Fabricating Garage Doors

[red vette mike]

I am about through with my garage project (I have been saying that for the last two months). The 31x54x12 garage addition has 4 9'(w)x10'(h) door opennings. I plan to build 'carriage house' type-swing open doors. I want the 'Craftsman' type look. You can buy such doors but they are terribly expensive.
The plan in my head is to build a frame out of 2x4's (treated for the bottom piece), reinforcing the corners and cross bracing. I plan to use some sort of decorative 'planking' on the front and perhaps luan board on the rear (inside). I want to have windows in these doors. I was going to use Tyvek wrap on the front and then use batt insulation in between the front and rear panels. It will take some stout hinges to hold such a door up. Each door would have to be built for it's particular openning so as to try to get a 'seal' for each openning. (My church buddy is a retired woodworker and is going to help me do this work-thank goodness).
That is the plan. We will see how it plays out. Any of you good folks have any thought or ideas as regards this? Thanks.
Mike

 

[bahamasair]

I welded a frame out of galvanized 2"x2" square tubing then attatched tongue in groove to the outside. I have the tongue in groove off right now and just plywood because Im making a 3' door in one side of my doors to save the AC every time I have to get in and out.

 

[rustylocke]

I like this thread! I am planning on doing the same thing. Here are some pics that I have saved.

 

[rustylocke]

here are some more

 

[red vette mike]

Rusty: Some of those pictures are from a door manufacturer in N. Carolina. I can't remember the web site but I have been to that site. They have photos and drawings of a great many of these 'Craftsman' type doors. I am going to fab mine to be very similar to one of their's. I think the cost of some of their garage doors can be $2-3k. Thanks,

 

[bahamasair]

When I put mine back together Im going to use hardy plank siding instead of the tongue in groove. It will look almost the same but I dont have to bother with maintaining the wood.

 

[red vette mike]

When I put mine back together Im going to use hardy plank siding instead of the tongue in groove. It will look almost the same but I dont have to bother with maintaining the wood.

Is Hardy Plank some type of Masonite type material? Where can you get it? HD? Lowe's? I don't want to maintain the wood either.
Mike

 

[nova65ss]

Is Hardy Plank some type of Masonite type material? Where can you get it? HD? Lowe's? I don't want to maintain the wood either.
Mike

Hardiplank is a concrete based material, it is very heavy but should last forever. I covered my rear OHD with it to make it kind of blend with the rest of the siding. That is one heavy door!

If I were going to make my own swing door I would do it like Bahamasair and make the fram out of steel so that it won't warp or sag over time. If you do use wood I would use a 2x6 or 8 for the lower frame to keep it nice and sturdy across the bottom. Post up some pics when you guys get done.

Jimmy

 

[tbob]

My old steel, non-insulated doors are not getting it done. I love the look of the swing out doors. Where do you get the hinges? Any web sites on building of these?

 

[bahamasair]

The hardi plank is pretty heavy but I compaired it to the tongue in groove I had on there and there isnt a hell of alot of difference. The hardi is only 1/4-3/8 thick compaired to the 3/4 of the wood. Having said that its still heavy . I have gate motors mounted at the top of the inside of my doors and they will push something way heavier than these doors will be. Im going to insulate inside the door as well to help with the ******** heat and humidity here. I think Im going to do mine like the top right pic Rusty posted. The way the doors are split into 4 sections will help blend in the 3' door Im cutting in one side. This is the hardi Ill probably go with http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/prodhome/hardipanel.php The Sierra 8

 

[SCOOTER]

I'm one for the steel framing also..I do it on all my gates and such these days (Warpage *****)..as for hinges...you can find fancy looking ones at a upper scale "door harware place" or just use some gate ones @ Lowes or HD..now that being said.......I use these trick lil greaseable units I get at the welding shop..they are about the size of a "Sharpie" or the bigger ones about the size of a "Fat Marker"....the lil guys will hold a few hundred pounds and the big guys are rated for like 800lbs or so...they can be hidden and then you can use the cheap "Gate" style just for looks.....

