Looking for advice on building barn doors

[radioman]

Another way is to get pressure treated 2X6's and run it in the table saw to make a groove wide enough for the 1/2 pressure treated plywood. miter the corners. glue the insides of groove with water resistant glue and Use a rubber mallet to persuade the 2X6's onto the plywood. use screws to hold the plywood in the groove all the way around. Use cut up scrap plywood to cover the corners to give it strength and screw them on the inside of the door.
This is what I did for my fathers shed that I rebuilt for him. The doors are a full 4X8 sheet,two doors each on hinges. The only regret we have with this door is that we made it a swinging door and its a pain in the winter since the doors swings out. The snow HAVE to be shoveled first before opening the door. We ended up building a little roof over the door area so we dont have to shovel it. The wood we used wasn't pressure treated but the doors are still standing today from 20 years ago and no rot yet.

 

[ben2go]

Another way is to get pressure treated 2X6's and run it in the table saw to make a groove wide enough for the 1/2 pressure treated plywood. miter the corners. glue the insides of groove with water resistant glue and Use a rubber mallet to persuade the 2X6's onto the plywood. use screws to hold the plywood in the groove all the way around. Use cut up scrap plywood to cover the corners to give it strength and screw them on the inside of the door.
This is what I did for my fathers shed that I rebuilt for him. The doors are a full 4X8 sheet,two doors each on hinges. The only regret we have with this door is that we made it a swinging door and its a pain in the winter since the doors swings out. The snow HAVE to be shoveled first before opening the door. We ended up building a little roof over the door area so we dont have to shovel it. The wood we used wasn't pressure treated but the doors are still standing today from 20 years ago and no rot yet.

Dado blade would work for cutting the grooves,also a router with guide,or router table.

 

[radioman]

Dado blade would work for cutting the grooves,also a router with guide,or router table.

I know- I used em at my neighbors house for his projects but my dad is too cheap to get a dado blade so I made do with what he had to make his doors. First I put fence so its almost centered off to side and run it on both sides. Then move fence over. do it again . then final width adjustment and run again. Oh well - it works.

 

[ben2go]

I know- I used em at my neighbors house for his projects but my dad is too cheap to get a dado blade so I made do with what he had to make his doors. First I put fence so its almost centered off to side and run it on both sides. Then move fence over. do it again . then final width adjustment and run again. Oh well - it works.

Hey,if it works go with it.I improvise all the time.

 

[2manyrocks]

I would guess that it is a priority to get your barn doors up, and you may not have the time to shop for a welder and all that to build metal frames.

These shed doors have a 1/2 sheet of plywood back over which T1-11 siding was glued and screwed, and then they have a face frame of 1x4x1 rough sawn oak that was glued and then well caulked. The face frame is not just decorative. It adds strength to the door frames.

In your application, you would typically paint the T1-11 to match the rest of the buildling, and then paint the face trim to match your roof. Typically, you'd only do one X per door instead of top and bottom x's.

It is important to have a good drip edge protecting the top of the doors.

 

[jcaron2]

I would guess that it is a priority to get your barn doors up, and you may not have the time to shop for a welder and all that to build metal frames.

These shed doors have a 1/2 sheet of plywood back over which T1-11 siding was glued and screwed, and then they have a face frame of 1x4x1 rough sawn oak that was glued and then well caulked. The face frame is not just decorative. It adds strength to the door frames.

In your application, you would typically paint the T1-11 to match the rest of the buildling, and then paint the face trim to match your roof. Typically, you'd only do one X per door instead of top and bottom x's.

It is important to have a good drip edge protecting the top of the doors.

Thanks. Those look really nice. I'll probably go with two X's per door like yours, as well.

After carefully considering all the info I've received here, along with other stuff I've read elsewhere, I think I have a design in mind. If anybody sees any major issues, please let me know. See the drawings below.

I'll start with a basic frame consisting of PT 2x4's on the flat (shown in green in the drawings below), with a 2x8 at the bottom (for the catch roller - see the side view drawing). Around the top and sides I'll put PT 2x4's on edge (shown in white), but they'll be ripped down somewhat narrower than the nominal 3.5". The one across the top will be 3.125"; the ones on the side will be 2.125". In the "cavity" formed by the thicker frame, I'll put 5/8" T1-11 (shown in beige). Together with the 1.5" frame upon which it sits, that will make the thickness 2.125", thus matching the rails on the sides. Finally, on top of the T1-11, I'll make my crossbucks out of PT 5/4x6 (nominally 1" thick) planks (probably ripped and jointed down to 5" wide to remove the standard radiused edge so I can get a tight fit between them). The crossbuck frame will go over the side rails, but will but up to (and be even with) the top rail. I decided to do the top this way so it would be one continuous piece to discourage water from seeping down into it.

I haven't finallized the design for the dutch doors yet. Those will probably have T&G 2x6's on the inside to match the interiors of the stalls and to provide a solid backstop for the T1-11 (in case of an errant kick by a horse).

 

[scgargoyle]

That looks like a good, solid design. Use construction adhesive to hold everything together, along with conventional fastenings.

 

[BotaBigot]

Rabbet = lap joint. Ply, whether on one side (slider), or both (Dutch) is simply screwed to face(s) of frame. Has lasted 20+ years, but when I re-do, I will modify top Dutch doors to accept a cap. They are on gable end and are weathering.

No PT anywhere horses can acess. Poisonous if they crib.

 

[2manyrocks]

For a large door, I have to ask everybody else for their opinion whether a 2x4 at the top is enough to carry the load or would they use a 2x6. A large door is going to fairly heavy.

The other design idea floating around in my head right now is to use an inner plywood skin, a 2x frame, an outer t1-11 skin and sandwich rigid insulation inside the assembly.

 

[ben2go]

For a large door, I have to ask everybody else for their opinion whether a 2x4 at the top is enough to carry the load or would they use a 2x6. A large door is going to fairly heavy.

The other design idea floating around in my head right now is to use an inner plywood skin, a 2x frame, an outer t1-11 skin and sandwich rigid insulation inside the assembly.

One door I built (8'x8') I did the perimeter frame like a header.Two 2x6s on edge and screwed together with deck screws.