Sealing panels in shop doors

[Warren Clemans]

The last task before I declare my shop finished is to make and install doors in a 12' opening. I located some beautiful 8/4 doug fir, have made the frames, and now need to make the panels. I could use some advice about how best to keep water out of the joints. I plan to finish the doors with spar varnish.

If I simply install the panels in a groove in the frames, I'm afraid that water will collect in the groove in the bottom rail and rot the wood. I plan on drilling drain holes up from the bottom at the corner of each panel--a solution that I've seen on older doors. However, it seems like a good idea also to seal the panels so that water doesn't get in in the first place.

Can I lay a bead of silicone in the groove in the bottom rail (and maybe part way up the sides) before installing the panels? Or will that interfere too much with wood movement? I could seal the panels with a bead of silicone after assembly, but I'm afraid that might look bad and would eventually fail. Any other ideas that I'm not thinking of?

I'm making 4 3' doors to span the 12'. Bi-fold, meeting in the middle. I'm still noodling over how to rig a track system so they don't sag. I've searched SMC and found a few possibilities, but will post further once I crack this nut. If anyone has ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Thanks,
Warren

[Mike Wood]

I presume you're using solid panels in the doors and if so, silicone may work for you for a while but I'm not sure it would hold over over the long run to protect the panels and frame for the expected life span of the door. Plus, if it eventually fails, I'm not sure how you would go about replacing it.

Another alternative may be to install trim at the exterior panel perimeter and caulk the backside of the trim prior to installing it. You should get enough squeeze out at the back top/bottom of the trim during installation to prevent water penetration into the groove.

[Jamie Buxton]

When I've built garden gates, I too have been concerned about that dado in the frame at the bottom of panels. I've turned the joint around, so that the dado is in the panel, and there's a tongue on the frame side which fits into it. Of course, at the top of the panel, you still want to put the dado in the frame.

[Greg Funk]

Our garage doors are frame and panel Fir stained and finished with Sikkens but we have a fairly large overhang so I don't think they ever get much rain on them. So my suggestion would be to, if at all possible, protect the doors from above, particularly since you are going to be spending considerable effort to make them.

Greg

[Warren Clemans]

Three responses, three fantastic ideas. Thanks.

I wish I had more overhang, but the building sits right on the property line and couldn't move any closer to the house on the other side. Because I was constrained on two sides, additional overhang would have meant less floor space.

I really like the idea of putting the dado in the panel rather than in the rail. I might also add moulding so you don't see the raw panel edge on the bottom.

I'll post pics once the doors are hung. Off to the lumberyard tomorrow for the panel stock.

[Lee Schierer]

Make the boards in the panel a ship lapped design so the bottom of each board overhangs the top of the board below it. The water will run off and not collect in the "bottom groove". The bottom groove can be a rail instead of a groove to lock in the bottom board in your panel. SLope all edges toward the weather side so the water runs off instead of standing on the surface.