Sliding barn style doors

[M-technik-3]

I have a post and beam building that for this year I will not being doing an modifications to it. I do need to try and prevent mice and critters from getting in.

How can I weatherize this type door besides replacing it with traditional style garage door, which is next year after the winter.

 

[kbs2244]

The typical sliding doors supplied are not critter proof.
But, for that matter, neither are most door types.
Remember a mouse skull is the only thing it cannot squeeze.
So, if you have a penny sized hole, it is an Interstate.

 

[readhead]

Rolling doors are about the hardest doors to seal. I would cringe when a metal building customer wanted a rolling door. When it's all over they are usually more expensive than an overhead door.

 

[jkwilson]

You aren't likely to keep them out regardless of sliding or overhead doors. If there is no food source inside the building, bait stations inside and out will keep the building rodent free.

 

[M-technik-3]

Yeah they were coming in to eat acorns. I put traps all over but failed to get a single one. Dreaded things.

 

[csp]

Eliminate the acorns inside the building.

 

[M-technik-3]

Eliminate the acorns inside the building.

LOL, you so funny Lucy. Not cutting my oaks down so looking to kill them mice. Decon bait have been set in variety of places.

 

[matt_i]

Get an outdoor barn cat?

 

[csp]

I didn't mean eliminate the food source, just their stash inside as well as doing what you can to reduce the places they can create a stash. I realize that's not always practical or even possible, just throwing the idea out there.

 

[dfiler2]

I have sliding doors and I have them sealed very tight, certainly tighter than any overhead door I've had. I used two of these and I built the door very solid so with good weather stripping it seals out the cold very well. This door does open into another part of the building but I would be comfortable if it were outside.

I believe using several of these and stiffeners on the outside if needed you can make it mouse proof.

Here are a couple of poor pics to give you an idea how these work.

 

[M-technik-3]

Are yours sliding on only the top rollers?

 

[John in OH]

I have numerous sliding doors on various machine sheds, all hung from top rollers only, and they are all equipped with the draw-down latches as recommended by dfiler2 in Post #10 above.

If your doors are properly built and fitted, and the concrete floor properly poured, the doors can be drawn down very snugly with the latches leaving essentially no appreciable gaps. The contact at the floor is usually the area most difficult to close up ... particularly if the floor was not poured with a "step" at the apron. If you really want to keep the mice out you'll probably need to use some secondary method to seal the door to the concrete floor.

How you do this will depend a lot on how often you want to open the door. I'm not overly concerned about the door-to-floor fit so I never really tried to make any of mine mouse-proof.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

I have overhead garage doors. However, the weatherstrip seal has deterioated at the bottom of one. I don't have a mouse problem in the garage, and I may have found out why one day a couple months ago. Look what was waiting under my Plymouth when I went to work on it one day.....

 

[TAMPAGT07]

I have overhead garage doors. However, the weatherstrip seal has deterioated at the bottom of one. I don't have a mouse problem in the garage, and I may have found out why one day a couple months ago. Look what was waiting under my Plymouth when I went to work on it one day.....

Just a trouser snake... No biggie...

 

[Jackfre]

When we first moved into this house it had a major rat and mouse problem. I had a heck of a time catching them. A trapper friend who also does pest removal suggested "channeling" the traffic to the trap. I made hold downs for the traps. simple wood pivots that made removal of a full trap easier. The traffic had to come at the trap in the correct manner to get at it. I also loaded the trap and didn't set it, so they were getting fed without getting caught. Third day I loaded the traps and caught the limit. After the remodel the place is tight, but it was really unpleasant in here for a while. Cats help too.

 

[DC_Gearhead]

I have a door sweep on mine. They are mouse proof per the health department. I don't have any mice.

 

[jkwilson]

I have a door sweep on mine. They are mouse proof per the health department. I don't have any mice.

How did you mount that on a sliding door? Seems like it would catch on the post as you opened it unless you took the stay roller off and pushed the door out as you opened it.

 

[Bondo]

You aren't likely to keep them out regardless of sliding or overhead doors. If there is no food source inside the building, bait stations inside and out will keep the building rodent free.

Ayuh,.... Agreed,.... 1/2 dozen Decon bait stations, refreshed semi-monthly oughta keep the barn a rodent "Dead Zone",....

 

[wagspe208]

I am a country guy. When the fields are harvested mice move it. I used bait, and will to continue to use bait....
HOWEVER... I had 2 dogs. The bait was not readily available to them. BUT, I caught the golden retriever eating it once or twice... used hydrogen peroxide to make him vomit... all good.
My German shepherd was not so lucky. SHE was not eating the bait, she must have been eating the dead mice. She is no longer with me. AND I was very aware of the possibilities.
I'm no tree hugger, I understand things happen.
Just be aware. You can NOT control where the mice die.
Wags

 

[MisterMike]

It sounds like some folks may have figured out how to avoid problems, but when I was building my pole barn, the builders (Cleary) told me that sliding doors always posed a problem with sealing and rodents. Because of this, I went with overhead doors, and I haven't had any mouse issues.

 

[John in OH]

Do what you can physically to seal the doors then employ nature to do the rest. Nature created cats to control rodents. They are extremely efficient in performing their assignment in the world's natural order. Plus, they give a workshop a "homey" feel.

BUT .... if you use a cat or two, get rid of the rat bait or your cat could suffer a cruel end as wagspe208 describes above.

 

[M-technik-3]

We have three domestic, my wife would not allow having a barn cat. We have Fisher Cats and coyote in our area that would most like eat a barn cat. One was feral till she saw him and now he's semi monster, lol.

 

[DC_Gearhead]

We have three domestic, my wife would not allow having a barn cat. We have Fisher Cats and coyote in our area that would most like eat a barn cat. One was feral till she saw him and now he's semi monster, lol.

Coyotes eat mice like crazy!! Maybe that's why you are seeing them! Coming to your house for food. Haha.

 

[Burl]

Why don't you do the 5 gallon bucket mouse trap?

 

[M-technik-3]

Coyotes eat mice like crazy!! Maybe that's why you are seeing them! Coming to your house for food. Haha.

Very true.

Why don't you do the 5 gallon bucket mouse trap?

I did have a home made setup where they drowned after going in it but with temps reaching single digits lately it's frozen.

This spring I am doing major insulation and while doing so I will be closing up any sort of hole they can get through. In the mean time the cars and tractors are tucked in the two other garages.

 

[Mitheral]

Use a food safe antifreeze (sold for RVers) in the bucket instead of water.

 

[M-technik-3]

Use a food safe antifreeze (sold for RVers) in the bucket instead of water.

Duh had not even thought of that. Had to do that to my bath above my garage, previous owner did not make it a warm zone so it has no heat.