Replies

1. 
   triplenet | Mar 06, 2005 07:56pm | #1

   Hi,

   We wanted "carriage house" doors, but the cost was a problem.

   I had 8 doors overlaid by a garage door installer. We designed the appearance and provided them with the materials. I used 7/16 cedar soffit plywood that we grooved with a router and straight edge-very boring job. All "stiles and rails" are 1X cedar. All material was primed before we delivered it to the door shop.

   The basic door is a commercial steel insulated door, due to weight of finished door, you need the heavy track, springs, etc.

   They removed the insulation, and replaced it, so the overlay could be screwed on from the back. All sections were laid out on a table, after covering, the sections were cut apart. We painted the newly cut edges and finish painted after they were installed.

   We had a blacksmith-artist make hinges and pulls.

   We did this 4 years ago, but I think there is a greater selection of "carriage house" doors available now.

   Bob

1. 
   DDay | Mar 07, 2005 03:53am | #5

   I know the wood was primed, but are you worried about condensation between the steel and the wood?  Even with the wood painted or sealed, moisture is still going to get behind the wood and will condense in contact with the metal from the door in the winter.  If you’re in <!----><!---->San Diego<!----> or <!----><!---->Phoenix<!----><!---->, you’re probably not worried but in the colder parts of the country, I would want some type of air gap between the two.

2. 
   Pondfish | Mar 06, 2005 08:06pm | #2

   No books, but here are a couple of web sites I've used in my research to make new doors (a potential project for this summer).  You can glean a lot from these two sites.

   http://www.doorsalesinc.com/index2.htm

   http://www.calderindustries.com/garage/installation.htm

   You seem to have the main idea for the door construction: twinned panels in a frame/panel construction, with an optional layer of insulation between the panels. There are also some option for the edge treatment between door panels, where it can provide a bit more of a barrier to the elements than just two panels meeting at a flat surface.

   One thing not addressed by these sites is choice of wood.  I didn't want to paint the doors, so I've been looking for something that would last 20+ years while remaining natual looking with minimal maintenance.  It sounds like a hopeless quest, but I'm still looking at woods like cypress, cedar or fir (finished with spar varnish).  I looked at Ipe, but it is just too heavy for a garage door. 

   Good luck,

   Paul

3. 
   tkiser | Mar 07, 2005 03:41am | #3

   here is an old garage I replaced.  One part was a bi-fold with a swing door.  I am thinking of building one for my new shop.

   Tim

   
4. 
   Peter36 | Mar 07, 2005 03:51am | #4

   Are you looking for a knee banger style, rollup, sliding barn door style, or just plain hinged?       Peter

1. 
   user-459198 | Mar 07, 2005 06:03am | #6

   3 or 4 panel overhead door

5. 
   wrudiger | Mar 07, 2005 07:47am | #7

   Here is a good image of the construction technique just about all of the custom door buliders use.  You can go sectional roll-up or bi-fold.  These guys use Mahogany framing; others I've seen use clear, straight Doug Fir.

   http://www.hahnswoodworking.com/pages/chconstruction.html

   The bi-folds I will be building will be fir frame and 5/8" V-groove redwood exterior (recycled from my folk's 50-year old fence), using the design in the link.