Barn doors

[JD3130]

If you decide you still want a door like Norm's. I spoke with him, He got his from Lawrence Brothers of Sterling Illinois. 800-435 9568 . He says his door opens and closes okay and is as air tight as any other garage door.
1-800-435-9568 or (815) 625-0360 Their web site is current down.

 

[cowboydoc]

My doors came with a rubberflap that you put across that opening. It flexes in and out when the door is opened and closed and provides a very good seal.

 

[cowboydoc]

I haven't done a 16' door but did two 14' doors this last fall. They were right at $800. I have done both but like the roll-up doors the best. They are easier to install and take up less room.

 

[willydillard]

Thank you all for your posts. My door should be roughly14'-0 wide and 9'-0 tall. I have been assuming that roll up doors only come in certain widths and heights and I may be wrong here. Roll up would sure be easier than fabricating one myself although it may cost more. Looks like the track doors are not a picnic. I may need to figure something else out. Should have some time before I have to do something... I'm to the point on my pad now that I've got grade within 10" on all four sides so its pull a little dirt and shoot some elevations over and over. When I first started, I drove T-posts @ the four corners and did some figuring and came up with about $2700 worth of fill dirt to be brought in. I'm learning that it is much easier to move your barn than come up with 3K worth of dirt. JD3130 how in the world did you get to talk to Norm? I'm impressed. Thank you fellas for taking the time to help me with this. Happy New Year!

 

[rambler]

All my farm sheds have sliding doors. I have a concrete sill and a groove for the door to slide in. Wooded doors. Works well except in snow & freezing ice - it builds up in the groove in my climate. Don't seal as well as other types.

Cheaper to build than anything else. That's their plus. If you have the bucks, get a roll up.

There are also bifold & hydraulic lift doors. Such as
http://www.bifold.com/index.cfm which are cool, but more money yet.

--->Paul

 

[JimR]

My barn doors are on 2 large rollers. The top has nothing but a routered board to keep the doors from falling backwards. The rollers are 8 inches in diameter and roll on a halfmoon rail that is nailed to a board fixed in cement. We have never had a problem with these doors. The doors are 6' x 12'.

 

[JD3130]

Willy,
Surely you didn't pay for fill dirt? Always check with road work or construction sites close by that will even deliver to get rid of it. I've known Norm probably 20 years now. I used to have a cabinet mill shop.

Jim,
Like that barn, is that a window above the door?

 

[willydillard]

No sir JD3130, I'm too much of a tight wad to turn loose of money if I don't have to. I've scraped, pulled, yanked and am now ripping one corner to get it level. Diesel is a lot cheaper than having dirt brought in. I have never thought to check w/road crews about fill dirt but that sounds like an awfully good idea.
JimR- Your doors are on the inside of your barn aren't they. If I'm remembering correctly, you are the guy refurbishing your existing barn... mortise and tennon joints on some of the framing... nice job! I would sure like to talk you into some pics of your top and bottom tracks on your door. Placing my doors on the inside may solve the wind problem. I'm thinking that a 3x3x1/4 angle with headed studs set in the concrete so that both legs are at a 45 degree angle to the floor and the heel is pointed up with a small wheel with no tire to run on it may make a good bottom track. Do any of you guys that have bad experience with track doors have them set on the inside rather than the outside of the building?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

We just bought two 16' wide x 10' high overhead doors. I don't remember the price exactly but they were in the $1k range each. They are un-insulated but are commercial doors. We also bought two 9x8's to match for the lower side but I can't remember the price for them. Your best bet is to figure out what you want and go to as many lumber yards as you can and get qoutes from all of them. Also, check the warranty of the door. Most standard doors have a 5 year warranty, if you look around and talk to enough yards you can find a good deal. We are in construction so we have a good relationship with most of the lumber yards and the best price a friend of ours could get us thru the yard he works at was for a 5 year door and it was the same price as a 10 year door thru another yard. Also, windows add a lot depending on how many you want.

For your size you might want to look into the bi-folds. I have not priced them but I know with the larger doors their price is similar to overheads but they have some advantages over an overhead. You do have to figure for them when you build though.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

You might have to look at the rollers. Some rollers have adjustments on the top to push the door to the frame to seal the gap. Others have multiple slots for the roller to slide into. Then others have different spots to locate the top roller to the door that adjust the distance the top of the door is from the frame. Without seeing the door or roller assemblies it is hard to advise you any further. Of course another possibilty is that your tracks are mounted too low and that your top rollers may be correct but if the tracks are too low the curve of the tracks is pulling the door away too soon. You might have to raise the tracks of the door to fix this problem. Look your door over close and if needed take some pics and post them if you still can't see what is causing the problem.