Double Swinging Door Options

[Bib Overalls]

My 30' x 40' metal building is what it is. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I like it and I use it a lot. But there are days when it is just to off the scale to get any work done.

I build hot rods one at a time. So, while I need storage and dirty work space I would also like a nice, climate controlled space to assemble chassis, motors, and the like.

My first thought was to build a shop within the shop. But this is not really workable.

So, my thoughts have turned to a stand alone single car garage with some depth. I'm kicking around 16' to 18' wide and 26' to 30' long. 8' or 9' ceiling height. Insulated and dry walled with a simple through the wall motel type HVAC system.

This is not going to be a daily in and out garage. So a conventional over head door and opener are not required. In fact, I don't want to deal with the trackage. I'd like this to be as neat and finished as I can make it.

So, what are my alternative options? The one that comes to mind is a double swinging door. One side would work as an entry and the other would open when I need to bring a chassis or complete hot rod inside for some TLC.

Is this practical? I spent about an hour searching for this kind of double door without success. Does such a door even exist?

 

[onewaydave]

I konw this is reaching for the stars, but if you could find an old dealership scheduled for demolition. Some had neat folding glass doors. Yeah, its a reach.

Dave.

 

[Torque1st]

Look all official and remove one of those neat automatic double doors from the local WalMart for "service" in the middle of the day.

 

[bazzateer]

Is this practical? I spent about an hour searching for this kind of double door without success. Does such a door even exist?

Yes it is practical, many UK garages have this type of door. I'll be fitting such doors to the house side of my garage when it is built using one side as the entry and only opening both when I need to move something big into/through the garage. You should be able to build them out of wood or get them made by a carpenter - think barn doors.

 

[little d]

bib, as baz said, this has been used for years, barn doors. figure out what dimentions you want, lay it out with a chalk line on your floor. use a 1" by 4", or 6", depending on how big they are going to be. you will need a top and bottom rail, and a diagonal suport going from top to bottom. cut 2 sets of them and lay 1 out. cut your boxcar siding(toung and groove) to length and nail or screw(i'd sugest screw) them on to the top, bottom rails and suport, repeet, for second door.
http://barndoorplans.com/

 

[Cuda]

How about some enviormental curtains? They are used a lot in industry where there is a lot of traffic. I'm not sure how pricey they are though.

 

[356vintage]

Bib Overalls, swinging doors work well if built sturdy. Hey you can even use an opener that swings out. I built the doors you see in the photo below. They are made of 3" western red cedar w/mortise and tenon joints. The planks that cover the frame are tongue and groove cedar boards. Now here is the important part....hinges. I purchased 6"x6" ball bearing exterior **** hinges and had straps welded to the knuckle of the hinges. I designed and cut the straps out of some 3/16" material from a local metals supplier. Cutting the design wasn't that bad and a little touch up with a file.
The hinges are screwed into the frame of the door and door jamb with 4" long ss screws. The biggest issue is to secure the hinges into the doors and jamb so as the doors will not sag. I'm sure there are other ways to do this such as using a metal frame welded and then cover in your finished material.

The only pita is; I don't yet have garage door openers installed yet. Not much of an issue since there's another side door for entry/exit. Only need these doors to get the cars in and out once or twice a week.
The openers are available from F.A.A.C., a company in Italy. I think they have representatives in the US/Canada. They are a world wide company. Check them out on the web.

These doors took some time to build no question, but they fit with the early California Spanish style of our home, so it was worth it. Also attached is a photo of a friend of mine's car barn doors. They swing out and these have a steel frame around with hinges welded to the frame.

 

[K13]

Those look great. I would like to do something similar but my issue is having them seal and insulate from the elements. It can hit below minus 40 here in the winter so I can't get away with a single layer of wood on the outside and no means of sealing the perimeter. Can't seem to find anything commercially to fit my needs.

 

[urgti]

I look at this site for inspiration and ideas http://www.realcarriagedoors.com/gallery.php

I will be building my own doors on site with the help of a local carpenter. I live in Minnesota and am also concerned with keeping the elements out so my doors will end up being quite thick. I will be putting rigid foam in the middle and cladding the inside and out with wood. I have considered making a steel frame and using thinner wood for the external portions. This way my joinery does not have to be as precise since the steel will be holding all the weight. Sealing the jambs will be done just like any other external swinging door just on a larger scale. I believe they will seal even better than roll ups since I can build in a double seal.

 

[Bib Overalls]

I really appreciate all of the input.

Friend of mine built the kind of doors that I am thinking about. I have been looking at them for years and never gave them a thought.

He made the jamb out of some heavy *** steel tubing. The doors are fabricated from lighter gauge steel with aluminum skin pop riveted on. Not all that pretty but they seal up nice and keep the elements at bay.

I think am going to do something similar.