Exterior "DUTCH" Door

[Jeff May]

I am thinking I would like to build and install a "dutch" type door into my shop.
I would like to make it 48" wide.
Has anyone here ever built a door this wide as a single?
How did you make it, keep the area where the top meets the lower air and water tight?
What type of hinges did you or would you use to support such a wide door?
I'm asking for any and all suggestions on this.
Right now I have a 10' overhead door and it is a major heat loss in the winter.
I don't need this big of door anymore and want to close in the area and install the 48" door and do away with the heat loss.
Thanks ,
Jeff in Hagerstown

 

[homebuilt burner]

I have built them for barns. The way I have done it is to build it in one piece then saw it in half at the end. One way to help to make it air tight is to use steel on the outside and key the two pieces (top and bottom) together at the joint, it works but not perfectly. Or you could use some weather seal of some sort.

 

[kbs2244]

The ones I have seen were typical door construction.
They are somewhat common in the NE states.

Two had a 2x6 “shelf” at the top of the bottom part.
You need two sets of knobs and locks.

The weather sealing was the typical rubber “wipe” style going across the shelf.
I have no idea how well it worked since it was summer and the top part was open and the bottom closed to keep the dog in.

 

[rsanter]

A 48" door is actually common in commercial applications..
For door hinges I would use the heavy duty commercial ones that have bearings in them.

For an air tight and water tight seal you generally mill a step or lap joint into the the door and have a small rubber seal in addition to having a metal overlap plate ( whatever they call them)

Not hard to do depending on what you want. I assume you want a wood door? You can cut a door in half and then router a rabit joint on one side and then a rabit joint on the other side that you fill with a glued in piece to create the part that stands up into the other parts rabit.

If you want to make a door from scratch that's a bit more work but can still be done

Bob

 

[rsanter]

Just remembered, I have seen one other way.
You cut the doors in half but tilt the blade at about 30 degrees. Then fit a little rubber seal.
Then add the metal overlap plate, and you are good to go

Bob

 

[Cyberbear]

I've had good luck with heavy duty steel piano hinge on the heavy doors I used in my shop. The easy trick is to mount the door flush with the interior jamb and screw the hinged door to the 2x jamb using 1/4" dia. hex head sheet metal screws about 4" apart.
It's been years and everything still works perfectly, but make sure the jamb is strong and plumb.