Placement of doors in 40x60x14 workshop

[SmallChange]

I like the idea of doors opposite so equipment and breezes can travel through.

It's a pain if a door faces uphill. A door pointing gently downhill is no problem.

I have a high fence enclosing the back half of my lot, with my house on the fence (front and back doors open to outside and inside of fenced area respectively). My pole barn is entirely inside the fenced area. If I had it all to do over, I'd put the pole barn 20 feet to the west adjoining the fence, and have doors in that open outside and inside, also. As it is, taking my tractor to the outside requires multiple dismounts to operate barn door and gate.

 

[not2old]

My shop is smaller at 31x43.5 and bylaws limited the height so a 20' width down the centre is the only part of the ceiling at 15'. The main door is 16x13.5 because I goofed on the elevation of the building and decided that a 14' high door would put the floor too low for the driveway. I installed a 42" pedestrian door so that I can bring in my motorcycles without opening the overhead door. At the rear I roughed in a 12x13.5 door because actually putting one in now would cost another $4000.00. I did instal another pedestrian door and a row of windows at the top of the rough-in. The shop isn't finished yet, but I've been using it and it has been working fine for me.

 

[wolc123]

On my 36 x 50 x 12 ft pole barn, I put (2) overhead doors on the front end (1) on the back end, plus a larger overhead door on the back side. We get lots of snow, up here near the Canadian border, so I don’t use that big side door much, in the winter.

It’s the only door that I can get that tractor in, without folding the roll-bar down, so it stays out there under that front side porch until spring.
In the summer, I keep it inside, usually with a bush hog on back.

This (4) overhead door arrangement works good for me. There is a second man door under another 10 x 25 ft porch on the back end, similar to the one under that front side porch, of the same size.

I had planned on using the back porch for firewood storage. I needed more inside storage, so now I’m enclosing the back porch and building a 25 ft x 8 ft lean-to on the back of it, for firewood storage.

I’m going to make a set of swinging doors, 10 ft wide x 10 ft high, for the enclosed back porch. Those also will not be used in the winter.

 

[Handloader109]

If all else is equal, put the doors on the end away from the prevailing winds.

EXACTLY. My barn in MS had door on southerly to westerly side. Always ended up with trash inside. My current shop is eastern facing, not nearly as bad, but house is close enough to give trash a swirl and lots end up inside....just sayjn

 

[workinonit]

The problem with doors on the gable ends is that they are likely 60' apart. That's a lot of distance to keep clear so you can drive through. I'm not that disciplined or organized. My lift is captive, with a single door, I have the drive through setup so I can use it as a paint area. It has water and a floor drain. I have 2 floor drains in my shop.

 

[East30]

Yep in a heavier snow area if you don't put them on a gable end, although sometimes not as practical or convenient, you have higher risk of damage from snow and ice sliding off the roof when stuffs parked in front of doors even if your using "snow stops" plus multiple extra cleanups in front of door throughout the winter.

HA! So true, I have three doors on my 40x72 pole barn. All on the non-gable side. It's the only way it would work, without a lot of extra excavation work. If I were to do it again, I would have done it differently, knowing what I know. But never having a steel roof and new to pole barns I never thought about it until the first winter. And that snow is a PIA!!! But the worst is ice buildup, I'm only there on weekends. If conditions are just right, I get heavy snow, melt and freeze then can't make it there timely, I've had the garage doors freeze to the cement floor a couple of times. Not fun.

 

[wolc123]

HA! So true, I have three doors on my 40x72 pole barn. All on the non-gable side. It's the only way it would work, without a lot of extra excavation work. If I were to do it again, I would have done it differently, knowing what I know. But never having a steel roof and new to pole barns I never thought about it until the first winter. And that snow is a PIA!!! But the worst is ice buildup, I'm only there on weekends. If conditions are just right, I get heavy snow, melt and freeze then can't make it there timely, I've had the garage doors freeze to the cement floor a couple of times. Not fun.

I was out working on my pole barn yesterday, when I could hear big sheets of ice and snow sliding down off the tin roof. It was a scary sound. I can’t imagine trying to go in and out of doors on the sides while that’s happening.

That’s why both of my man doors are under porches and (3) of my (4) overheads are on the ends.

 

[workinonit]

It doesn't snow in SC very often. When it does I stay inside.

 

[civilian]

I have a 36' x 72' building with 3 overhead doors on one long side. Others walls not accessible for doors. Have no need to drive through bays. 7/12 roof pitch over building with a 3/12 pitch/overhang on door side which is 4ft wide. 2 pitches on this side. Shingle roof in northern Michiigan snow belt. No problem with snow sliding on shingles. As a positive, the overhang allows me to snowblow the snow away from the doors and not have to be right against the wall/doors. Jon

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I would walk from house to garage. That's where door goes!
Mine the door is about 10ft. from the wall. To right of door is a water spigot and up about 5ft. a reel air hose, reel is inside so just a ft. or so outside. Awning over door.
Inside along wall are two workbenches. So walking inside convenient to set parts, tools, etc. down.