Sliding barn door hardware
Discussion
I'm in the process of building a new shed/workshop and have decided that a set of double sliding doors is probably the way forward. It's in quite an exposed location on an Aberdeenshire hillside so it seems the best option to avoid large hinged or roller doors catching the wind.
The opening will be roughly 4m(w) by 3(h) so the doors will be reasonably heavy - has anyone any experience or recommendations?
The opening will be roughly 4m(w) by 3(h) so the doors will be reasonably heavy - has anyone any experience or recommendations?
You’re right in what you say about that sort of door not catching the wind. They also don’t take up much space and won’t be overly heavy at that size (I have similar and larger on a couple of barns).
The things to consider are really:
1) Wood vs metal. I have wood on my garage/workshop (which is fully insulated) and metal on the uninsulated barn. Easy to get and retain heat in the former, which is great when working in there in winter. They are a bit heavier than the metal doors (which are think coated metal on a galv frame).
2) Security. Main thing to consider is how to prevent the doors being levered open or off their rails. If you want to maximise security, that means putting additional locking hardware on the inside of the shed, which then means you’ll need a pedestrian door as well.
3) weather-proofing. My wooden door now has a “Weather Defender XL” door ridge to stop water/wind/leaves blowing under, and wide brush strips up the sides of the door frames to stop wind blowing around the door. Not too expensive to do, but makes a big difference. Does introduce a ridge to get over, which isn’t ideal if you need to push vehicles/kit in and out.
4) Top rail alignment. Mine are set level so that the doors will hold at any level of opening. If you preferred you could probably set the rail to self-open/close.
The things to consider are really:
1) Wood vs metal. I have wood on my garage/workshop (which is fully insulated) and metal on the uninsulated barn. Easy to get and retain heat in the former, which is great when working in there in winter. They are a bit heavier than the metal doors (which are think coated metal on a galv frame).
2) Security. Main thing to consider is how to prevent the doors being levered open or off their rails. If you want to maximise security, that means putting additional locking hardware on the inside of the shed, which then means you’ll need a pedestrian door as well.
3) weather-proofing. My wooden door now has a “Weather Defender XL” door ridge to stop water/wind/leaves blowing under, and wide brush strips up the sides of the door frames to stop wind blowing around the door. Not too expensive to do, but makes a big difference. Does introduce a ridge to get over, which isn’t ideal if you need to push vehicles/kit in and out.
4) Top rail alignment. Mine are set level so that the doors will hold at any level of opening. If you preferred you could probably set the rail to self-open/close.
Thanks for that - much appreciated.
1) I was planning on wood - mostly for ease of build but also because it looks better and more in keeping with the rest of the building.
2) there's already a pedestrian door so no issues with accessing any internal securing bolts etc.
3) will have a look at those, the rest of the building is deliberately quite airy so not too fussed about a perfect seal but might still be worth fitting so there's not a gale howling in.
4) Level probably the best option I think. How easy are yours to open and close? I'm hopeful that with decent modern hardware my girlfriend should be able to open them easily on her own? Do you remember what hardware you used?
1) I was planning on wood - mostly for ease of build but also because it looks better and more in keeping with the rest of the building.
2) there's already a pedestrian door so no issues with accessing any internal securing bolts etc.
3) will have a look at those, the rest of the building is deliberately quite airy so not too fussed about a perfect seal but might still be worth fitting so there's not a gale howling in.
4) Level probably the best option I think. How easy are yours to open and close? I'm hopeful that with decent modern hardware my girlfriend should be able to open them easily on her own? Do you remember what hardware you used?
Not 100% sure precisely which hardware it is as they were installed by the shed builders. Tbh, I suspect that if you get proper agri spec rails and rollers it’ll all be pretty much the same, but make sure they’re all top hung with no floor level track (apparently they get jammed up with muck/stones really easily). In terms of ease of opening, wife and kids have no issues.
If it’s an airy shed, I’d still suggest the floor-door seal. Even if there’s airflow throughout the rest of the shed, it does a great job of keeping the floor dry and clear of leaves. Less time spent cleaning a workshop is usually a good thing.
If it’s an airy shed, I’d still suggest the floor-door seal. Even if there’s airflow throughout the rest of the shed, it does a great job of keeping the floor dry and clear of leaves. Less time spent cleaning a workshop is usually a good thing.
https://www.runners-uk.com/440kg-medium-duty-slidi...
As an example.
I have sliding doors on my barn. Set level and greased regularly. My kids can open them easily, and they must be 200Kg each.
Wood doors are cheaper, just get pressure treated timber. Make them on the ground, but you will need a telehandler to lift them onto the rail.
Bottom guides work fine, just don't sweep the barn out into the space, they'll jam.
Also remember that 3x2m doors need a 3x2m space on either side to slide to.
A thief will always be able to get in, You'd just attach a large cable to the back of your (stolen) Isuzu and rip them off.
If you need security then you'll have to fit a roller or similar door (for a few thousand minimum)
Edited by The_Doc on Monday 20th March 21:16
The_Doc said:
https://www.runners-uk.com/440kg-medium-duty-slidi...
As an example.
I have sliding doors on my barn. Set level and greased regularly. My kids can open them easily, and they must be 200Kg each.
Wood doors are cheaper, just get pressure treated timber. Make them on the ground, but you will need a telehandler to lift them onto the rail.
Bottom guides work fine, just don't sweep the barn out into the space, they'll jam.
Also remember that 3x2m doors need a 3x2m space on either side to slide to.
A thief will always be able to get in, You'd just attach a large cable to the back of your (stolen) Isuzu and rip them off.
If you need security then you'll have to fit a roller or similar door (for a few thousand minimum)
Edited by The_Doc on Monday 20th March 21:16
Agree with everything said. The mechanics are old, maybe victorian? The wood is about 12 years old. It needs decent annual maintenance to keep it running well. I have a gravel drive that regularly gets gravel caught in the bottom runner guide. The top rollers unscrew and drop, not sure if a decent threadlock would work?
Leaves blow in and security is suspect.... But I park my camper van in front of it. Mine probably needs tearing down and starting again.....
A roller shutter door would be far better, but council planning wouldn't allow that.
One other point about the track system above, try and get a single piece of runner for the whole length if you can.
I have one over my tractor barn and it is two pieces of rail, the join broke and then the wheel gets stuck which jams the door. I have a ratchet strap holding the two ends together which works in a Heath Robinson sort of way.
I tried fitting a new joining bracket but the weight of the doors causes this to fail over time.
I have one over my tractor barn and it is two pieces of rail, the join broke and then the wheel gets stuck which jams the door. I have a ratchet strap holding the two ends together which works in a Heath Robinson sort of way.
I tried fitting a new joining bracket but the weight of the doors causes this to fail over time.
Agree with al of the above, I replaced ours which had rotted from the bottom over 20 years, this is them after installing, I've added timber over the top, and replaced the side stop afterwards and painted them. However, they're never going to be the most secure and/or weather proof, but they do the job for us.
I'm not convinced any large workshop door is particularly secure unless you spend an absolute fortune. Even if I did fit a completely secure door it would be pretty straightforward to gain access elsewhere, there's not really much of significant value in there anyway.
Thanks for the other tips - much appreciated.
Thanks for the other tips - much appreciated.
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