Barn door opener

jmc · Sep 26, 2004

Anyone know of an electric garage door opener for a sliding barn door instead of an overhead door? Or has anyone adapted a regular opener to this type of door?

Thanks,

John

PBMAX · Sep 26, 2004

Would a Gate opener work? For those gates that roll open...

turnkey4099 · Sep 27, 2004

I did way back when. Used a screw drive type to operate a heave sliding garage door. Worked alright. On a barn door, you might have a problem finding one with a long enough drive. I don't know if a chain drive one can be lengthened.

Harry K

turnkey4099 · Sep 27, 2004

Back on the farm it was the kid's job to be a door (and gate) opener. I got very quick at the job. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Harry K

PBMAX · Sep 27, 2004

I didn't part time as barn door remote, But Have had years of experience as a my dad's tv remote.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

as for using a chain drive. I'd imagine it depends more on the stop limits of the system.

You could aslo dry a roll up door opener. I'd imagine they cost a fair bit more but should give you more flexability on the stop limits...

jmc · Sep 28, 2004

I'm really surprised that this is not a common device, considering how many polebarns there are. Made some calls today, including Morton, and no one could help. One salesman said that anyone who wants a door opener puts in an overhead door instead of a slider. Probably. I wanted a less industrial looking barn so went with the sliders. Didn't consider that every time the tractor comes out requires locking/unlocking and closing/opening the slider 4 times and the service door twice. I'm going to try the extended track route on a regular door opener mounted along the door. If it works, I'll post a picture.

Thanks for the replies, Everyone.

John

AndyR · Sep 29, 2004

I set one up on the sliding garage door at my old house. Welded up a heavy right angle bracket about 8" deep and bolted that to the door so that the garage door opener was pulling straight-line only, not trying to do any pulling off-axis. If I recall, the bracket was 4" channel and about a 8x12 backing plate for mounting on the door. You lost a few inches in opening width due to the mechanism, though I can imagine a few ways to set it up to avoid that.

It worked just fine with a generic Sears garage door opener. You will have to figure out what your maximum pull weight is (allow for weather variables) and also the total distance you need to move the door. I had done this back when the door controls were analog (meaning there were a couple of pots you could tweak) instead of the modern digital setups.

jmc · Sep 30, 2004

Andy,

Thanks for the reply. Your description is about how I visualized doing it. One problem is mine's an 18 ft wide opening w/ double sliding doors. You can get about anything through one 9 ft section but its tight and eventually I'll hit the edge. That's why I end up opening both doors, which is twice the reason to get an opener. The mechanical side of me says to open both with one opener but the extra improvising would offset the cost of a second opener pretty fast.

It turns out they do make slider openers. Chamberlain, who makes openers for themselves and Sears, sells a commercial unit that looks pretty expensive. It also may limit the travel if its not mounted on the same side of the wall as the door. Link attached.

John

sliding door opener link

Onthelake · Oct 1, 2004

The mechanical side of me says to open both with one opener but the extra improvising would offset the cost of a second opener pretty fast.

Look at a common travers rod for pulling the drapes back on both sides of a sliding door. Really all it would take is two pullies and some 3/16" steel cable. Mount the pullies on each of the side door jams, make a complete loop with the cable. With the doors closed, fasten the leading edge of each door to opposide sides of the loop. When you open the one door with the opener, the other side will open. Hope that makes sense.
Rod

turnkey4099 · Oct 1, 2004

Yes, that makes sense. I have my doubts about the ability of the opener to pull two doors tho. My installation was pretty maxed out pulling one.

Harry K