Vertical garage door - not sectional?

[sublimate]

I'm looking to do a vertical garage door in the garage I'm looking to build. It'll be a 7 or 8 foot tall door (10' wide) and the ceiling height is 16', so I won't need any bend in the track for the ceiling.

Can I use a 1-piece, non-sectional door? It seems like a 1-piece door would be cheaper, lighter, and more energy efficient (this is going to be a heated space so I need the door insulated). But all the pictures of vertical garage doors I've seen show sectional doors.

Most seem to have a kink in the track above the opening - I assume this is to help the door seal against the opening? Is this necessary, or can you have a seal that the door slide linearly against? Even if a kink is needed, a 1-piece door with wheels at each end should be able to follow this slight bend, right?

Has anyone seen vertical doors that are 1-piece? I also want the door to have a lot of windows, or maybe even be all glass. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Victor

 

[FJ 432]

I have a 6 foot garage door that I used in place of double door in the back of my garage. It goes straight up but has a slight angle inward. The door is made of sections. I chose to have glass panes in the upper two sections. For that reason is why I believe my installer used sections.

What would be your advantages to having a one piece door? I would think anything's possible but it might be cheaper to do sections.

 

[sublimate]

What would be your advantages to having a one piece door?

I was thinking it would be more energy efficient without all the gaps and less metal to conduct heat. It should be lighter as well (this is probably not a big deal).

I was also thinking that I could do something aesthetically different without all the lines/gaps. Like maybe have one big window (not sure if that would look good, just thinking of things), or even put a man door within the garage door.

 

[pattenp]

Normally on a vertical lifting door the door starts moving inwards slightly so it does not drag on the door frame and or weather stripping as it rises. I have not seen a one piece vertical lift door, not to say there aren't any. It would need to be setup as a highlift with the proper cables, drums and springs to handle the weigh staying fully vertical.

 

[sublimate]

It would need to be setup as a highlift with the proper cables, drums and springs to handle the weigh staying fully vertical.

I was also thinking of using counterweights for this instead of springs. Easier to adjust and should keep a more accurate constant tension on the door instead of the spring which have to use the more complex highlift drums with ramps to account for the lessening spring tension as you go up.

 

[kartracer23]

This is how doors originally were made. My neighbor still has them on her garage. There was a thread about them on here - maybe a year or so ago.

 

[pattenp]

This is how doors originally were made. My neighbor still has them on her garage. There was a thread about them on here - maybe a year or so ago.

This is what you're talking about. The OP wants it to lift straight up, not up and back.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

An all glass door this size would have to be divided into panes. This takes you back to the frame work you are trying to get away from (transmits heat, etc.) Most sectional doors are a tongue and groove design between the sections, that fits pretty tight and limit air intrusion, especially if it is an extruded aluminum frame like that used in the glass doors.

I have a 14 ft high door with 5 ea two foot high panels of glass, and simple stamped steel panels top and bottom to save cost, weight, and damaged to the lower one from flying rocks, etc from the mower.

This is an old shot. There is concrete, grass, etc there now. These doors are heavy as the glass is heavy. It has to be tempered, which makes it expensive. It does not fit real tight along the sides, if you adjust it in tighter, it drags too much for the opener to operate it. I need some industrial type beveled seal strips on the outside, but the only thing I have found it the small houshold type seals.

Not sure why you want a "7 or 8 ft tall door" as this is barely enough for anything. Cannot get a tall pickup truck, van, trailer with a tall object on it, etc thru the door. My smallest door is a 10x10 sheet type roll up door on the side of the building. If you have the height, go tall, you will not regret it. This 14 ft door makes it easy to get the portable gantry crane outside when needed.

And yes, it is much better that the gantry crane is raised up full height. Much better than having the chain hoist in the way and not being able to lift high enough.

Charles

 

[FJ 432]

or even put a man door within the garage door.

Now that is a cool idea. I think you just have to find the right garage door company that can think out of the box. That was hard for me to find.

 

[kbs2244]

Look into a bi-fold door.

 

[speadphreak]

You could easily do a single panel door the way you want. You are right on track with the kink and two rollers per side one at the top and one at the bottom. You'll want the kink right where the upper roller stops when the door is down. That way when the door starts up it starts back. You may even consider using two tracks with both kinked to pull the door evenly away from the seals. You can put a man door or huge window in, it all depends on your budget, and the ability and creativity of the builder, which will also affect your budget. Anybody that says you cant is, well theyre just wrong. This isnt something your average door hanger will be able to do but there are people out there who can.

 

[AndyL]

Man doors in garage doors are easy... Its expensive, but easy...

Are you talking about doing a homemade multi-blade?
http://jpindustrialdoors.com/eng/502.html

Yes I've done them as single blades (those were blast doors actually) but the same principles apply... They're big they're heavy, they're monsters... But they're pretty cool at the same time We've built a few of these over the years out of typical sectional door sections; almost always with counterweights - since you have a huge box on the side you need anyway.

 

[sublimate]

Not sure why you want a "7 or 8 ft tall door" as this is barely enough for anything. Cannot get a tall pickup truck, van, trailer with a tall object on it, etc thru the door. My smallest door is a 10x10 sheet type roll up door on the side of the building. If you have the height, go tall, you will not regret it. This 14 ft door makes it easy to get the portable gantry crane outside when needed.

This would be for the back of my garage, so won't be bringing a truck around there. The idea is to have a lot of glass for light to make it a nice place to work, and when the weather's reasonably nice I can open the door and it'd be almost like working outside. I'll also have a flat space out there where I can roll cars if I want to hose them down or just to make more room in the shop. I could put in a taller door, but then I would have to have track hanging from my ceiling, and that would interfere with the bridge crane I'd like to do (and with a bridge crane I won't need a gantry crane).

Look into a bi-fold door.

I've looked at them before, but they seem god-awful expensive. Are there any that don't cost an arm and a leg?
Also my impression is that they don't seal well. Is this true?

 

[Outlawmws]

I had that style Garage door back two houses and 30+ years ago. I bought them used, and installed them in a rental I lucked into. They were all steel, 7X7, and had tracks similar to today's sectionals, and only two rollers on each side.

If it's a metal door you aren't going to save any energy by it being one piece or in sections,as the metal will transfer the heat/cold easily. And glass is worse. So sectional and insulated is your best bet IMO. instead of glass get Lexan windows, its a LOT less of a thermal transfer point.

ps: BTW rollup sectional doors seal on the sides MUCH better if properly installed, and one piece doors always have 1/2" to 1" of gap on each side and are difficult to get even partially weather stripped, so consider that aspect well before deciding.

 

[Outlawmws]

This would be for the back of my garage, so won't be bringing a truck around there. The idea is to have a lot of glass for light to make it a nice place to work, and when the weather's reasonably nice I can open the door and it'd be almost like working outside.

If you want light go with a sky light or even several if the shop is big. During the day it's free light... If I didn't have so much overhead storage going on I'd put skylights in my garage, and I am planning on a skylight in the storage shed I'm planning on... (I already have the skylight )

 

[kbs2244]

DIY bi-fold wouldn't be any more expensive than a single piece.
Airplane hanger ones often have the man door incorporated.
You do have to have the building strength to handle the door weight hanging out there when they are open though.
That can be something to worry about when you are talking 40 foot wide by 20 foot tall doors.
That shouldn’t be a problem the size you are talking about.

If you have the vertical room I would go with your original idea and the "kinked" tracks.