Barn doors

[willydillard]

Hello everyone!
I'm about to have my pad done on my new barn/shop and there are a few things that I have not totally nailed down yet. One of these is how I'm going to hang my big front door. I'm going to build a monitor style barn a whole lot like Paul has. My idea is to make a large sliding door like the one you see Norm Abrams using in the opening scenes of New Yankee Workshop. It looks like the door is attached at the top and bottom with rollers in a track but I have not ever mounted anything this way. Do any of you fellas have experience with this type of door? What do you think about them?

 

[cowboydoc]

Welcome to the site Willy.

I have these doors and I hate them. Yes they are on a roller system. Even the most expensive rolling systems are a pain. If you have much snow it's very hard to get the door open and closed. If the wind is blowing it's also very hard to get the door open and closed. The door tends to sag over time. Also it is next to impossible to get a good tight fit on the bottom of the door. Even if you aren't heating the barn when it's cold it creates one heck of a draft under the door and blows snow and rain in.

The last couple barns we've built we have gone to the overhead roll-up doors. NO comparison. Easy up and down in all weather conditions. My 6 yo can easily open and close them with the chain pulley. You can put automatics openers on them. You get a weathertight seal on the bottom. Virtually no maintenance and no gaps around the door.

 

[bebster]

Stanley makes the track and accessories that should work for you. I found these parts at my local building supply store.

How large will your door be? As Cowboydoc indicated, it won't be very well sealed (compared to regular doors).

 

[beenthere]

cowboydoc
I put in a roll-up door and find that it is great, easy to operate, and seals well along the lower edge. But seems to have quite a gap at the top where it begins to roll up on the roll. I've been thinking of some kind of a flap that will close that gap. Do yours have a similar gap at the top?

 

[bebster]

Here's a drawing of the parts you'll need. Note that it doesn't have a track at the bottom, just a roller to keep the door in towards the wall.

 

[JD3130]

You need to plan ahead if you are going to use the rolling doors. My son had to use one of those because his shop had an odd size door 9'. So we installed a rolling door. Got the hardware from Stanley. Welded up the frame from 1 x 2 inch tubing. With rib metal siding. The bottom needs to fit below the floor level. That way you get a bit of a seal.
His isn't air tight as a roll up, but is weather tight.

I might add that I grew up in the North and our barns had wooden rolling doors and they closed tight, as the dairy barn was heated. Do a little research? Maybe Norm would answer you? I've talked to him on several items in the pass.

 

[theonlybull]

look into freezer doors, for large industrial freezers, with forklift access.
we build hardware for some of the fur farms, and fish plants in the area, that all use air tight roller doors for access to their freezers.
there are now comercial versions of the kits we make, that may be avabile in your area.

 

[VT_Kioti]

I completely agree with cowboydoc. We have one here also and are going to replace it with an overhead door this spring. Not only does the door not seal well without a lot of planning and improvising, but we find if the wind is blowing the door must be fully open or closed, but not left in a half open stage. There is no suppot for the bottom of the door if left half open and the wind can cause it to come of the track or jam. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif We have played with this thing for 20 years and can't wait to get rid of it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I know a lot of people have had good luck with roll up doors but we are going with overhead doors because they look easier for amatures like us to get a good seal with.

Al

 

[SPIKER]

I'm with the others, the overhead roll up are pretty nince and you can get them to LOOK like they should SLIDE and or open as a dual/doubble door rather than a roll up. (you don't have to be stuck witht eh metal roll up look anymore) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

anyhow just wanted to state that too...

Markm /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[PaulT]

Richard,

I have an opening that is 16 feet wide and 12 feet high. How much money would it cost for a roll up door this size? Are the doors you have the kind that roll at the top, or move into the ceiling space like normal overhead garage doors?