 

[bahamasair]

My old steel, non-insulated doors are not getting it done. I love the look of the swing out doors. Where do you get the hinges? Any web sites on building of these?

I used regular heavy duty ball bearing stainless steel door hinges. All the hardware you see on the doors can be bought just to make it look like an old door. They have fake hinges and the old iron nail heads etc. I only have 2 hinges on each door but will probably add another when I get the hardi on them. Ill look through some of my **** and see if I can find a website for all the hardware. Ive never seen a site with info on building them tho. I can take a pic of my steel frame just to give you an idea if you want. Its pretty simple with the welded frame, I would hate to think how heavy an all wood door would be after you add enough cross bracing to stop it sagging.

 

[d110pickup]

For the high capacity hinges and other neat hardware try http://www.decorativeiron.com/
or do a internet search for similiar companies; there are several out there.
Here's a few of their hinges. http://www.decorativeiron.com/?a11=GATE HARDWARE&a10=HINGES&page=gate_hardware_hinges

Mike

 

[PAToyota]

Here is a place I found that sells the old-style barn door hardware - hinges, rollers, etc: http://www.betterbarns.com/Hardware.asp

 

[red vette mike]

I went this morning to get the materials to fab the doors-2x4's, 2x6's, luan board, etc. I got to thinking about all that wood and the weather, weight of the doors, etc. I decided to fab the frames out of steel. I can't weld so I called a couple of local welding shops and they are going to send someone by to look at the building, door opennings, etc. I think this is the better way to go. Thanks for the support and I will keep you advised of my progress. I have no idea how much these guys might want to charge. Bet it ain't cheap.
Mike

 

[jarhead]

Allot of great ideas here!

 

[tbob]

Thanks for all the ideas! I like the idea of a metal sub frame. Let's see some pics Thanks, Terry

 

[autoist]

I've got some old sliding glass door panels about 2'6" wide by door height...I'd like to build a wooden frame to hold all of them & then turn it into a sliding door like the old barn doors.

 

[Pure Oil]

Just wanted to add my two cents worth about using the square tube framing. That is what my brother did for me as he built two 4' x 8' barn doors doing that about 10 years ago & they still hang square today! The wood was attached by drilling through the wood & the metal and bolting them together. Pure Oil

 

[red vette mike]

I have had a couple of welders stop by here and look at what I want done. It will be interesting to see what they want to charge. One had the idea of placing a piece of steel on the door 'jam' behind the actual swinging door frame itself-so that the frame would seal against this piece of steel when it closed. I thought this was a good idea as regards sealing the doors. The door opennings are not totally square as you might imagine. The metal frames for the steel frame doors will have to be shimmed in some way to square them up to the opennings.
Mike

 

[red vette mike]

I have had a couple of welders stop by here and look at what I want done. It will be interesting to see what they want to charge. One had the idea of placing a piece of steel on the door 'jam' behind the actual swinging door frame itself-so that the frame would seal against this piece of steel when it closed. I thought this was a good idea as regards sealing the doors. The door opennings are not totally square as you might imagine. The metal frames for the steel frame doors will have to be shimmed in some way to square them up to the opennings.
Mike

The two welding outfits have come and gone leaving me in complete 'sticker shock' The first guy called back and quoted $2000 per door (I need 4 doors!). The second guy quoted a little less than $6000 for all 4. The second guy even made about a 6" piece to see how the door would open. I can see why the cost is great-there is a lot of steel and much labor. I am tapped out on the entire project so I am having to revert to my original plan-build the doors out of wood. I know that metal is much preferrable but I cannot weld nor can I afford to pay these quoted prices. My friend, an accomplished woodworker thinks we can build them, using metal reinforcing in the corners, where they will last.
Thanks

 

[PAToyota]

Look at it this way, for $1000 you can buy a MIG welder, learn to weld, fabricate your doors, and have a welder for other projects! And the door frames would be a good project to learn on. No problems if you have to grind down some sloppy "learning" welds and you'll have enough bulk that your welds won't have to be perfect. Surely you can find someone to give you some pointers for a weekend and you'll be up and running!

