Hi everybody!
I made a fast and cheap door for my garage when I build it 8 years ago. I've been dreaming of a thick lift door or a folding door. My door opening size is 3x3 meters (10x10ft) so there's no ready standard model for it. Normal Finish garage door size is 2.1x2.4meters.
So it's going to be a special order door, that means more money. I did some searching and the door will cost about 1000€ to 2000€ depending about windows, electric opener etc.
Only problem is that all the commercial doors is about 40mm thick. I can buy a 70mm thick folding doors but that's 3500€
My temporary (8years)
doors have 70mm of hard foam in them and the overall thickness is 110mm. (over 4 inches) and they are very warm when the weather gets cold. Only problem is the weather strips. They hold about 3 years and then they start to separate from the wood.
I was about to order a lift door but then I started thinking, what if instead ordering a new expensive door I use a little bit time and money for the old doors
First I removed all the old weather strips. I removed also the old foam between the frame and the door frame. Then I adjusted the door straight with laser. I used wedges and 6,5x110mm corrseal bolts about 50cm spacing.
Now it's solid as it can be and hopefully it doesn't move with weather humidity.
I sprayed the caps with winter PU-foam.
Then I sanded and painted the doors from inside. Doors were painted with water based latex paint inside and they were impossible to clean. Now I used a urethane alkyd paint so it's water resistant.
The color is same that my moldings. I painted two thin layers.
I figured that if I make a sheet metal covers for the door frames the weather strips will stick better.
First I made a kick panel inside. I mounted all the metal parts with high tack glue and screws.
Here is the side parts with seals glued on them, I cleaned the metal with acetone and the seals sticks very nice.
Here is the upper seal lip. There's one inside and one outside. Now every side has a double seal
I used EPDM D-profile seal. The thickness is about 7mm and it works for 3mm to 6mm caps.
For the doorstep I made a aluminum cover, there's a 70mm foam under the cover that separates the outer concrete from the garage floor.
There's a 20mm lip on the aluminum cover and the door seal stops to that.
For the outside I installed a rubber wiper so there's a double seal too. That's usually a difficult place to seal.
I made a 2-point latch for the door. It can be only opened inside so no lock needed. Little more exercise to open the doors, but I have a carport for the cars so this door stays pretty much closed. Project cars only
I saved the latch handle from some old door. I made the rods and the rod holders from hydraulic pipe holders. I made the long handles from a old snow barrier pipe and some pipe holders
I also installed the things that keeps doors open on a windy day.
Here's the upper latch. I made the rod ends pointy so it closes like a fridge door with a little "hisss" sound
Here is what it looks outside, It matches the garage nice. I'm going to paint it next summer and I've been planning a little overhang with lights.
I had the hinges inside the door frame and the door but they were always loose so I bolted them from the outside with longer bolts. I have to paint those also.
I've been monitoring the door temperature with infrared thermometer and the new weather strips works great. Temperature in the garage went three degrees (celsius) up after the door was ready
I think it looks okay now too
Have a great weekend everybody!
I hope that encounter with that creature was friendly.
