Replacing an up-and-over garage door

[skotl]

My workshop is in a garage with a traditional up-and-over garage door, and I'd like to replace the door with something less "garage" like, more useful and more secure.

So I was thinking about a steel frame around the doorframe, supporting two inner doors. I would make the frame, doors, etc out of 25mm steel box section and then run tongue and groove horizontally.

I reckon that I can make the steel frame much more secure that the original garage door and make it relatively attractive. I'm conscious that this will make the garage more "Hey! Look at me!" but then I know the existing garage door won't hold up to a serious attack.

Raw steel door frame;

And after being dressed in wood;

 

[Shedendman]

So your reducing the opening,correct, or are the two outer panels going to open to ie bi-folding?
You might regret that one day
will 25mm box be strong enough,then again saying that anything bigger will give weight issues
Looking at the two centre doors if you laying boards horizontal you'll need some more uprights in the squares so to speak,wood will warp so extra fixing will be needed

 

[Kent]

I have done something a little similar. Only more industrial
Incorporating twin stable doors and 5 lever mortise locking
40x40x4 shs casing, same for the doors with rsa inside them (better in flat but it's what I had spare)
The panels are stockbord 12mm

 

[skotl]

So your reducing the opening,correct, or are the two outer panels going to open to ie bi-folding?
You might regret that one day
will 25mm box be strong enough,then again saying that anything bigger will give weight issues
Looking at the two centre doors if you laying boards horizontal you'll need some more uprights in the squares so to speak,wood will warp so extra fixing will be needed

Thanks for that. Yes - reducing the opening, partly for security. It will bolt in to the frame so if absolutely necessary I guess I could remove it but I'm hard pressed to think of what I would need to put in that would be wider than ~6-7ft.

As for strength - it will certainly be more secure than the current garage door! Having said that, I'll need to buy new box section for it anyway so might get thicker.

Good point re the fixings. I was planning to put some plate down the uprights, too, and use that to anchor the planks.

 

[skotl]

I have done something a little similar. Only more industrial
Incorporating twin stable doors and 5 lever mortise locking
40x40x4 shs casing, same for the doors with rsa inside them (better in flat but it's what I had spare)
The panels are stockbord 12mm

Good to know - thanks!

 

[cumbriasteve]

A friend did virtually the same a few years back but on the inside he screwed I think it was 1mm sheet from the bottom to about 5ft up, extra security was the reason according to him, we thought he was going a bit OTT.

A couple of weeks later he came out to find 2 of the boards splintered and pulled away, the lowlifes obviously saw the steel sheet and gave up, without it I suspect there would have been a few more boards off and his gear gone.

 

[Shedendman]

Also while i think of it,your going to haqve slight gaps between the openings the leading edge and hinges,have you thought about how weather/rain proof it'll be?

 

[the snooper]

A friend did virtually the same a few years back but on the inside he screwed I think it was 1mm sheet from the bottom to about 5ft up, extra security was the reason according to him, we thought he was going a bit OTT.

A couple of weeks later he came out to find 2 of the boards splintered and pulled away, the lowlifes obviously saw the steel sheet and gave up, without it I suspect there would have been a few more boards off and his gear gone.

that's the problem with timber fixed like that you can split it easily along the grain

 

[cumbriasteve]

that's the problem with timber fixed like that you can split it easily along the grain

As proven by the wooden sheds with massive security bars and big expensive yale locks, small prise bar and half the back wall out in less than 5 mins.

 

[the snooper]

As proven by the wooden sheds with massive security bars and big expensive yale locks, small prise bar and half the back wall out in less than 5 mins.

I think if you want decorative like that you do need to back it with either galv steel sheet or a decent sheet of ply first

 

[Gareth J]

If it were me, I'd go for a small side door (maybe 1/3 or 1/4 of the width) one side or the other. Either inset into a full, swinging door or next to a second door covering the remaining width. I also would be worried about narrowing the opening.

If you were lucky you might find a decent PVC front door + frame locally in the tip/eBay/Gumtree. They generally have a lot of anchor points are pretty tough and very waterproof.

Yours looks like it will be tidy though but at the very least, make sure you can unbolt the whole frame and remove (from the inside!) so if you decide to install a jacuzzi you wont have to start smashing things!

 

[Shedendman]

Erm,have you anything on wheels that needs to go in and out of the garage with your design,can see little ramps being made up

 

[rikrobson]

I think if you want decorative like that you do need to back it with either galv steel sheet or a decent sheet of ply first

I agree tongue and groove will just rip out.

would it not be cheaper to make the frame/door out of wood 4x2 and 18mm OSB then T&G over the top, or are you just looking for an excuse to use the welder. The entrande to my Workshop is a wooden frame inside brick/RSJ/ then heavy fire doors. one either side and a central one that bi folds on the Left hand door. They get bolted top and bottom.

I can use the single central door for getting in/out of the yard and with all doors open I can get the car in/out

 

[rikrobson]

i'd not put a section across the bottom of the door. it will be murder trying to roll stuff in and out and you will trip over it.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, an up and over door can be made more secure very easily by putting a drop bar into saddles at the top so it can't be pushed in and draw bolts at both bottom corners to stop them being pulled out. This can obviously be done from the inside so a second entrance would be needed. A paint job on the outside of the door would go some way to disguising what it was, so you can be as creative as you want.

If this is the only way in and out, then please ignore this ramble.

Colin

 

[zzr1200]

I replaced an up n over door at my ex-wife's by fitting a steel outer frame, two uprights with 6 mm plates welded to the bottom bolted into the base/garage side panels and a top beam cross section which was welded on top of the uprights, all box section was 75 x 75 x 5 mm. Then for the doors used 18mm plywood backed up by 4 x 2 wood glued n screwed with barn style door hinges with the pivot blocks welded to the uprights..

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Brother in law is a joiner. He made some new garage doors that were a "work of art". Unfortunately he didn't leave sufficient gap between the T&G and also the frame so when they expanded and contracted then it started to look terrible so got binned and new doors made that the T&G "floated" rather than being rigidly attached to the frame. Probably 10 year later they are still perfect albeit I scrounged them when in-laws had an extension and they are now fitted to a mates garage.
I'm going to remember that when I make tri fold doors to replace the up and over on my concrete garage. The frame will be angle iron (40 or 50mm x 3mm) with something like perforated sheet steel, heavy mesh or similar on the inside as the main protection from intruders and the, floating, timber on outside just for show.

 

[Kent]

Mate who was a locksmith always recommended ply for door components as it bounces rather than bends out of shape (for example UPVC doors are either foam, steel plate or plywood core the ply is the most secure as it tends to bounce back to its original position when the door is kicked, steel can be kicked surprsingly easily out of shape....

my garage doors are side opening 3x2 frame with 12mm ext ply inside and out with dog bolts on each hinge side and galv 16mm gate bolts to stop the "fixed" door being moved, fixed into the floor and the frame. They are an easy 2 person lift (more awkward than heavy to install) but remarkably rigid

Stockbord is even better it's made to be kicked by cows

 

[Kent]

Also while i think of it,your going to haqve slight gaps between the openings the leading edge and hinges,have you thought about how weather/rain proof it'll be?

Just use some flat to the outside if the doors open in
Mine are double Stanley doors remember that means 4 leafs interconnecting!

on

 

[Kent]

Stable even if your wondering what the heck Stanley doors are