 

[ersatzs2]

I am working on the same problem. My house is a Greek Revival from 1830. The garage is, shall we say, functional looking. I'd like to have carriage house garage doors that are 1/2 or 2/3rd windows, but it just doesn't work out with a wood frame door. I thought I'd found the answer when I found these custom aluminum doors from Arm-R-Lite, right here in NJ. But I got the quote today: $19K for three in 9x9. Good doors are really expensive.

 

[atch]

i've been wondering if it would work to make a sandwich door with thin wood showing on both faces and sheet metal sandwiched between. this should give you the wood look and the steel sag resistance.

i'm not interested in making or having any of these myself, at this time, merely hoping to add something to the discussion that someone can use.

 

[wantedabiggergarage]

If you were to make a sandwich door, I wouldn't go thinner then 3/8 sheeting on the outside, however, I think this would be a good idea, because you could have that spray in foam insulation, done before enclosing it. (also I don't think that would add dramatic weight compared with wood planks).

 

[SCOOTER]

The two welding outfits have come and gone leaving me in complete 'sticker shock' The first guy called back and quoted $2000 per door (I need 4 doors!). The second guy quoted a little less than $6000 for all 4. The second guy even made about a 6" piece to see how the door would open. I can see why the cost is great-there is a lot of steel and much labor. I am tapped out on the entire project so I am having to revert to my original plan-build the doors out of wood. I know that metal is much preferrable but I cannot weld nor can I afford to pay these quoted prices. My friend, an accomplished woodworker thinks we can build them, using metal reinforcing in the corners, where they will last.
Thanks

Dannnggg I really need to get my "shop" done.......and I also think that I need to quit working for someone else......Hope the best for ya R.V.Mike

 

[bahamasair]

What kind of frame are they welding? I did a 2x2 square galvanized and will put hardyboard on the outside with probably just 1/4" ply on the inside with foam insulation between. I figure you can get a pos arc welder and knock up the same kind of frame for next to nothing. Ill take a couple of pics tonight to give you an idea of how simple it should be.

 

[red vette mike]

It took all day but we built the first 1/2 of the first opening (first of 4) of the carriage house doors. The others will go more quickly but it will still take a long time to construct (every opening is a little different so you cannot cut your frame members as one). I bought cedar wood studs to do the frame with. These probably cost twice as much as pine. I used some angle reinforcers found at HD (used on pressure treated wood) and put these on the front and back of the frame (each half door is about 53" by 10'). I used four fairly heavy carriage house type door hinges (Lowe's) on each side. I am using Hardy Board ($5.25 for each 8"x12' piece-Lowe's). I glued these boards on the front and then nailed with a 2 1/2 finishing nail. The hinges are bolted to the end of a 2x8 that cases the door opening. I bought a piece of 1 1/4 flat steel and bolted that onto the 2x8 prior to bolting the hinges on (1/4x3 galvanized lag bolts). I plan to use Tyvek on the front and then some insulation between the Hardy Board and the luan board that will be on the rear. I do not think that the door(s) are going to either warp or sag. I butted the cedar studs together 'upright' instead of 'laying down (not a good discription). This causes the door frame to be only the tickness of a 2x4 (1 1/2") thick. However this makes the frame to be very stable (after use of the corner reinforcers) and 2x4" 'nail boards' at all other joints (where the windows are going to be and a reinforcing board in the middle of the bottom section).
In any case, the first 1/2 looks good and seems to be well balanced. It is heavy-cedar weighs a lot and that Hardy Board is heavy also. You could use some metal straps to cross brace but I don't think that will be necessary. If I could figure out how to put pictures on this site I would (and will sooner or later). These doors will still be somewhat expensive but nothing like $6 or $8K that the welders wanted.

 

[rustylocke]

I Want To See Your Pics, Red Vette Mike!!!!

