injury to your horses, should they step on it or cutting the tires on your rolling stock.

If your barn already has a guide board on the inside of the barn door opening all you need is one of these. If not, make two.

My barn has a dirt floor with a guide board inside so I buried a piece of 6" X 6" treated wood in the ground on the outside and mounted the door stop. Works like a champ.

Have a good time and hope this works for you.:thumbsup:

 

[MF1652]

My barn was built by Morton and this is what they used for my sliding doors. It's held up fine to hurricane force winds and they are big heavy doors with a lot of glass in them.

The doors are kept latched together by using two barn door handles which are hollow tubular steel attached to each door. A piece of bent round bar is then used to keep them together.

The doors are kept pulled tight to the barn by a swinging latch on each side of the doors.

The doors are also kept from blowing out by heavy winds by a T shaped piece of steel in the ground which slides into a channel in the bottom of each door.

The latches can be found at Tractor Supply Co. The handles can be found at most hardware stores and the bent bar can be easily made. As for the channel under the doors and the T shaped plate, I haven't specifically looked anywhere for them, but I would think TSC would have them also.