Garage door construction (long)

[Mark Rakestraw]

Has anyone here built garage doors? I have a total of 5 of various sizes I need for my barns. I want something that looks more "barn-like" than a standard door. The pictures show a small hinged door I built several years ago. It is just a sheet of 3/4" MDO with thin white oak gorrilla glued and pin nailed to the face. It has held up well and was a rather easy way to approximate the look I want. For garage doors, with the large horizontal cracks, I would wrap the edges in solid wood also instead of just relying on the paint to seal the edges. I have two concerns in translating this method to an overhead garage door style:

1) Will the 3/4" MDO base be stiff enough to support itself in the open position(9 foot wide doors) or do I need to go to two thin skins in a torsion box type construction? If so, any material recommendations for the skins? Maybe some sort of lightweight metal channel attached to the back for stiffness?

2) The faux rails and stiles in the pictures are only 3" wide and I haven't had any problems with the differing expansion rates of the solid wood and plywood separating the two. I picture the wider faux stiles and rails on a garage door moving enough the paint would crack at the seam, leading to water infiltration and rot. Is there such a thing as an exterior 3/8" MDF type material I could use to make these pieces?

3) Does anyone have any better solutions?

thanks,
Mark

[Joe Scharle]

Here's what I did for my doors. Hard to tell, but the doors are two 1" SYP crossing at 45deg.

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/thumbs/Garage_Doors_1.JPG (http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/data/500/Garage_Doors_1.JPG)

[Rick Levine]

I designed and built this sliding barn door for my shop. It is modeled after Norm's door at NYW. I used the same hardware he has. I preferred an external door to save shop space.

[Tyler Howell]

Where did you get your hardware for the sliding door??
I have a couple projects coming up in need.
TIA
Nice doors!!!!

[Wayne Cannon]

I recently installed three such sliding doors (two solid doors on a shed and a paneled sliding gate) with hardware from my local Ace Hardware. The local lumber company and Home Depot also carried it, but had less selection of accessory hardware than Ace (i.e., wheel type, hardware for different door thicknesses, end stops, types of hangar brackets, guides, and rollers).

[Wayne Cannon]

Rick,

Is your sliding door weather-stripped? If so, how did you do it?

--Wayne

[Jamie Buxton]

You're thinking of making garage doors which roll up overhead, right? If so, the 3/4" MDO isn't going to be able to support itself well enough while it is overhead. A torsion box would be better. That's actually what most wooden commercial doors are. Maybe 1/4" skins, and 1 3/4" thick. Put blocking inside the door where hinges and door rollers are going to screw on.

[Jamie Buxton]

As to the thin trim material, I'd just stick with the wood and waterproof glue, but there are thin waterproof trim materials. For instance, Azek is a PVC material intended for exterior use, and it is available in 3/8" thickness.

[Rick Levine]

I got the rails from a local hardware store that happened to stock the same hardware used on Norm's shop. I was made by Lawrence Bros. Unfortunately they went out of business and the company that bought the name didn't buy the product line. I called this morning to find out if it was still available and was told it wasn't. I then called the local store where I bought mine and they said that Stanley hardware may have some.

As for the insulation I used a product by Sealeze. (http://www.sealeze.com). It is a brush insulation and it works great. It keeps the weather as well as any rodents or other pests away. Here are some interior shots of it.

[Josiah Bartlett]

If you want rollup doors, I think the best solution would be to buy a set of plain garage doors to fit the opening, and then fabricate a custom skin out of thin material. Then you don't have to worry about strength, the door mechanism is already worked out, and you probably come out money ahead. Plain steel garage doors are dirt cheap.

Just assemble the doors, make the frame, cut kerfs for the joints, and hang the door and you are good to go.

[Loren Bengtson]

Where did you get your hardware for the sliding door??
I have a couple projects coming up in need.
TIA
Nice doors!!!!


Tyler,

Here's a source for sliding door hardware:

Western Products of Indiana
(765) 529-6230

Good luck,
Loren