Garage door with a man door?

[Chaznsc]

So I spend a fair amount of time in the garage during the summer. I have a window unit to keep it bearable, actually, it keeps it nice and cool. Anyhow, I am forever putting the door up and down and its a pain. I would love to have a man door in the garage door but was wondering how well they function long term and what I'd expect to pay to have one installed? The current door is about 16 feet wide I beleive.

Thoughts? Comments? Donations?

 

[The Cobbler]

I have seen them but never looked at them as far as quality etc. any way you can just put in a man door somewhere?

 

[maxpat82]

I saw that a couple of times.....I think I would replace the 16' garage door by a 12' and a regular 32-34" door.

Would cost less then having a custom made garage door with the opening in it.

 

[shelteredV]

If you can possibly put in a 3' 0" door somewhere else, go that route. To retrofit a door into an overhead is not an option I would explore. To replace the existing overhead door isn't a much better option.

 

[Chaznsc]

I have seen them but never looked at them as far as quality etc. any way you can just put in a man door somewhere?

The way the house is configured, the only option would be to install a smaller garage door. Not real sure that would work given how the roller tray is mounted. They do make doors with a man door integrated, was hoping someone had used one.

 

[bad_idea]

You mean like a regular paneled residential garage door? Haven't seen that.

We have a roll up at work that they cut a man door into. It works good. Until you hit it with a forklift. My recommendation: don't hit it with a fork lift.

 

[captain14]

Other members have explored that option but cost is the biggest hurdle.

A couple of installers actually gave their insight to the associates problems.

Not sure if you can do a GJ search and find those threads

 

[cvairwerks]

Build a set of carriage doors to go over the roll up door and put a walk door in one of them. Keep the roll up door up during shop time and use the walk door. Need to move something in or out, swing the carriage doors open.

This is pretty much what I've done on the garage here at home.

 

[LifeLongWNYer]

The local school bus garage has a swinging man in the middle of an overhead door, it has been there for years, and seems to work very well. The OH door is ( I would guess) 11 or 12' wide and 13' high, the busses easily go in and out...it is on the bay where they do a lot of the work on the busses, so it gets quite a bit of use.

 

[Chaznsc]

It works good. Until you hit it with a forklift. My recommendation: don't hit it with a fork lift.

Its on my NOT TO DO list now.

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

Man door in a overhead is expensive. Last quote I did years ago was an additional $1,200 on top of the door cost. Plus extra labor to install. As stated, it would not be my first option. Estimates are free. Worth asking for peace of mind.

 

[Git]

How big is the door?

In SoCal - especially with the older homes, it was very common to have a two stall garage with a one piece, tilt up door

They're basically just a couple sheets of ply, with a 2x4 frame and the appropriate hardware. I think it would be fairly easy to make one with a small ped door in it

 

[Chaznsc]

So a price on the door, standard raised panels, no windows, no frills. $4120 shipped. Looks like may have to install one of these instead!

 

[maxpat82]

dammm 4000$
versus a "regular" 12' 1000$ door and man door less then 500$.
add maybe 500$ in lumber and exterior finishing......

that's 1/2 the cost...and a 12' door is still a very nice sized garage door.

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

If price was always the only consideration we would all be driving Yugos. Go figure.

 

[Chaznsc]

Check this out.

 

[jagwinn]

Nice! That guy has an airplane in there.

 

[xyster101]

At the high school shop I worked at they had a man door in the garage door. Just like in the video, there was a section you have to step over as you enter or exit the man door.
The man door had a lock, latch and window in it. It was not very tall, maybe 5' 10". Being 6' 4" I always had to duck using it.

 

[JimVonBaden]

If price was always the only consideration we would all be driving Yugos. Go figure.