 

[red vette mike]

I Want To See Your Pics, Red Vette Mike!!!!

I am taking pictures and have 2 digital cameras. However, I have no computer skills and will have to get some help to post these. I'll try to do it next week.
I finished with the installation of the Hardy Board on the first 1/2 of a door. I can go some quicker next time but this is going to be a real time consuming job. Each door is a little different is size (width wise) so you cannot cut all the pieces for all the doors at one time. The first 1/2 does look good. It is heavy-probably 300 lbs-thus the need for good hinges. You need a masonry skil saw blade to cut the Hardy Board. I glued plus nailed all the board panels to the frame.
I'll get yall some pics.
Mike

 

['29MurrayTub]

I like this thread! I am planning on doing the same thing. Here are some pics that I have saved.

Sweet looking doors. I don't have the talent to do that myself, but I sure do appreciate good work.

 

[red vette mike]

I am aabout through with building the 'carriage house' doors for my new garage. They look good but it has been an unbelievable amount of work. There are 4 double doors (9'3"x10') so I actually had to make 8 doors. Using cedar wood as the frames (with steel reinforcers in each corner); Hardy Board on the fronts (nailed and glued); luan panelling screwed and glued on the rears; insulated with Tyvek and then R-13 batt (it is 3 1/2" thick being pressed into a space of about 2"-it will fit). Each door will have a 36x20 inch window (divided to look like a 6 pane). All of this adds up to a lot of weight-likely more than 200-250 lbs per door (maybe more-that Hardy board is heavy). I bought the biggest hinges that Lowe's had and put 4 to each side. I found out later that these hinges are rated at only 55 lb cpacity each. They seem to be holding the load fine. The doors are not going to sag-there is just too much support with reinforcers, glue, nails, etc. However the hinges could eventually fail. If so I'll get some better ones. So far I have about 7 full days of labor in these doors (with intermittant good help). I will eventually get you good folks some photos of all this. I have been taking some pictures.

 

[nova65ss]

Sounds like a good sense of accomplishment coming from your words. Look forward to seeing those pics!

Jimmy

 

[PAToyota]

I found this source for barn door hinges: http://www.betterbarns.com/thisProduct.asp?ProductID=3016

 

[Geeforce]

Sounds great. Looking for pictures so I can begin my door project.

 

[Pops]

I have been buying the material to build wood carrage doors, but after reading this thread, I may just weld up a frame with square tubing. It could be done in a very short time, I do have a good supply of thin wall square tubing...

J.

 

[TNToy]

It's too bad Madsion is 3 hours away. I'd have been more than happy to help out another GJ member with my 220v Miller for a very minimal fee if you were nearby.

Don't discount the steel price too much in those welding shops quotes, either. $1 per foot on 2x2 .125-wall tubing would get you some rusty, bent up scrap. Steel prices have gone through the roof since the Iraq thing started using up a lot of the supply.

 

[red vette mike]

Some pictures of these doors are on the "Garage Gallery" section of this site under a heading "Garage Construction-Start To Finish-Pics". You can see them there. I have spent the last day and a half trying to seal around these doors. I bought some door insulating material (rubber) from HD and am nailing or stapeling it onto the edges of the doors. it really cuts down on wind drafts.
I installed the glass in these windows this week also-18x35, double glass. It is tinted which I didn't order but it looks pretty good. Cost about $50 per door.

 

[thecarfarmer]

Any brand name - or better yet, pics? Us guys from Mountlake Terrace gots no imagination...

-bill

I'm one for the steel framing also..I do it on all my gates and such these days (Warpage *****)..as for hinges...you can find fancy looking ones at a upper scale "door harware place" or just use some gate ones @ Lowes or HD..now that being said.......I use these trick lil greaseable units I get at the welding shop..they are about the size of a "Sharpie" or the bigger ones about the size of a "Fat Marker"....the lil guys will hold a few hundred pounds and the big guys are rated for like 800lbs or so...they can be hidden and then you can use the cheap "Gate" style just for looks.....